Oura Ring users can now sync with Strava to upload sleep and readiness scores
Strava users have always been able to pair devices, such as top smartwatches, to import activity data into the app. However, thanks to a new integration with smart ring manufacturer Oura, Strava users can also sync information from their Oura Ring.
Currently, the Oura Ring tops both our best smart ring and best sleep tracker buying guides. The Oura isn’t exactly activity-focused like Strava users have come to expect from connected devices: it looks at steps, heart rate and estimates calories, yes, but it also closely examines users’ sleep, temperature and energy levels to build a get a sense of their overall health, rather than focusing on their fitness.
It can monitor and record activity, but it’s more interested in the impact of that activity than sharing routes and split steps from your latest runs. However, the Oura/Strava integration allows Oura users to share pre- and post-workout metrics such as readiness and sleep scores.
ZIpporah Allen, Chief Business Officer of Strava, said: “Pursuing your personal best means nurturing your entire well-being. That’s why we strive to integrate trusted partners into Strava, so our athletes have the tools they need to optimize every aspect of their active lives.”
While you can tag training sessions throughout the day in your Oura app, uploading these stats to Strava allows you to keep everything in one place. Once synced to your Strava account, choosing Share to Strava from your Oura account will upload an image of a compatible metric, such as Readiness or Sleep, from your Oura account.
Analysis: niche, but significant
Let’s be honest: we can’t imagine that very many Oura users will be that interested in uploading a photo of their daily readiness score to Strava. But in some cases it can be useful: for example, you can use a cycling computer or a running watch to track your workouts, and sleep with a smart ring.
By also being able to upload recovery stats, all you have to do is scroll through Strava to see a complete ‘holistic’ view of your health, collected across multiple devices.
It’s interesting to see Strava reaching out to smart ring users, though perhaps not surprising given that 2024 looks set to be the year of the smart ring, with multiple devices from Samsung and Honor in development, and Apple reportedly ponders the benefits of the form factor. Now offering integrations with smart rings is a smart way for Strava to stay ahead.
The really exciting phase will come when smart rings are finally advanced enough to offer watch-quality GPS in addition to heart rate, sleep, steps and the like. It will be years before this happens, but there could well come a time when smaller smart devices replace and replace smartwatches, with GPS data from runs and rides uploaded directly to Strava without the need for another device .