Money expert Clark Howard has long been an advocate for good financial health. He also has made no secret about keeping up his physical health. Related to that is a piece of jewelry he wears.
What To Know About Clark’s High-Tech Wedding Band
If you see him in public or on TV, you may notice a ring on his finger that he’s very proud of. It’s his Oura Ring.
“Oura has made a big change in my life in one particular area: I was never a good sleeper,” Clark says. “I never thought I got real rest, and one of the things Oura does is it coaches you to be more fit, how to be in better general health and focuses on how to improve your sleep.”
What Is the Oura Ring?
The Oura Ring is a wearable sleep and recovery tracker that uses sensors to collect and measure data about your activity, heart rate and body temperature. On its website, the ring is described as “a sleep lab wrapped around your finger.”
Clark says he’s made a slight modification to how the Oura Ring is intended to be worn.
According to its website, the Oura Ring accurately tracks the quality of your sleep by measuring your body’s activity in light, deep and REM sleep stages. The manufacturer says the ring also provides:
- 98% heart rate variability (HRV) accuracy
- 99.6% resting heart rate accuracy
How Does the Oura Ring Work?
The Oura Ring uses a sleep-stage algorithm that determines your optimal bedtime by gauging your body’s behavior and factoring in your vital signs.
The device, which works in tandem with the Oura app (Android | iOS), also gives you scores to indicate the quality of your sleep and overall readiness. To unlock all its features, the app costs $5.99 per month, but Clark says the company has waived his fees as he’s a longtime user of the product.
The readiness score is the main score and tells you how ready you are for the day. It encapsulates your vital signs, sleeping patterns and any recent activity you’ve done to indicate how your body is doing overall.
According to the Oura Ring’s website, a readiness score of:
- 85 or higher = Optimal
- 70-84 = Good
- Under 70 = Not fully recovered
“When I first started wearing it, my sleep score was in the 50s and 60s, but now I average in the 80s. It modified my behavior,” Clark says, adding that a score of 85 is good.
“I see my scores every day,” Clark says. “Today, my readiness score is 79. My sleep last night was 72, not very good.”
How Much Does the Oura Ring Cost?
The Oura Ring costs $299 (shipping and taxes not included), which Clark acknowledges is very expensive. “This is like outside the Clark zone,” he says, referring to the price, “but I’m really into fitness.”
The Oura third-generation is available for order right now on OuraRing.com. You can choose between four colors – black, stealth (a metallic hue), silver and gold.
As of June 2022, Oura is giving all new Oura Ring users six free months of membership for the full functionality of its app. After that, you will be charged $5.99 a month.
“Because I’ve been an Oura wearer for a long time, I don’t have to pay the ongoing software fees,” Clark says.
Final Thoughts
As you may know, Clark never takes any money for endorsing a product and never will. But he says he loves what Oura has done for him and wants to share it with those who are conscious about their health.
