Strava users have always been able to link devices, such as the best smartwatches, in order to import activity data into the app. However, a new integration with smart ring manufacturer Oura will allow Strava users to sync information from their Oura Ring, too.
At present, the Oura Ring is top of both our best smart ring and best sleep tracker buying guides. The Oura isn’t exactly focused on activity in the way 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 up a picture of their overall health, rather than focusing on fitness.
It can monitor and log activity, but it’s more interested in the impact of said activity than sharing routes and split paces from your latest runs. However, the Oura/Strava integration will allow Oura users to share pre- and post-exercise statistics, such as Readiness and Sleep scores.
ZIpporah Allen, Strava’s chief business officer, said: “Chasing your personal best means nurturing your entire well-being. That's why we're dedicated to integrating trusted partners into Strava, ensuring our athletes have the tools they need to optimise every aspect of their active lives.”
Although you can tag exercise sessions during the day in your Oura app, uploading these metrics to Strava allows you to put everything in one place. Once synced to your Strava account, choosing Share to Strava from your Oura account uploads an image of a compatible metric, such as Readiness or Sleep, from your Oura account.
Analysis: niche, but telling
Let’s be real: we don’t imagine that very many Oura users will be that interested in uploading a picture of their daily readiness score to Strava. But it could be useful in some cases: for example, you might use a cycling computer or a running watch to log your workouts, and sleep with a smart ring.
Being able to upload recovery stats too ensures that you only need to scroll through Strava to see a complete “holistic” picture of your health collected from multiple devices.
It’s interesting to see that Strava is extending a hand to smart ring users, although 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 mulling over the merits of the form factor. Offering integrations with smart rings now is a smart way for Strava to stay ahead of the curve.
The really exciting stage 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 won’t happen for many years yet, but there may well come a time when smaller smart devices begin to supersede and replace smartwatches, uploading GPS data from runs and rides directly to Strava with no need for any other device.
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