Two devices, one place
Oura vs WHOOP vs Apple Watch: what does each one record?
Updated · 4 min read
- Steps
- Cardio
- Heart
- Sleep
Short answer
All three record sleep and workouts. Oura Gen3 or later sends data to Apple Health only with a membership, and WHOOP records only with one.
Oura, WHOOP and Apple Watch all track heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV, how the time between heartbeats varies) and sleep stages. What reaches Apple Health (the Health app on iPhone) differs. HRV is on neither Oura's nor WHOOP's export list, and Oura Gen3 or later sends data only with an active membership.
What each one records
| Reading | Oura | WHOOP | Apple Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you wear it | Finger | Wrist | Wrist |
| Heart rate | Day and night | Yes | Periodic measurements |
| HRV | Day and night | Yes | Yes |
| Breathing rate | During sleep | Yes | Overnight |
| Blood oxygen | During sleep | Yes | Not on Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch For Your Kids |
| Skin temperature | Yes | Yes | Series 8 or later, and Ultra |
| Sleep stages | Light, Deep, REM | Light, slow wave (deep), REM | Core, Deep, REM |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Workouts | Added by you or found automatically | Found automatically or added by you | In the Workout app and other apps |
- On Gen3 and newer rings, Oura's 24/7 heart rate, advanced temperature monitoring, blood oxygen and detailed sleep analysis are part of Oura Membership.
- WHOOP lists blood oxygen and skin temperature for WHOOP 4.0 on a page from 2021.
- WHOOP counts steps from when you wake up until you next wake up, so its totals may not match the midnight-to-midnight totals of other devices.
- Apple calls its light sleep stage Core. Apple says that Core is similar to what some sleep trackers call light sleep.
- Apple's model comparison page lists HRV for Apple Watch. On Series 12 and Ultra 4, you can also view Recovery HRV, which the watch samples while you are still.
What each one sends to Apple Health
Apple Watch sends its data to Apple Health itself. Apple says that heart rate and blood oxygen measurements go from the watch to Apple Health automatically. Apple Health also shows the time that you spent in each sleep stage. Its Vitals category shows your overnight heart rate, breathing rate, wrist temperature, blood oxygen and sleep duration. On Series 12 and Ultra 4, HRV replaces sleep duration.
Oura and WHOOP each list what they export to Apple Health:
| Reading | Oura exports | WHOOP exports |
|---|---|---|
| Heart rate | In one-minute intervals | During activities such as sleep and running |
| Resting heart rate | Not on Oura's list | Yes |
| HRV | Not on Oura's list | No, at this time |
| Breathing rate | Nighttime average | Yes |
| Blood oxygen | Not on Oura's list | Yes |
| Skin temperature | Not on Oura's list | Not on WHOOP's list |
| Sleep | Sleep, with its stages | Sleep tracking |
| Steps | Yes | Only if you turn them on in WHOOP's settings |
| Workouts | Yes | The activities that WHOOP finds automatically |
To find Oura's Apple Health settings, open the Oura app. Tap the menu in the upper-left corner of the home screen. Under Data sharing, tap Apple Health. To choose what WHOOP sends, open the WHOOP app. Tap More then App Settings then Integrations then Apple Health. You can turn each data type on or off there.
What a membership changes
- Oura
Without an active membership, Oura says that you see only its three daily scores, the ring battery, basic profile information, app settings and Explore content. You can still export all your Oura data as a CSV (comma-separated values) file, which a spreadsheet app opens, through the Membership Hub. To open it, tap the menu in the upper-left corner of the app's Today screen. Tap Settings. Under Account, tap Manage membership.
- WHOOP
WHOOP says that once your membership ends, it no longer collects, uploads or analyzes your biometric data. You can still view your past data in the WHOOP app.
- Apple Watch
Its readings do not depend on an Oura or WHOOP membership.
Questions
Can I wear two of them at once?
Yes. Each one can send data to Apple Health on your iPhone, as the tables above show. When two sources give the same data type, Apple Health gives priority to the source at the top of the list. To set the order for sleep, open the Health app and tap Browse > Sleep > Sleep. Scroll down and tap Data Sources & Access, the list of apps and devices that give that data type, in order of priority. Tap Edit. Touch and hold the Change Order button next to a source. Drag it to the top. Tap Done.
How does each one estimate sleep stages?
Apple says that its model for Apple Watch is based on accelerometer data, from the motion sensor. Oura uses movement, skin temperature, resting heart rate, HRV and breathing rate. WHOOP uses heart rate, HRV, breathing rate and movement.
Sources
- 1Explore the Technology in Oura Ring 4, Ouraouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 2How Does the Oura Ring Track My Sleep?, Ouraouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 3Sleep Stages, Oura Helpsupport.ouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 4Apple Health Integration, Oura Helpsupport.ouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 5Oura Membership, Oura Helpsupport.ouraring.com (opens in a new tab)
- 6Sleep Accuracy: How WHOOP Measures and Scores Sleep, WHOOPwhoop.com (opens in a new tab)
- 7WHOOP Feature: The Health Monitor, WHOOPwhoop.com (opens in a new tab)
- 8Apple Health Integration, WHOOP Supportsupport.whoop.com (opens in a new tab)
- 9Step Count Now Available in the WHOOP Developer API, WHOOP Communitycommunity.whoop.com (opens in a new tab)
- 10Canceling Your Membership, WHOOP Supportsupport.whoop.com (opens in a new tab)
- 11Intro to Health data on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 12Track your overnight and daytime vitals with Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 13Monitor your heart rate with Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 14Compare Apple Watch Models, Appleapple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 15Track your sleep on Apple Watch and use Sleep on iPhone, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 16Estimating Sleep Stages from Apple Watch, Appleapple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 17Track daily activity with Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)
- 18Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, Apple Supportsupport.apple.com (opens in a new tab)