Biometric Data Devices

I am so excited to finally share all things biometric data! As you know, I have devoted 2024 to being my  “Healthy Girl Era”. I have always loved working out and living a healthy lifestyle, it is a part of me, a non-negotiable. As people started wearing trackable fitness devices, over the years, I never really got into them. I gauged my workout by strength, how I felt at the end and just pushed myself to new limits. I never tracked steps, calories burned for the day or my heart rate. But, through a lot of research over the last year, I have learned that biometric data is truly a vital aspect to our personal health and optimizing our overall well being.  

Because I love trying new things, sharing my feedback and also couldn’t decide which device I needed based on their different functions, I decided to purchase the top 3 devices and compare all of them for you! I actually started with the OURA Ring and that’s actually how I found out I have a really low HRV (Heart Rate Variability). I am diving deeper into that, so stay tuned. Therefore, in an attempt to see which device was most accurate and how I could get more data, I discovered the Whoop Strap. And while I was at it, I figured I might as well watch Garmin. At times, I looked a little crazy with 3 devices on, 1 on each wrist and another on my finger, but hey I did the testing for you! 😉

I’ve learned so much over the last 7 months testing these devices and diving deeper into the data. It’s been very eye-opening and insightful. I think the biggest thing it’s done for me is help me create better daily habits, because I know now how exactly my sleep and the amount I get in and it’s quality, is going to affect my recovery the next day. This data is very evident in my HRV, resting heart rate and body temperature. Being more aware of my sleep, reminds me that some nights, I just close my computer and get to sleep so I can better optimize myself the next day. I truly have created better routines, allowing me to know when to push my body and when to have more active recovery, when it comes to fitness! 

So let’s break it down! 

Whoop

My top pick for those looking for very detailed biometric data. This would be a good choice for fitness, health, and wellness enthusiasts. 

PROS:

• Easy to wear on non non-dominant wrist. Washable band. Easy to charge with wearable charger. 
• Extremely detailed tracking of intricate sleep factors like consistency of sleep, % of restorative sleep (deep/REM/light), sleep debt (hours vs. need) and sleep efficiency score.
• Very detailed recovery statistics include daily HRV, RHR, Respiration Rate, Sleep Performance
• Whoop uses something called “strain” to measure your cardiovascular load. This takes a good month or two to really get a good understanding of. 
• The app provides tons of articles and insights that break down the data and help you understand how to make lifestyle adjustments to improve scores and meet goals
• Based on daily sleep and recovery it will give you recommendations on how light or strenuous your cardiovascular load should be.
• Tracks menstrual cycle and body temp

CONS:

• Does not track steps (this is just something I like to track and we have fun as a family getting competitive and motivated to compare our steps each night!) 

Oura

My top pick for those looking for detailed biometric data that is presented in the most simple way. 

PROS:

• Daily readiness score lets you know how primed your body is to take on the day
• Tracks RHR, HRV, Body temp, respiratory rate along with your sleep to help you understand how recovered your body is
• Sleep score is total sleep, sleep efficiency, restfulness, REM sleep, deep sleep, latency, timing 
• Activity score tracks total cal burn, walking equivalency in miles, and steps. It also tracks training frequency, training volume, recovery time. 
• The resilience score tracks night time and diary time recovery from stress
• Tracks menstrual cycle and body temperature

CONS:

• I do not love wearing the “clunky” gold ring it is a little bulky and distracting. I do not love sleeping in rings, especially when my fingers swell a bit, and it is clearly not a fashion choice, ha! 

GARMIN

My top pick for someone who wants to keep it simple and combine modality of a watch and also basic biometric data. 

PROS:

• Super cute blush and rose gold colors makes for a sporty and attractive daily wear watch, both fashion and function.
• Tracks daily steps
• Tracks sleep data and “body battery” daily
• Basic app on iPhone super easy to use with the ability to set up more high functioning performance stats based on your activities etc.
• You can make this as simple or complex as you want
• Tracks menstrual cycle

CONS:

• Does not provide the same level of high detailed, thorough insight as well as the recommendations for lifestyle changes that the Whoop and Oura provide. 

My Final Thoughts

If you want a one-stop-shop and want functionality and fitness friendly, Garmin is a great choice. It’s cute, it’s your watch and you can see the stats directly on your wrist! You can definitely also take customization a step further in the app as well. 

If you really wanting to dive further into your metrics regarding sleep, physical activity and a fitness enthusiast, I would recommend the Oura or Whoop. 

The Whoop took me a few months to figure out all the ins and outs, it’s just a little more detailed, but now that I understand the data a little more, I actually prefer the high-level of detail as it provides. 

Overall, these 3 devices are all amazing and really finding the best one for your lifestyle and goals is what matters most! 

XO-

Racquel