Galaxy Watch 5 vs Oura Ring: How good is the sleep tracking?
Verdict in brief
Compared to the Oura Ring, the sleep tracking of the Galaxy Watch 5 is surprisingly accurate. If you want to optimize your sleep, the watch and the Samsung Health app make a good companion. Temperature measurement was still missing.
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The video is in German.
Pros
- Total sleep duration almost identical to the Oura Ring
- Deep sleep only 20 minutes off the ring
- Sleep coaching with an animal group and tips, free of charge
- Cheaper than the Oura Ring, from around €230
Cons
- Light and REM sleep are classified differently than on the ring
- Temperature measurement was not yet enabled
Enough good sleep is important for physical and mental health. That is why I am looking at the sleep tracking of the Galaxy Watch 5, which I have worn around the clock since it launched. The benchmark is the Oura Ring, which by its own account uses market-leading technology for sleep analysis. I wore both for several nights in a row. I looked at the watch data in the Samsung Health app.
Why sleep matters
A study from the UK examined the sleep behavior of 8,000 people over 25 years. For 50-year-olds who sleep five hours or less per night, the risk of chronic diseases was 30% higher than for those who sleep at least seven hours. At age 60, the risk rose by 32%, at 70 by 40%. This included diabetes, cancer, heart disease, strokes, depression and dementia, among others. The study is linked in the video description.
It is not just about duration. A deep sleep duration of an hour and a half to two hours is optimal. Smart devices show which phase you were in.
Price of the devices
The Oura Ring costs around €314 in the cheapest version and has no display, it is entirely specialized in sleep. The Galaxy Watch 5 is available from around €230, for example at Amazon.
The results compared
| Galaxy Watch 5 | Oura Ring | |
|---|---|---|
| Total duration | 7 h 48 min | 7 h 36 min |
| Deep sleep | 1 h 25 min | 1 h 45 min |
| Awake time | 1 h | 45 min |
The actual sleep time differs by only 9 minutes. For light and REM sleep, the devices interpret things differently: the ring measures one hour more REM and one hour less light sleep. What surprised me was how close the watch is on the important deep sleep. Between the Apple Watch 8 and the ring, the deviations are in part enormous.
Both also measure blood oxygen. The ring shows the average, the watch shows the time it drops below 90%.
Improving your sleep and sleep coaching
From the data, you can derive what helps: not eating heavy meals in the evening, no alcohol, avoiding blue screen light, sleeping in a quiet and dark room. The sleep coaching of the Galaxy Watch 5 helps with that. After a few nights, it analyzes your data and assigns you to an animal group. I am a nervous penguin, which I can vouch for. After that, there are tips. All of this is free if you have the watch.
What I still miss is temperature measurement, which Samsung has announced for the future. Paired with the sleep data, it could reveal more about your state of health, as it does with the Oura Ring.
Verdict
If you want to optimize your sleep for your health, the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Samsung Health app make a very good companion. Compared to the Oura Ring, it measures sleep stages surprisingly accurately.
Questions and answers
- How accurate is the sleep tracking of the Galaxy Watch 5?
- Surprisingly accurate compared to the Oura Ring. Total sleep time was 7 hours 48 minutes (watch) and 7 hours 36 minutes (ring), deep sleep 1 hour 25 and 1 hour 45.
- How much does the Oura Ring cost compared to the Galaxy Watch 5?
- The Oura Ring costs around €314 in the cheapest version. The Galaxy Watch 5 is available from around €230, for example at Amazon.
- How long should deep sleep last?
- Jen names a deep sleep duration of an hour and a half to two hours as optimal, so that body and brain can recover.
- What can you do to sleep better?
- Do not eat heavy meals in the evening, do not drink alcohol, avoid blue screen light and make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark.
