I've worn the Oura Ring and Apple Watch for years: Here's which of two is more essential

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

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In theory, health trackers should all do the same thing: monitor your activity and deliver easy-to-understand insights. In practice, however, these devices perform very differently.

Take the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch, for example. You can exercise with them both, wear them to bed, and keep them on in the shower as they monitor your heart rate, body temperature, activity, stress, and sleep.

Also: The best Apple Watches you can buy: Expert tested and reviewed

But they couldn't be more different. The smart ring promises a discreet build and a few days' battery life (Oura says seven days max, but it's closer to four or five from my testing). The smartwatch, on the other hand, is a chunkier device that brings all your smartphone's features to your wrist with a health- and activity-minded twist.

So which should you buy? I just so happen to wear both devices regularly, because I enjoy each device's functions for different reasons. Let's break down the differences.

You should buy an Apple Watch if...

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

1. You want a smartphone assistant

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