Can You Wear An Oura Ring In A Sauna?

In previous blog posts, I’ve considered whether you can take a laptop inside a sauna or AirPods inside a sauna. In those cases, I recommended against using these devices inside a sauna universally. But the Oura Ring is a unique device and the answer may differ.

To answer the question, “Can you wear an Oura Ring in a sauna?” I’ll first talk about the temperatures the Oura Ring has been made to endure. Then I’ll talk about the temperatures of different sauna types and tell you whether it’s wise to wear an Oura Ring in these conditions. I’ll also talk about whether the Oura Ring can withstand the humidity of a sauna.

Lastly, you may want to learn more about using electronics in a sauna. I’ve therefore written blogs about using Apple Airpods in sauna or Apple AirPods in saunas, and a laptop in sauna. As you may already assume, all of these options are worse than an Oura Ring, so the Oura is the best among the bunch. So, laptops, Apple products and other electronics in sauna are almost always a very bad idea.

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Is The Oura Ring Waterproof? And What Is The Maximum Temperature An Oura Ring Can Get Before Overheating?

First off, let’s consider what type of temperature and water exposure an Oura Ring can be exposed to. The official recommendation of the Oura team is not to expose your product to temperatures other than the -10 degrees Celsius to 54 degrees Celsius range (14 degrees Fahrenheit to 129 Fahrenheit)  (1).

However, Oura also writes that extended periods above 35 degrees Celsius can damage your ring. It’s precisely the battery that will be damaged in these circumstances. However, the Oura Ring is waterproof for depths of up to 100 metres, so you’re very safe in that regard. With that data in the back of our minds, let’s explore the implications:

How Hot Is A Sauna? Common Sauna Temperatures

I wrote a blog post on “How hot is a sauna” in the past. In that blog post, I considered the temperatures and humidity of different sauna models (2; 3; 4). Here’s a summary of the data:

• Infrared saunas use temperatures of 45 - 60 degrees Celsius (113 - 140F). Humidity is low in an infrared sauna.
• Dry saunas have maximum temperatures of around 80 degrees Celsius (176F). In a dry sauna, humidity is also low.
• Finnish saunas have maximum temperatures of 110 degrees Celsius and higher (230F). Humidity is high here, contrary to previous options.
• Steam rooms, lastly, have maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius (104F). Humidity is exceptionally high in steam rooms, though.

So, sauna temperatures range from 40 degrees Celsius (104F) to 110 degrees Celsius (230F). With that data, you and I can explore the question of “Can you wear oura ring in infrared sauna?”:

Is The Oura Ring Infrared Sauna Combination Viable? And An Oura Ring In A Steam Room?

So now I can tell you whether you can wear an oura ring in the sauna. We know the Oura Ring withstands temperatures as high as 54 degrees Celsius (129F). And from the battery's perspective, even lower temperatures can be damaging.

Sauna temperatures range from 40 to 110 degrees Celsius (104 - 230F). Hence, you may conclude that using an Oura Ring inside the sauna is mostly a bad idea. 

For short periods, steam rooms are probably still doable. For more extended periods, however, you’re risking the battery longevity of your Oura Ring. 

The same is true for an infrared sauna. During a sauna session, your skin temperature gets as high as 40 degrees Celsius. And, if the air temperature around you is 45 - 60 degrees, it may become too much for your Oura Ring, especially the battery.

Also, dry and Finnish saunas use even higher temperatures than infrared saunas and steam rooms. So I recommend against using an Oura RIng in a dry sauna or Finnish sauna simply because it may damage the battery and the electronics in the ring.

Lastly, let’s consider a few frequently asked questions about this topic:

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Oura Ring In Sauna And Other Locations

You may have some remaining questions about wearing an Oura Ring. Therefore I’m answering a few Oura Ring questions in a rapid-fire manner:

• Can you wear Oura Ring in the pool? Yes, you can, as the Oura Ring is waterproof of up to 100 metres. You can thus also swim in the ocean with the Oura Ring.
• Can you wear Oura ring while lifting weights? Yes, lifting weights with the Oura Ring is perfect. Just be careful with scratching on the ring - iron and steel will tend to leave their marks.
• Is it OK to wear Oura Ring on ring finger? Sure, as long as the Oura Ring fits according to the instructions of the sizing kit that you originally received with the Oura Ring
• Can you wear Oura at gym? Yes, the Oura RIng is perfect to wear at the gym. The gym doesn’t have excess temperature nor water exposure that could damage the ring. Just be careful with scratching.
• Where do you wear your Oura ring? You can wear the Oura Ring almost everywhere except in hot saunas for more extended periods.
• Can I wear my Oura Ring on my middle finger? Same answer as the ring finger - if the ring fits well according to the instructions of the sizing kit, you can wear it on any finger and even on your thumb.

Lastly, let’s conclude:

Conclusion: Can I Wear My Oura Ring In Sauna? Yes, But Be Careful

The Oura Ring and Sauna combination is a tricky one. Using a steam room or an infrared sauna for a short session is fine. But, using even an infrared sauna, let alone a dry sauna or Finnish sauna for a more extended period of time, raises the temperature of the ring way above what the Oura team themselves recommend. Don’t risk damaging your Oura Ring by not taking it off - take the precautionary route.

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