Oura to sell its smart rings on Amazon as Apple, Samsung wearables competition grows

Oura will now sell its smart rings on Amazon, its latest retail expansion as the health and wellness wearable space continues to grow.

Starting Thursday, Oura will have its full selection of rings and accessories available to U.S. shoppers on Amazon through its own brand store. It will also have sizing kits for sale, helping customers find the right fit and then providing them with a discounted price equivalent to the cost of the sizing kit.

Oura's new e-commerce approach with Amazon builds on the partnership it announced with Best Buy last year to give the company its first U.S.-based large scale retail opportunity. Previously, the company largely sold its products directly to consumers through its website.

"Amazon is a natural step for us," said Oura chief marketing officer Doug Sweeny. "It's an enormous ecosystem and in terms of product reviews and search, it's really important."

The move also comes as Oura faces a new challenge from Samsung in the smart ring category. The Galaxy Ring, Samsung's latest wearable, is expected to launch this year with health-tracking features including heart rate and sleep monitoring while also giving users a score of their readiness for the day.

Apple has also been adding more health features to its Watch series.

Oura rings are equipped with research-grade sensors to track everything from heart rate to temperature to sleep cycles. That data is then analyzed to provide insights regarding activities and exercise, stress levels and overall health status.

Amazon had been among the competitors directly in the device space targeting people's wrists, fingers and other body parts. But the market, while worth billions, has been seen a shakeout in recent years. Amazon discontinued its Halo wearable in April of last year, citing a crowded segment, among other reasons. Early wearables leader Fitbit was acquired by Google years ago and integrated by Alphabet into a Google Pixel Watch.

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