Android Authority reports that Oura is replacing one of its clunkiest health workflows with a passive, always-on measurement. The smart ring maker is introducing automatic VO2 max estimates for its wearable, eliminating the six-minute outdoor walking test that previously anchored its Cardio Capacity feature. For users who wear an Oura ring to bed, this means cardiovascular insights can emerge from everyday movement and recovery data instead of a scheduled test.
A Shift From Manual Tests to Passive Tracking
The older Cardio Capacity flow asked users to complete a structured outdoor walk with GPS and heart-rate data. It was accurate but inconvenient. The new approach, according to Android Authority, pulls VO2 max directly from the ring’s continuous sensor stream. Oura is framing this as a quality-of-life upgrade that also increases the value of wearing the ring around the clock. Instead of a one-off test, the system can recalibrate as your training load, sleep, and resting heart rate evolve.
The ring already tracks:
- resting heart rate and heart rate variability
- movement, activity, and step patterns
- sleep stages and overnight respiration
- body temperature trends
By combining those inputs with exercise heart-rate responses, Oura can estimate VO2 max without asking users to do anything special. That matters because VO2 max is a widely used proxy for aerobic fitness, cardiovascular risk, and endurance capacity.
What the Ring Actually Measures
VO2 max estimates are not new to wearables, but most devices require GPS runs or cycling sessions to produce them. Oura’s shift is notable because a ring form factor has never been ideal for real-time exercise tracking. The new automatic metric leans on recovery and sleep data instead of demanding a workout. Android Authority notes that this extends a sleep-and-recovery device into cardiovascular performance tracking without new hardware.
Oura’s existing Cardio Capacity score, which will now update automatically, is designed to help users understand whether their aerobic fitness is trending up or down. It does not replace lab testing, but it gives a longitudinal view that a single clinic visit cannot. The automatic estimate should also improve consistency: users who skipped manual tests will now get regular updates with no effort.
The feature does not require a new ring. It arrives as a software update for existing Oura models that already support Cardio Capacity. That is a meaningful strategy: Oura can add a training-focused feature to hardware that many people bought for sleep, making the device more useful without pushing an upgrade cycle.
The Competitive Picture for Wearable AI
This move puts Oura in direct competition with training-focused wearables. The ring is no longer just a sleep and readiness gadget; it now offers a metric that athletes and health optimizers compare across platforms.
Other devices with automatic cardiovascular estimates include:
- Apple Watch, which reports Cardio Fitness based on outdoor walks, runs, or hikes
- Garmin watches, which estimate VO2 max during GPS-tracked runs and rides
- Whoop, which uses continuous heart-rate and strain data to model cardiovascular load
Oura’s advantage is the always-on, low-friction nature of a ring. A watch can be removed at night; a ring often stays on. If the automatic VO2 max proves reliable, Oura could become the most passive way to track aerobic fitness over months and years. The risk is accuracy: wrist- and finger-based optical sensors have limits during intense exercise, and VO2 max estimates from daily living data are harder to validate than those from structured workouts.
Still, the direction is clear. Oura is turning a sleep-first wearable into a broader health platform, using continuous biometric data to generate cardiovascular insights without new sensors or user behavior. The automatic VO2 Max update is the latest step, and it likely sets up future features around training readiness, aging, and metabolic health.