Another factor to keep in mind is how well a device integrates into your lifestyle. There’s no point in using wrist-based sleep trackers if you wake up in the middle of the night to take them off. If you can’t wear a watch, headphones or ring to bed, you may want to look into non-invasive options like the Withings Sleep or Google Nest Hub.
Likewise, excellent battery life is also a must. It’s not great if a device can’t reliably last through the night or requires a special charging schedule. (Fast charging can only help so much when you’re exhausted.) That’s why you won’t find smartwatches like the Apple Watch or any Wear OS watch on this list.
Also, take sleep tracking accuracy with a grain of salt. Sleep technology has come a long way in just a few years, but these are not medical devices. Gadgets like the Withings ScanWatch may be FDA-cleared for monitoring sleep disorders, but that doesn’t mean they can diagnose you with sleep apnea. No matter how advanced the sensors are or how many features a product boasts, trackers are meant to help detect when something is off. Nothing more.
With all of that in mind, I’ve compiled these recommendations based on how well a sleep gadget addresses the problems it’s trying to fix. We also looked at comfort, accuracy, battery life and whether it provides good context for its data.
Oura Ring Gen 3 is a comprehensive yet comfortable sleep tracker. Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
The best overall sleep tracker
The $299 Oura Ring isn’t a fitness tracker that happens to track sleep. It’s a sleep tracker that happens to track some fitness metrics. The ring has seven temperature sensors, a green LED sensor to measure heart rate, and red and infrared LEDs to measure blood oxygen. This does not include the battery or accelerometers. All these sensors provide a holistic view of your recovery. Each morning, you are given a report on your readiness, sleep quality and activity goals for the day. These reports tell you how your sleep affects your daily ability to deal with stress and whether you should take it easy or challenge yourself. The app also includes wellness features such as guided meditations and white noise to help you fall asleep.
Oura Ring (third generation)
The Oura smart ring is a comfortable sleep and recovery tracker that offers features such as quantified meditation sessions, the ability to measure heart rate throughout the day and more. Of all the sleep gadgets I’ve tested, the Oura Ring has the best framework for its data and presents it in an intuitive way. The blood oxygen monitoring version is also preferable to the random checks found on devices like the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. Instead, the Oura Ring passively monitors your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels during sleep and encourages you to check base for a long time. It’s not exciting, but it’s a more useful measure for the average person. It is also one of the few devices that includes a recovery mode. If you are sick or injured, you can stop your activity goals until you are back to full health. But the main appeal here is the form factor: A ring is infinitely more comfortable than a watch. And while it’s not the trendiest, it’s not descriptive enough to wear to any event. Plus, you get up to a week on a single charge. (Though in my testing, I got four to five days. Enabling SpO2 tracking will also drain the battery.) The only thing I don’t like is that it now comes with a $6 monthly fee. However, if you’re really passionate about tracking your sleep and are willing to make a long-term commitment, it’s worth it. SpO2 tracking is passive on Fitbit’s platform, but more useful than spot checks. Photo by Brent Rose/The Verge
The best smartwatch with sleep tracking
If you want a more powerful fitness tracker that also has great sleep tracking, then the $329.95 Fitbit Sense is a good choice. While it’s not as fully equipped for smartwatch functionality as the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, it leverages Fitbit’s superior sleep-tracking platform (though unfortunately you’ll have to pay $10 a month, or $79.99 a year, to see Fitbit’s Premium service for more in-depth metrics.) Fitbit was early for sleep tracking and it shows. Of course, you get sleep stages, but you can also see how your sleep compares to other people of your age and gender. Like the Oura Ring, it eschews on-the-spot SpO2 checks for passive overnight monitoring (via the Estimated Oxygen Fluctuation measurement) and also provides a Daily Readiness Index based on your long-term activity and sleep quality. Fitbit Premium subscribers also get access to a ton of wellness content — if that’s your thing. Apple and Samsung are still catching up in this area when it comes to accuracy, battery life and how detailed the sleep metrics they provide.
Fitbit Sense
Fitbit Sense includes FDA clearance and allows you to track your stress levels in addition to measuring your blood oxygen levels. The watch also includes Google Assistant support as well as built-in Alexa. One thing that is unique to the Sense is the Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor. This measures the tiny levels of sweat on your skin to gauge your stress levels. Fitbit designed one of the most important stress tracking features, as it gives you space to log your emotional well-being within the app. This, combined with sleep tracking, is a great wellness tool. If you don’t care about stress tracking, you can save money by opting for the $229.95 Versa 3. And if you prefer a fitness band, the $179.95 Charge 5 is a more affordable option with the EDA sensor. (Both are also often on sale.) Finally, in testing, I got about a week of battery life on a single charge. That’s a lot better than most other flagship smartwatches — even if you give up fancier features like LTE connectivity and useful third-party apps. The Whoop 4.0 sleep tracks with a strong emphasis on athletic performance. Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
The best sleep tracker for athletes
When it comes to recovery, no sleep tech gadget does more for athletes than Whoop. It primarily monitors your body’s ability to handle cardiovascular stress, but its insight into sleep is unique. Instead of focusing on sleep quality, it zeroes in on your sleep debt and whether the sleep you’re getting is enough to fuel your workout. If you want to record how certain factors affect your sleep, Whoop is way ahead of the competition. You can record how anything from the COVID-19 vaccine to magnesium supplements affects your sleep. It’s not a necessary feature, but it’s a bonus if the sleep log is important to you.
Phew 4.0
This distraction-free recovery tracker helps you track your sleep quality and cardiovascular strain. The hardware is “free” but costs $30 per month. Unlike most modern wearables, you’ll get next to nothing in the way of notifications or smart features. However, this also means it has good battery life. The Whoop 4.0 also comes with a portable battery that slides into the tracker itself. The result is that you can go several days without ever having to take the tracker off. Whoop also gives you flexible options for wearing the device. For example, you can choose to wear it on your biceps, leggings, or even a sports bra. That being said, this is a specialized product best suited to athletes who engage in intense cardio sports. (It’s not the best for monitoring blood pressure from activities like strength training.) The device costs nothing, but the $30 monthly subscription is steep, and if you’re an occasional athlete, you’re better off spending your money elsewhere. But if you’re someone who’s always training for an event or prone to overtraining, the Whoop 4.0 can give you that extra edge. Bose SleepBuds II fit securely in your ear so they’re less likely to fall out while you sleep. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales/The Verge
The best sleep headphones to help you fall asleep
If you just want to fall asleep easier, the Bose SleepBuds II are some of the most comfortable options. The wireless buds feature wing tips and a flat design that sits flush with your ear so they’re less likely to fall out while you sleep. They also have an anti-friction coating for side sleepers. (No weird pillow rubbing noises!) Sleeping with headphones is notoriously uncomfortable for many people, so the lightweight and secure design here is a major win. These aren’t noise-cancelling buds, though — they’re more like mini white noise machines that you stick in your ear. You may have to experiment a bit to find a volume that works for you, but it’s…
