Crystal ball: Oura is facing a proposed class action lawsuit over the accuracy of its sleep-tracking claims. Filed this week in San Francisco by Clarkson Law Firm, the complaint argues that Oura's smart rings can't directly detect the physiological signals needed to assess sleep quality or identify sleep stages, and instead lean on AI-generated estimates the suit says amount to "a coin flip's chance of being correct."
The lawsuit takes aim at a core feature of the product: its ability to turn data collected from a wearer's finger into scores for sleep, readiness, and activity. Oura rings track measures like heart activity and skin temperature, then run that data through software to generate sleep reports.
But the complaint argues this approach can't deliver the same information as a clinical sleep study. Sleep stages, it says, are determined through brain and eye measurements that require electrodes on the scalp and sensors near the eyes.
"Sleep happens in the brain, not on one's finger," the complaint states.
Oura has marketed its ring as "built for accuracy" and offering "unparalleled accuracy," according to the filing. The complaint says the company has claimed 79% accuracy in its measurements and, more recently, 95% sleep-staging accuracy compared with clinical sleep labs.
The complaint alleges Oura marketed rings costing $300 or more as tools capable of tracking sleep and identifying its four stages. It argues those claims overstate what a finger-worn device can do, since determining sleep stages requires the scalp electrodes and eye sensors used in clinical sleep studies.
The plaintiffs argue that Oura's marketing leaves consumers with the impression that the ring can measure sleep the same way a lab can. They say consumers may use the device's reports to shape health-related decisions, even though its estimates may not reflect their actual sleep.
The lawsuit follows years of online complaints from Oura users questioning the accuracy of the ring's sleep reports. Some have said the device logged a strong night of sleep when they felt exhausted. Others have questioned its ability to identify REM and deep sleep.
The complaint asks the court to stop Oura from making what it calls misleading claims about the ring's capabilities, and seeks restitution for consumers who bought Oura products based on those claims. Oura did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Oura is facing a lawsuit over whether its $300 ring can actually track sleep
