What Does The Crown Symbol Mean On An Oura Ring?
The Oura Ring is a discreet wearable that measures and tracks several key health metrics, including your heart rate, body temperature, sleep quality, and physical activity. When your Readiness Score, Activity Score, or Sleep Score (scores that Oura provides based on your biometric data) is 85 or greater, there will be a small crown icon next to the score on the Oura app. This is just a visual cue that, based on the data Oura has, you are adequately rested and recovered for the coming day.
The Oura app's proprietary Readiness Score ranges from 0 to 100 and can help you determine your "readiness" for the coming day. The score is calculated using short- and long-term data that your Oura Ring has collected based on your heart rate, sleep, and exercise. The Readiness Score also accounts for the menstrual cycle in people who menstruate, and pregnancy-related readiness factors for people who are pregnant.
The Sleep Score and Activity Score also range from 0 to 100. Sleep Score is calculated based on sleep time, how long it takes you to fall asleep, and the percent of time during the total sleep period that you are actually asleep. The Activity Score is based on your daily step count, training volume and frequency, and your daily activity. It's possible to get a crown next to just one or two scores, or all three.
How Is the Readiness Score Calculated?
The Readiness Score uses your sleep and activity data, along with other health factors, to determine your overall level of readiness. A high Readiness Score indicates that you're "ready to take on new challenges," according to Oura. A lower score, however, indicates that you may need to focus on rest and recovery.
Your heart rate, body temperature, physical activity, and sleep quality for the previous day are used in the calculation. In addition, Oura includes three "Balance" measurements in the Readiness Score algorithm. These measurements compare data from the previous 14 days with data from the previous two months to determine overall trends in sleep quality, activity, and heart rate variability (HRV). HRV measures how much and how quickly your heart rate fluctuates. A high HRV may indicate that you're more resilient to life's stressors, because your heart rate comes back down fairly quickly after an elevation. HRV can also be used to help determine overall heart health.
According to Oura, you can improve your Readiness Score by staying fairly active throughout the day, but avoiding vigorous or intense exercise. Over the long term, your score can improve by prioritizing sleep and regular physical activity (without overworking yourself). However, keep in mind that doctors think Oura works better as a sleep tracker than a fitness tracker.
How Accurate Is the Oura Ring?
Your Readiness Score, Sleep Score, and Activity Score are only as accurate as the data your Oura Ring collects. According to a 2025 review of several academic studies, Oura's sleep measurements are comparable in accuracy to sleep tests used for medical purposes. Oura's exercise and energy expenditure calculations may be slightly less accurate than laboratory testing at measuring small changes in physical activity, but those results are fairly reliable. Still, your numbers may not be entirely accurate if you don't wear the ring consistently or if it is ill-fitting.
Aiming to earn a crown (or three) by getting scores of 85 or greater on the Oura app each day is a worthwhile goal. It may help you make some positive changes for your health by prioritizing sleep, stress management, and balanced physical activity. However, it's important not to take these scores as indisputable truths. If your Readiness Score is lower than you anticipated it would be, but you feel well-rested, energized, and motivated, you shouldn't let the score hold you back. If your Sleep Score is high, but you feel exhausted, then by all means prioritize rest. These scores are useful tools, but it's also important to check in with your body. Aim for crowns if you'd like, but stressing yourself out to earn them is counterintuitive to both your health and the purpose of the scores.