I tried 3 free sleep trackers for iPhones and compared them to my gold standard sleep tracker — one seriously impressed me
However, the Oura Ring 5, from $399 at Amazon, is a luxury spend and while it collects a lot of data, I mostly use it for sleep tracking. So it got me thinking: is there a way to get accurate sleep tracking data for free?The Oura Ring is the best sleep tracker on the market, so I appreciate that a free app is unlikely to match its accuracy. But with so many iPhone apps promising precise sleep tracking through sound and movement sensors, I wanted to see if you really have to pay 100s of dollars for sleep tracking.I picked three free sleep tracking apps with the best reviews in the App Store — Sleep Cycle, SleepScore and Sleepwave — and used them overnight.
- ▪However, the Oura Ring 5, from $399 at Amazon, is a luxury spend and while it collects a lot of data, I mostly use it for sleep tracking.
- ▪So it got me thinking: is there a way to get accurate sleep tracking data for free?The Oura Ring is the best sleep tracker on the market, so I appreciate that a free app is unlikely to match its accuracy.
- ▪But with so many iPhone apps promising precise sleep tracking through sound and movement sensors, I wanted to see if you really have to pay 100s of dollars for sleep tracking.I picked three free sleep tracking apps with the best reviews in
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| Canonical URL | https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/sleep-tech/i-tried-3-free-sleep-trackers-for-iphones-and-compared-them-to-my-gold-standard-sleep-tracker-one-seriously-impressed-me |
| Publication time | Sun, 02 Aug 2026 06:30:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-02T06:35:40.701Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-02T06:35:40.701Z |
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
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Wellness Sleep Sleep Tech I tried 3 free sleep trackers for iPhones and compared them to my gold standard sleep tracker — one seriously impressed me Opinion By Frances Daniels Published 2 August 2026 One free sleep tracking app nearly matched my $499 Oura Ring blow for blow — and one missed the mark entirely When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Future / Oura Ring) Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Oura Ring 5 sets the standard for sleep tracking — I’ve been wearing it for 6 weeks and its accuracy has blown me away.
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