We clearly love Oura here at Android Central, and even with the new Oura Ring 5 available now, we would still recommend buying the Oura Ring 4, especially if you can find a good discount. Right now, the Oura Ring 4 just hit its lowest price for Prime Day, but you'll have to act fast because color options are falling out of stock.

The cheapest Oura Ring 4 starts at $349, but you're saving roughly $135 by opting for the Silver colorway, bringing it down to just $214. Plus, you can save even more at Best Buy when you buy pricier color options. As great as this ring is, that's more than worth it. And the great thing about this Prime Day deal is that with the money you're saving, you can basically cover the cost of the Oura Membership (which I'll break down further below), so it works out!

• Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

✅Recommended if: You want a low-key health and fitness wearable to help you track sleep, activities, and give you a comprehensive view of your health.

❌Skip this deal if: You prefer the newer and smaller Oura Ring 5 or you're really against paying for a monthly or yearly membership to access it's most useful features.

Oura is interesting because it's probably the only smart ring on the market that uses a subscription model. However, that membership gives you full access to the Oura Ring 4's features and helps Oura build on and improve its products, including the Oura Ring 4.

On the plus side, the subscription is only $6 a month (or $70 annually), which actually feels pretty reasonable. And you can pay for both the Oura Ring and the membership using your FSA or HSA, which is also a plus.

But as I mentioned before, you're saving a ton of money on the Oura Ring 4. For the Silver variant above, you're saving about $135, and when you divide that by the membership cost, it comes out to roughly two years' worth.

And when you factor in the $220 savings from the Best Buy deal, that's about three years of Oura Membership that you can use that extra money for. I don't know about you, but the math is mathing here.

How Oura Ring 5 tracks activities

Since the Oura Ring 5, like any smart ring, is a circular device you wear on your finger without a screen or buttons, everything is controlled in the app. With AAD, you can begin a specific workout, and the Oura Ring can use its motion-sensing accelerometers and heart rate measurements to determine not only that you're doing something but, in many cases, also pinpoint the specific activity.

This could be housework, walking your dog, or going for a run. Oura says the feature is 89% accurate, meaning it can guess the activity and begin logging it accordingly. It doesn't always get it right, but if it doesn't, you can edit the log and change it to what the activity really was. This level of intricate logging is challenging to accomplish, since most smart rings and even smartwatches with automatic activity detection can only detect specific activities with very distinct movements, like running, boxing, or rowing.

Oura says incorrect activity detection was one of the biggest pain points for customers with previous-generation rings like the Oura Ring 4, so the company set out to fix it. In fact, user input helped build it. The more users corrected the incorrect logging of an activity, like thinking a hike was an elliptical workout, the more these updates were slowly training its algorithm. The update will, as noted, apply to rings dating back to the Oura Ring Gen3.

Company employees also put the feature through rigorous tests to help the machine learning algorithm better detect specific movement patterns. Following the tests, Oura said logging of activities like hiking, yard work, and housework saw up to a 50 percent gain in prediction accuracy. For those who engage in intense activities, you'll also see more data, like more accurate total duration, intensity, and active calorie burn.

It isn't perfect, of course. The device is worn on your finger, which moves less than your arm during exercises but more during activities like typing or washing dishes. This makes it a challenge for the sensors to intelligently figure out what you're doing. If an activity involves limited or no hand movements, such as lifting weights, riding a bicycle, or using an elliptical machine, it might not get it right. But AAD has been refined to take into account certain factors it never did before. Oura even had volunteers take fake showers to train the algorithm not to count movements during showers as activity!

The result with the Oura Ring 5, one of the best smart rings, is that you can not only more confidently go on with your day's regular exercises knowing that the smart ring will track them even if you forget to manually set it in the app, but it may also track activities you never gave yourself credit for before, like walking the dog, doing chores around the house, or dancing.

Being able to simply do an activity instead of telling an app you're about to do it and advising once you've stopped makes the process easier. And these updates to AAD with Oura Ring 5 also ensure you get the credit you deserve for every moment of log-worthy movement throughout your day.

I've been an Oura Ring owner for more than a few years now, having tested and owned each model since the Oura Ring Gen 3. However, during that time, I've unfortunately misplaced a couple of rings, which is never ideal for a device that costs at least a few hundred dollars.

The Oura app for iPhone has included a function to locate the Oura Ring via its last known location, but the feature was missing on Android for years. Fortunately, Oura finally brought the feature to Android, and the Oura Ring 5 launch introduced an updated version of this feature for both iPhone and Android users, called Locate.

Locate your Oura Ring

The thing to know about the Oura Ring 5 and previous versions of the smart ring is that there's no built-in GPS. It will connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth to use its GPS when performing activities like walking or running, and this is also how the Locate function is leveraged.

So long as you've granted location permissions to the Oura app (you can do this in the app info menu or in the app itself), your phone will save the ring's last known position based on when the ring was last connected. This should happen fairly often if you wear your ring a lot and ensure it has a good amount of battery life. The app may not save your ring's location if your phone is in battery save mode, so keep that in mind.

You must also keep in mind that, unlike the Oura Ring, the Oura Ring 5 doesn't feature ultra-wideband (UWB) or the newer Bluetooth 6, so the location function won't work like on devices equipped with UWB (like Bluetooth trackers). That means the app's Locate function will tell you when you're near the ring, but it can't pinpoint its exact location.

Even so, the Oura Locate feature should be quite helpful for retracing your steps and locating a misplaced ring.

How to Locate your Oura Ring 5

1. Open the Oura app and tap the circular battery icon in the top right corner (or the hamburger menu in the top left corner) to access My Devices.

2. Scroll down and tap Locate. Here, you will see a map with all Oura devices connected to your app and their last known locations.

3. Tap Search on the ring you're looking for. (Note: You can only search for the ring currently active in the app. To find another, you'll have to go to the My Devices page and activate it.)

The Oura app will search for a Bluetooth connection to the Ring. The status will change to "Weak signal" when you're within range, "Nearby" when you're closer, "Very close" when you should be close enough to spot the ring, and "Right here" when you're basically right on top of it. The app will also clue you in visually with each status change, indicating how close or far you are from the ring.

Don't be like me

Losing an expensive piece of tech sucks, especially when it's something you love. I feel like this feature could have saved me a lot of trouble when I first lost the Oura Ring Gen 3.

I feel like I dropped it in my car or somewhere near my apartment, but as an Android user, I didn't have access to what was then called Find My Ring in the Oura app. Instead, I was directed to try a third-party Bluetooth tracking app, which didn't work, nor did it have helpful features like the ring's last location.

The Locate feature isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than nothing. I also like that, despite not having pinpoint location accuracy with UWB or Bluetooth 6, Oura at least makes it easy to know when you're hot on the trail or getting colder, as that's sometimes all it takes.

It's been less than two years since the Oura Ring 4 launched, and the Oura Ring 5 is already here. And while we have some good first impressions of Oura's latest smart ring, the last-gen model is currently on sale ahead of next week's Prime Day. Now, select Oura Ring 4 models are on sale, but some of the more expensive color options are currently seeing discounts, including the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic.

The Oura Ring 4 Stealth and Brushed Silver colors usually go for $399, which is $50 north of the cheapest Oura Ring 4 models. However, with the $50 discount, these colors are now among the cheapest you can buy. That said, the bigger $100 discounts will be found on the fancier colors, such as Gold and Rose Gold, as well as the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic, all of which are going for $399 or lower if you get the Midnight Ceramic color.

• Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of early deals

I've been using the Brushed Silver Oura Ring 4 since it launched in 2024, and while it's thicker than some feel comfortable with, I've never had an issue with it. I don't often wear rings, so I don't really have anything to compare it to aside from the Oura Ring Gen 3. Still, even with the slimmer Oura Ring 5 now on the market, I think the Oura Ring 4 is a fantastic device with a great design.

But beyond a great design, the Oura Ring 4 has stellar battery life, lasting up to eight days on a single charge. There are also a ton of health and fitness tracking features, and it even has automatic activity detection, tracking things like walking, running, yard work, gardening, and even dancing.

The Oura Ring 4 also provides a comprehensive view of your health in the app. You can see your timeline of activities, set goals for yourself, log food and track nutrition, and even chat with the AI advisor about your health, based on what it knows about you.

Of course, many of the most useful features are hidden behind the Oura Membership, which costs $5.99 per month. To some, it seems like a lot to add to the cost of a relatively expensive ring. However, keep in mind that if you have an HSA or FSA, you can use that to pay for both the ring and the membership. For many people, that money is often just sitting there unused, and the Oura Ring 4 feels like a good way to put it to use.

The Oura Ring 5 is 40% smaller than its last-gen counterpart, making it a highly attractive and even more non-intrusive wearable. Oura is offering six colors in matte and shiny finishes for the sleek Oura Ring 5, with select colors priced higher. This is nothing new as we saw the same situation with the Ring 4.

Oura eventually expanded the colors available for the Ring 4 with the ceramic lineup, adding up to ten different shades and finishes. It remains unknown whether the brand plans to do the same with the Ring 5. For now, these are all the available colors and finishes of the Ring 5. All of them come in ring sizes six through 13 and are made of titanium.

All the colors of the Oura Ring 5, as well as their pricing

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Price is a key decider when choosing which Oura Ring 5 you color should buy

All six colorways of the Oura Ring 5 look fabulous, but there's an elephant in the room that's very hard to ignore. The Ring 5 starts at $399, which is $50 more compared to the Ring 4. Plus, users still need to pay for the monthly subscription to be able to use their Oura Ring 5. Naturally, this means that saving $100 could very likely be the deciding factor when picking a color.

Those who don't want to cross the $399 budget are limited to just two Oura Ring 5 colors, both with shiny finishes. The basic Silver and Black options are the cheapest of the lot, but those aren't bad choices. You can match almost anything in your wardrobe to these two shades. While the Silver one is undoubtedly classier, you could get away with pairing the glossy Black smart ring with your formals. Just make sure you have the right accessories to compliment it, like a matching glossy black bracelet or a watch.

Unfortunately, if you wanted the Gold colorway or a matte finish, it'll cost you $100 more to purchase. My personal favorite variant of the Oura Ring 5 is the one in Gold because it compliments my skin tone and matches almost every single piece of clothing or jewelry I own. Think carefully about your everyday watch and the articles of clothing or accessories you like to wear. Whether to go for the gold option or one of the other colorways will become apparent to you very quickly.

Many smart rings come with a subscription, but few double down on paid memberships as much as Oura rings. The recurring charges, plus the high upfront cost, make Oura Ring wearables tricky to justify. However, Oura has a new smart ring that aims to convince new users to try the form factor and get current users to upgrade — the Oura Ring 5. It's a design marvel, with a size that's around 40% smaller than the Oura Ring 4.

The biggest Oura Ring 5 upgrade is its thinner, lighter profile, which will help the smart ring blend in better on the finger. The design overhaul extends to the health and activity sensors themselves, which now make better contact with your skin for more accurate readings. Overall, the feature set sounds similar to the Oura Ring 4, so which should you buy? Let's break down all the differences and help you find the Oura smart ring that's right for you.

Oura Ring 5 vs. Oura Ring 4: Design, sizes, and materials

The Oura Ring 5 is all about refinement, and that's clear from its design. It's advertised as roughly 40% smaller than the Oura Ring 4, which might actually be underselling it. Looking at the dimensions of each smart ring, the newer model is seriously slim. The Oura Ring 5 only measures 2.28mm thick, down from 2.88mm on the Ring 4. That difference might not seem like much, but it'll make the Oura Ring 5 feel more like a jewelry ring than a clunky smart device on your finger.

The Oura Ring 5's weight reduction is even more impressive. Like with any smart ring, Oura rings are offered in different sizes, and they each have their own weights. Bigger sizes use more material and offer a higher battery capacity, so they're heavier. What's incredible here is that the lightest Oura Ring 4 size is still heavier than the heaviest Oura Ring 5 size.

The lightest Oura Ring 5 size weighs just two grams, while the heaviest one isn't much heavier at 2.69 grams. Meanwhile, the Oura Ring 4 weighs 3.3 grams at its lightest and 5.2 grams at its heaviest. That means the biggest Oura Ring 5 is almost half as light as the comparable Oura Ring 4. The lightweight and slim build of the Oura Ring 5 will hopefully make it blend in with your fingers with any other rings, so you forget you're wearing it.

One thing to note is that the sizing for the Oura Ring 5 is different from that of the Oura Ring 4, and there are fewer size options available on the newer model. The Oura Ring 4 is available in ring sizes four through 15, while the Oura Ring 5 is available in ring sizes six through 13. If you require larger or smaller sizes, you'll be out of luck with the Oura Ring 5. This also explains why the Ring 5 is so light, even in larger sizes, compared to the Ring 4.

That isn't a knock on the Oura Ring 5's weight reduction claims at all, however. The smaller size is larger this generation, and that Ring 5 variant is still 1.3 grams lighter than the size-four Ring 4 model.

The Oura Ring 4 launched in 2024 in a titanium finish, but Oura refreshed the smart ring in 2025 with a mid-cycle ceramic alternative. The Oura Ring 5 is only launching in a titanium finish for now, and it's possible that it too will see a mid-cycle refresh eventually. You can choose from Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold, and Deep Rose finishes for the Oura Ring 5. The first two options are $399, while the latter four are $499.

The Oura Ring 4 is available in Black, Brushed Silver, Gold, Silver, Rose Gold, and Stealth finishes. It starts at $349 for the Silver model, with other finishes available for $399 or $499. However, discounts are starting to hit for the Oura Ring 4 that make the premium finishes more accessible. Meanwhile, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic is $499, but it's discounted to $399 at the time of publishing.

Oura Ring 5 vs. Oura Ring 4: Hardware and specs

Both the Oura Ring 4 and Oura Ring 5 share similar hardware and specs. They're made out of a "high-performance titanium exterior" and a "seamless titanium interior." Titanium is a lightweight yet durable metal, making it a solid material choice for a smart ring. Certain models, like the Ceramic or Stealth versions, will have differences in materials. The two Oura Ring generations have the same water resistance — up to a depth of 100 meters (328 feet).

The two rings each use a combination of infrared LEDs, a digital temperature sensor, and an accelerometer to process health and activity data. On the Oura Ring 5, these sensors are more accurate thanks to a few changes. The new design helps the Ring 5 make better contact with your finger's skin, and more powerful LEDs emit stronger red, green, and infrared pulses. There are exclusive features tied to the new model, like Blood Pressure Signs.

Battery life could be slightly longer on the Oura Ring 5, with the company touting up to nine days of runtime. The Oura Ring 4 advertises up to eight days of battery life. However, on both models, this will vary based on real-world usage habits and ring size. Charging will take up to 80 minutes to get to full on both ring models.

Unfortunately, you only get a charging base cable in the box with either the Oura Ring 5 or the Oura Ring 4. The charging case for both ring generations is optional and will run you $99 separately. It's a disappointing added cost you might want to tack onto the ring hardware and the perpetual subscription fee.

The Oura Ring 4 and Ring 5 both use Bluetooth Low Energy tech to connect to companion smartphones on either iOS or Android. The rings integrate with Apple Health or Google Health Connect, but these integrations won't help you avoid the Oura Membership fee.

Oura Ring 5 vs. Oura Ring 4: Subscription and features

Smart rings like the Oura Ring 4 and Oura Ring 5 are passive trackers, meaning they record health data in the background, which can be viewed in the Oura app. To view all these insights, you need the $5.99 monthly or $69.99 annual Oura Membership. Without it, your smart ring won't be able to do all the cool things advertised on Oura's website.

The Oura Ring 5 adds a new suite of AI-powered features called Health Radar. It uses AI models and health data from your smart ring to identify biometric trends that could indicate health problems. For instance, Blood Pressure Signs uses sleep data to pick up signs of cardiovascular strain. The Oura Ring 5 also supports live activity tracking in the app, with improvements to Automatic Activity Detection also available.

That said, the Ring 4 is still well-positioned to deliver fitness features and health insights. It provides activity and fitness data, readiness insights, stress analysis, and heart health and women's health information. The Oura Ring 5 does all this too, for what it's worth. Both rings can auto-detect up to 40 different workouts, while the Oura Ring 5 can provide up to 50 different metrics.

Oura Ring 5 vs. Oura Ring 4: Is it worth the upgrade?

The hurdle to buying an Oura smart ring is the subscription. To get all the health insights and features that make an Oura ring great, you need to subscribe to a monthly membership. It costs $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year, and frankly, it's an expensive requirement on top of the $350 or $400 you've already spent on Oura Ring 4 or Oura Ring 5 hardware. If you can get over that hurdle, there's a reason Oura smart rings are so popular.

The app analyzes your vitals and activity data to provide insights you wouldn't have known about otherwise. The Oura Ring 5 is thin and lightweight, making it the best option for new smart ring users. If you already have an Oura Ring 4, sticking with your current smart ring may be the best choice. It's not even two years old yet, and paying $400 to upgrade to an Oura Ring 5 already is difficult to justify.

Oura very recently announced the Oura Ring 5, and while I knew that it would be “40% smaller than Oura Ring 4,” when I received my unit, I never anticipated that the ring would be as gorgeous, sleek, and thin as it is.

No, I’m not even kidding; this ring is so thin that after I put it on, I’ve forgotten that I’ve been wearing it. But that’s not my only takeaway after wearing it just for a few days, so ahead of our full review, here are my first impressions of the Oura Ring 5.

40% smaller, same battery size

I want to spend a bit more time on how thin and sleek this new ring is. In two years' time, Oura managed to make the ring 40% smaller without compromising its battery life or performance.

The company says that the new design was based on the internal architecture, adding lower-profile sensor domes for better skin contact, more powerful LEDs, and more consistent readings.

At the time of writing this article, I’ve worn the Oura Ring 5 for two days, and the thinner design is so unobtrusive that I keep forgetting that it’s on my finger.

The Oura Ring 4 is visibly thicker by comparison. I didn’t hate it because it kind of reminded me of a gold cigar band ring, which I always thought was pretty fashionable. But now the Oura Ring 5 blends nicely with my other rings and truly feels like a regular gold ring.

Again, while I didn’t care much about the size, I could always tell when I was wearing the Oura Ring 4. I could feel it even if I was just reading a book. But with the Oura Ring 5, it truly feels like an invisible and silent health tracker that always runs in the background.

Working out has been a dream

I can say ad nauseam how thin this ring is, but you notice it more when you’re working out. Part of my workouts includes weightlifting, and when it comes to heavier weights, there were many times when I would remove my Oura Ring 4 because it would pinch my skin or, because of its bulkiness, would make lifting uncomfortable. That defeats the purpose of wearing a tracker.

But now, with the thinner model, I didn’t even feel my ring while weightlifting. I explicitly expressed how impressed I was to Android Central’s managing editor, Derrek Lee, who has been extensively testing the ring for a full review coming soon.

I will also add that, from the Oura Ring Gen 3 to the Oura Ring 5, my biggest concern has been scuffing. Both my Oura Ring Gen 3 and Oura Ring 4 have gotten so scuffed because they're so thick, especially during my workouts. But so far, I genuinely do not think this will be the case with my Ring 5, or at least not to the same extent. The ring's construction is so fantastic that, with any luck, scuffing should be less of a concern (though we might still recommend buying a cheap ring cover for added protection).

Automatic activity detection continues to impress

I think Oura has been taking automatic activity detection (AAD) a lot more seriously, because since the Oura Ring 4, I have noticed a considerable improvement in detecting my workouts.

My household is working on a backyard project that involves extensive digging. I didn’t think Oura would be able to detect it, so I figured I would have to go into the app and manually enter my work.

Turns out, the auto-detection has improved so much that the Oura Ring 5 detected I was doing “yardwork.” Derrek has also told me that when he goes out, it will always auto-detect that he’s dancing.

This is huge because the less work I have to do to input my workouts, the easier it is for me, as lazy as that might sound. But if I am going to spend money on a wearable like a smart ring, I want to know that it is actually smart.

Moreover, with the Oura Ring 5, the company supports live workout tracking directly in the app, including pace and distance, as well as lock screen widgets. Plus, lower-motion workouts like Pilates will also be detected, which more fitness enthusiasts should love.

Is the price worth it??

The new ring is $50 more than its predecessor, and while that might not be a HUGE change, it’s still a change.

But for how sleek and thin it is, I would get the Oura Ring 5 over the Oura Ring 4 any day. I think the big problem that most people have with the ring is that it requires a separate paid subscription. And while that sucks, I will say it’s a pretty big bonus as part of the ring, especially given how inexpensive the subscription is.

Here’s a list of all of the features you get with a $5.99/month membership that I have taken full advantage of:

• Detailed sleep analysis
• 24/7 heart rate tracking (Daytime, Nighttime, Activity)
• Integration with third-party health and wellness apps like Strava
• Advanced temperature monitoring
• Blood Oxygen Sensing (SpO2)
• Daytime Stress
• Dynamic activity goals with Automatic Activity Detection
• Heart Health (Cardiovascular Age, Cardio Capacity (VO2 Max))
• Metabolic Health (Glucose Tracking, Meals)
• Oura Labs
• Resilience
• Weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and anniversary reports
• Women's Health (Cycle Insights, Pregnancy Insights)

But the good news is you can buy the Oura Ring 5 and the membership with your HSA/FSA, which is a potentially great way to use your medical benefits.

And honestly, I think the monthly subscription is worth it. I am so thrilled and excited to see Oura continuously improving and investing in its product and listening to user feedback. I don’t think I’ll ever stop wearing a smart ring because it’s truly changed the way I think about my health, and I think if you’re going to invest in getting a ring, it should be the Oura Ring 5.

What you need to know

• Oura Ring 5 is 40% smaller while still delivering up to a week of battery life.
• The new Health Radar platform adds AI-powered health insights and can help detect signs of increasing blood pressure.
• Oura Ring 5 now supports live workout tracking and improved automatic activity detection.
• Oura is finally adding a wireless charging case, though it costs an extra $99 separately.

It's been a couple of years since Oura Ring 4 launched, and today the company has officially announced its successor, the Oura Ring 5. The new ring brings a smaller form factor and a number of new health-focused features, including blood pressure insights.

The screenless fitness tracker space has been growing rapidly lately. The recent launch of the Fitbit Air showed renewed interest in passive health trackers, and it looks like Oura wants to push even further into that category. Oura says the Oura Ring 5 goes beyond basic tracking by combining new hardware with software focused more on actionable health insights.

According to the company, the Oura Ring 5 is now the world's smallest smart ring, with a design that's around 40% smaller than the previous generation. Oura says it redesigned the entire internal architecture, adding lower-profile sensor domes for better skin contact, more powerful LEDs, and more consistent readings. Despite the smaller size, the company still claims up to a week of battery life.

Oura also says finger-based wearables continue to offer stronger biometric signals than wrist-based trackers, with pulse readings reportedly being up to 100 times stronger at the finger compared to the wrist.

The biggest upgrades, though, are on the software side.

The Oura Ring 5 introduces a new AI-powered health platform called Health Radar, which continuously monitors biometric trends in the background to detect potential early signs of health issues before they become more serious.

One of the headline additions inside Health Radar is Blood Pressure Signs. Oura says the system won't replace traditional blood pressure monitors, but instead uses nighttime biometric trends to identify signs of cardiovascular strain and warn users when something may need attention. The overall approach sounds pretty similar to what we first saw with the Whoop MG.

Fitness tracking is also getting a noticeable upgrade. The Oura Ring 5 now supports live workout tracking directly inside the app, including pace, distance, and lock screen workout widgets. Oura also says Automatic Activity Detection has improved and can now recognize lower-motion exercises like Pilates as well.

Another hardware upgrade Oura is finally addressing is the addition of a charging case. One of the criticisms around the Oura Ring 4 was that, unlike the Galaxy Ring, it didn't include a portable charging case. Oura is finally adding one with the Oura Ring 5, although it unfortunately remains a separate accessory.

The aluminum charging case can reportedly store up to a month of battery and supports wireless charging, making it easier to travel with. The case itself costs $99, while the Oura Membership still costs $5.99 per month or $69.99 annually for access to deeper health insights and premium features.

The Oura Ring 5 starts at $399 for the Silver and Black variants, while premium finishes go up to $499. Pre-orders open today, and shipping begins June 4.

Android Central's Take

The Health Radar and blood pressure additions are cool, but the real standout feature for me is just how much smaller the Oura Ring 5 has become. Comfort matters a lot with smart rings since you're wearing them 24/7. The new charging case is also a huge win for frequent travelers (like me) who don't want to carry another awkward puck in their bag (but why is it extra $99, Oura!?)

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Oura Ring 5 features blood pressure tracking. In actuality, the Oura Ring 5 can "identify blood pressure patterns that may indicate cardiovascular strain." The article has been updated with the correct information, and we regret the error.

What you need to know

• Oura announced a partnership with the sleep technology company, Resmed, to help people who might be struggling with OSA (obstructive sleep apnea).
• Oura Members' logged data will feed right into Resmed's portion, which offers information based on your readings, while also connecting you to care providers if needed.
• Recent Oura updates have included a Vita Health partnership for metabollic health, and important women's health updates.

Getting enough rest is a sentiment as old as time, but people often neglect it, so Oura is announcing a new partnership to make sure people pay attention.

In a press release, the leading health technology company, Resmed, took the reins to highlight its partnership with Oura. The purpose is to expand the selection of available sleep health education and "pathways to care." The post states, "Sleep is increasingly recognized as a key pillar of long-term health, yet it remains widely underprioritized." While sleep tracking has been on the rise in wearables (16% to 53% in adults in 2026), people still ignore early adverse signs.

With Resmed joining Oura's fight, users will find educational resources and a new "sleep assessment" to understand their sleep health. What's more, getting users engaged with independent care providers is another step Resmed looks to bring to Oura's systems. As this partnership arrives on devices, users will have the option to connect (virtually or in-person) with care providers to discuss any sleep health concerns.

To help, you'll also find an informative guide to help your health discussions. The driving force behind these new features is your catalogued sleep data. The company says that Oura Members who notice they've experienced a worrying number of "nighttime breathing disturbances" can easily contact a care provider. Of course, you can likely take this data and show your doctor, just to talk things through, and see if there's anything worth.

Good sleep is imperative

Resmed states that OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) is a chronic condition that disrupts a person's breathing throughout the night. It often gets overlooked, too. Its analytics indicate that 80% of people with OSA don't get treated, so its partnership with Oura aims to take that number down a few notches.

This enhanced sleep health feature between Oura and Resmed is rolling out to Members with a Ring Gen 3 or Ring 4.

Insights that matter have been the name of the game for Oura for a while now. Last month, the company started rolling out a stronger focus on metabolic health. Oura partnered with Vita Health, creating a new model to help users discover continuous care. Vita Health will leverage your logged sleep, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and more, paired with its clinical data. The goal is to alert you if your numbers indicate health issues that need observation.

On the other hand, May got off to a fast start with Oura's Hormonal Birth Control support and Menopause Insights for women's health. The former will lean on a woman's chosen contraception method, detailing how it could affect their baseline. Menopause Insights focuses on logging a woman's symptoms for tailored assistance.

Android Central's Take

If you've been feeling weird all week, chances are you're just not getting enough sleep. I know I've been a culprit of that before. Getting enough rest is incredibly important. It's when your body takes time to repair damaged systems. To heal. If you're ever in the need of a refresher, I encourage you to get some rest. You'll be better off for it, and I'm sure your loved ones want to see you healthy, too.

What you need to know

• Oura announced two major features on the way in a May 6 update that will focus on women's health: Hormonal Birth Control support and Menopause Insights.
• The birth control support will lean on a woman's chosen contraception method to show how it might affect their baseline, while Menopause Insights focuses on symptoms and tailored help.
• April saw the introduction of Oura's partnership with Vida Health, helping users understand important cardiovascular changes.

Oura is kicking off May with a feature update that brings two women's health-focused tools to remove the guesswork from hormonal health.

Earlier this morning (May 1), Oura announced (via BusinessWire) that Hormonal Birth Control support and Menopause Insights will soon arrive in its app. Holly Shelton, Oura's chief product officer, highlighted the catalyst behind this update, stating, "Hormonal health has been treated as an afterthought in both medicine and technology for decades." The company is looking to solve that by adding Birth Control support to Oura's pre-existing Cycle Insights.

Getting away from "fragmented support," this new support leans on pills, patches, IUDs, and more to show women how contraception could influence their baseline over time. When the update rolls out on May 6, women can log their birth control method and "see the impact of hormonal contraception on temperature patterns, sleep, and recovery."

Symptom tracking, alongside tailored education, will help women understand what's normal for their bodies.

The other side of this update rolling out next week is Menopause Insights. Oura states this remains one of the most "overlooked and misunderstood phases" in women's health.

To combat this, Oura is said to give a "symptom assessment," after this, "members receive a personalized dashboard that translates their symptoms into an overall impact level." The My Health View in the Oura app lets users follow sudden changes and view lifestyle changes, stress, and more. Users can save this data and share it with their doctors during a visit to make more sense of it all.

Making the right call

Cycle Insights has been available in the Oura app for a while, and an update last fall expanded its capabilities. This was around the time that Oura announced its Blood Pressure Profile study to help users identify potential signs of hypertension. Cycle Insights saw its informational window expand from one month to 12. Now, women (if you're an Oura Member) have more of a context window to understand their period and fertile window predictions.

Mid-April brought another partnership with Oura, as it added Vida Health, a virtual cardiometabolic care provider. The goal was to allow Vida Health to leverage Oura's sleep, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and more, alongside its clinical health data to help users identify cardiovascular signs. If a doctor's visit is advised, users would be notified.

Android Central's Take

I feel that the more information and help we have out there for women's health, the better. At times, it almost feels like people are scared to talk about this kind of thing. Women's health is crucial, as crucial as anyone else's. There's too much misinformation, and more times than not, you'll have someone scrounging around trying to piece together what matters to them. But everyone's different. It looks like Oura sees that and is trying do something that could help.

What you need to know

• Oura has partnered with Vida Health, a virtual cardiometabolic care provider, to create a "new model" that users can find continuous care in.
• Vida Health will reportedly leverage Oura's sleep, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and more, alongside its "clinical" data to give users insights that matter and alert them if a doctor visit is required.
• Oura recently acquired Doublepoint in March, a company that conducts its work in AI, bringing biometric and gesture controls to the table.

Oura has found itself in the headlines this week, as the company unveils a partnership with a healthcare organization to make your data more useful.

In a press release, Business Wire highlights a partnership between Oura and Vida Health that focuses on personalizing your metabolic health. The post states that Vida Health is a "value-based, virtual cardiometabolic care provider" that lets users manage their metabolic instability. With Oura, the two plan to create a "new model" of continuous care for users.

There are plans to integrate Oura's real-time biometric data, obtained from a smart ring, with Vida Health's programs and existing data. Richard Frank (MD), the chief medical officer at Vida Health, says, "Providers are often making decisions based on limited snapshots, such as on an office visit, lab result, or a patient’s recollection." By partnering with Oura, the care provider says it can leverage a user's data to help you adjust your plans based on any recovery changes and cardiovascular signals.

This new form of personalized coaching is said to help users "identify early warning signals" before they need a doctor to step in.

Dr. Richard Frank adds that "By incorporating real-time insights from ŌURA with our clinical expertise and whole-person care model, we can personalize support, intervene earlier, and help members make incremental changes that add up to meaningful results over time." The press release says Vida Health will benefit from Oura's sleep, heart rate variability (HRV), and resting heart rate, as well as its clinical data to keep users on top of their health.

Looking to prevent health scares

April brings a partnership for Oura, while March held the acquisition of Doublepoint. This company deals with AI-driven technology for biometrics and gesture controls. During the announcement, Oura said that it plans to use this acquisition as a way to bring users "quiet, helpful features." Obviously, with what Doublepoint deals with, speculation went wild with theories about gesture controls coming to the Oura Ring.

This is partly because Oura and its CEO have yet to spill the details about the chance of gesture controls hitting its smart rings. It's also been pretty clear that Oura isn't interested in slowing down, not after sales surpassed 5.5 million late last year. Oura reported that its revenue has doubled to $500 million. Estimates placed the company at around the $1 billion mark by the end of 2025.

What you need to know

• An intriguing rumor claims that Oura's Ring 5 is preparing a few changes, such as a "curvier," more ring-like design for the next model.
• Its batter life might remain the same as the Ring 4; however, Oura might change its color options, as it seeks a late 2027 window.
• Oura launched a portable charger for the Ring 4 and Ring 4 Ceramic, which holds up to "five full charges."

Were you expecting to hear about the Oura Ring 5? Us neither, but this report says it's on the way and shared some very early details about its look.

In a report from Android Headlines, the publication alleged source supposedly came forward with "details" about the Oura Ring 5's design and launch plans. The ring is suspected to adopt a "curvier" approach to its outer shell. The post likens it to the look and feel of a more traditional (not smart) ring from a jewelry store. Another aspect mentioned was its battery life.

Information about its battery was extremely minimal, as the alleged source claims its longevity might not change "all that much" from the Ring 4. Colors for the Ring 5 include a "Deep Rose," which is supposedly replacing the ring's Rose Gold option. However, the publication reports that this "Deep Rose" sits closer to bronze than a darker rose, which might touch on burgundy. Silver, gold, and a "matte black" are also expected to greet consumers.

Accessories for smart rings are minimal, as you really only have their charging case. The post claims the standard charging platform you'd get with the Ring 4 is expected, as well as Oura's recently introduced portable option. Rumors boldly claim the Ring 5 may launch late in 2027 with its sights on the holidays.

It's still very early

Oura was standing tall last year. The company reported that it surpassed 5.5 million sales, thanks to a major surge in growth in 2024. Oura's revenue also reportedly doubled, as it reached $500 million. The company was optimistic, claiming that its trajectory pointed it toward $1 billion by the end of 2025. Oura Rings are available in over 150 countries. Not to mention the fact that it also brought its rings to Amazon, which only widens its availability to consumers.

If you're curious, the portable charger mentioned in the leak first debuted early in January. Oura said it was solving a crisis. Many consumers wanted a way to give their rings a boost if they were out, but that wasn't really possible before. Now, at least for Ring 4 (Ring 4 Ceramic, too) owners, you can do that (for $99, of course). Oura highlights the case's ability to hold "up to five full charges." We're expecting a lot from the Ring 5 whenever it debuts.

A smart gestures patent was mentioned before. This could debut by way of pinching movements that the user would need to make.

Android Central's Take

The Oura Ring really sits quite high on the smart ring totem pole. Oura's strong health features within the ring, as well as what's capable in the app, earn it that top spot. There are quite a few patents that were reportedly spotted by Oura that I encourage you to check out. It just gets my mind going about what could be possible from the Ring 5 or an eventual future model. We've got the strong health features; now we need something that pushes us further. Gesture controls, GPS tracking—something more.

What you need to know

• Oura announced that it has acquired Doublepoint, a company that deals in AI-driven technology for biometrics and gesture controls.
• Oura states that it has looked at ways of merging Doublepoint's technology with its health-focused mindset to improve the user experience with "quiet, helpful features."
• The company, including its CEO, Tom Hale, has said little about what users can expect from Oura's gesture controls and other features.

Oura officially announced that it has acquired a company that "specializes" in AI-driven technology, and one of those technologies includes gesture controls.

The company revealed in a press release its acquisition of Doublepoint, a Helsinki‑based company, per Oura. While AI is what drives Doublepoint's tech, Oura states its work will also aid biometrics and "gesture recognition technology." This last part is what's got people talking, as Oura sees this acquisition as a way to help the user experience by allowing them to control their devices with "simple movements."

Experiences with the user at the center is where Oura states it's setting its sights moving forward. According to its post, "Doublepoint’s tech helps devices understand small hand movements, so interactions feel faster and more natural across different interfaces." Oura took a look at how it could merge these capabilities with its strong health-focused ones.

It concluded that Doublepoint's tech could help facilitate "quiet, helpful features" for users and Oura's smart rings that work in the background without becoming a hindrance. Oura is not only looking at Doublepoint's work with gesture controls, but also voice-powered features, as well, for its future devices. Oura refrained from saying too much in its announcement post, just like its CEO, Tom Hale, refused to say much during an interview with Bloomberg (via Android Authority).

Hale said, "This is about a core capability that we can imagine as AI and different kinds of modalities and user interaction, as gestures become more and more important."

Oura isn't interested in slowing down

Oura has (and seemingly always will be) remained firmly focused on user health. Bringing Doublepoint into the fold will likely yield some interesting features, but we'll just have to wait a while until we know for sure. In the meantime, Oura dropped a Preventive Health update that brought Cumulative Stress and a new study. Cumulative Stress was said to help users understand how their chronic stress is affecting their bodies.

The company's research shows that, if left unchecked, high levels of stress can lead to severe issues, such as fatigue and burnout. This update also included a Blood Pressure Profile study. Available in Oura Labs, the goal of this study was to help identify potential risks of hypertension. Let's also not forget about Oura's major product expansion in January: a Ring 4 charging case.

Android Central's Take

I've never dabbled in a smart ring before, but I've read what my colleague Derrek Lee has had to say about them. Oura is incredibly focused on helping users understand their health and the many ways of improving it. Realistically, our health is important. If we're down and out, we're not doing anyone—like our loved ones—any good. From understanding your blood pressure to understanding why you're always so tired, Oura's smart ring and its app are your best friends. When these gesture controls arrive, I'm going to be very interested in seeing what purpose they serve, and how the user experience raises the bar.

What you need to know

• Oura is bringing its Ring 4 charging case to more users by announcing its market availability via ouraring.com and "select" online stores for $99.
• The company states that the charging case can hold "up to five full charges" for the Ring 4 and Ring 4 Ceramic.
• Recently, the company brought cardiometabolic blood marker tracking to its Members app via the Health Panel.

If you've gotten a Ring 4 and had to purchase another charger just to keep going when you're on the go, Oura's got the accessory for you.

That scenario is something Oura mentions in its press release, as the company debuts its first charging case for its smart ring. Oura is trying to solve two problems with this charging case: first, the on-the-go issue that many of its Members have reportedly informed it about. Second, not relying on the charger in their house so often. Oura states that its charging case can hold up to "five full charges," meaning users could, in theory, go "weeks" without needing the wall plug-in charger.

While you're busy charging your Oura Ring, users will need to charge their case, too. The post states that the case is provided with a USB-C cable for its charging needs.

In "under 90 minutes," the case is reported to reach its maximum charge. Additionally, your Oura Ring is estimated to reach its maximum in roughly 20-80 minutes, depending on what its percentage is at the start. Users can check their ring's charge via the Oura app.

The charging case was crafted with recycled aluminum, making it resistant to splashes. More importantly, since this is designed for a smart ring, Oura states the case is rather small, making it the perfect size to slip into your pocket.

The charging case is compatible with the Oura Ring 4 and the Ring 4 Ceramic. The company states that the case will start at $99, available at ouraring.com and "select" online retailers.

Grab 'N Go

If you missed it, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic launched this past fall, bringing those mood ring vibes you might feel nostalgic about. Sporting a glass aesthetic, the Ring 4 Ceramic still offers the same health features consumers have come to expect and know from Oura. The ring measures 7.9mm in width; however, it is slightly thicker (3.51mm) due to its zirconia ceramic material. Regardless, consumers can find the device in Tide, Petal, Cloud, and Midnight.

Concerning its features, Oura recently introduced its Health Panel for $99 in-app, bringing 50+ cardiometabolic blood markers tracking capabilities.

Oura states that this provides a more comprehensive look into a person's body, as it integrates insights from your Ring with those cardiometabolic blood markers. Oura stated that it wanted to truly focus on delivering the "what" and "why" behind what users see. As an example, Oura states that if a user's A1C is creeping up on them, they're immediately able to see what might've affected that. Think about your sleeping habits, eating habits, and the like.

What you need to know

• Beyond personal stats, Oura analyzed anonymized data from millions of users to map real-world sleep, activity, stress, and heart-health trends for its 2025 recap.
• New Zealand tops the chart with an average Sleep Score of 80, Australia follows at 79.4, and several European countries sit in the high 70s.
• Women sleep longer, score higher on sleep and activity, and have a slightly better cardiovascular age — but they also log about 30 more stressed minutes per day than men.

Oura’s yearly wrap-up usually feels like a personal pat on the back. This year, though, it also offers a look at global health trends.

The company has released its 2025 Year in Review, and while it still highlights individual wins inside the Oura app, the bigger story comes from combining data from millions of users. Some countries are sleeping better, some are walking more, and some seem more stressed than you might expect.

If you’ve worn an Oura Ring for at least 60 days this year, your personal Year in Review is ready in the app under the Today tab or in Reports under Yearly.

That covers your personal stats. The more interesting angle, though, is the anonymized global data pulled from millions of members between mid-November 2024 and mid-November 2025.

Let’s start with sleep. Oura’s data shows that New Zealand and Australia lead the way. New Zealand members had an average Sleep Score of 80, with Australia close behind at 79.4. Europe also did well, with Austria, Denmark, Sweden, the UK, and Czechia all scoring in the high 70s.

Women win most metrics, but stress tells a different story

Oura also broke down performance by gender, and the results aren’t subtle. Women averaged 7.24 hours of sleep per night compared to 6.8 hours for men. They also posted higher Sleep Scores (79.2 vs. 76), stronger Activity Scores, and a slightly better Cardiovascular Age (CVA).

But there is a tradeoff. On average, women recorded about 30 more stressed minutes per day than men. This isn’t just emotional stress. Oura’s Daytime Stress feature tracks physical signs like heart rate changes and temperature shifts, which can rise after exercise, caffeine, or intense work.

Europe walks it out

For daily movement, Europe comes out on top. Ireland led with an average of 8,924 steps per day, followed by Spain and Italy. Oura points out that regular walking is one of the best predictors of better sleep, less anxiety, and improved heart health.

The most surprising data might be stress-related. The United States ranked first, averaging 121.2 stressed minutes per day, but it wasn’t alone. The Netherlands, Norway, Austria, and Canada all landed in the top five.

That’s striking, especially since many of these countries regularly score high on happiness and quality-of-life indexes.

If there’s one region that looks untouchable, it’s Scandinavia. Sweden posted the lowest average Cardiovascular Age at -2.8, indicating that members’ hearts appeared nearly three years younger than their actual age. Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Denmark followed closely.

If you've been feeling burnt out wearing a smart watch, and just want to live a softer life where something passively monitors you then now's the time to switch over and get the Oura Ring 4 smart ring for Black Friday.

Currently, the Black, Brushed Silver, Silver, and Stealth variants are all $100 off, while the Gold and Rose Gold Models are $150 off at Amazon.

I’m not one to talk about deals unless I'm utterly obsessed with a product. I also don’t like to push people to buy something for the sake of it, but I can’t express to you how much I love my Oura Ring 4.

It’s been 3 years since I permanently switched over to wearing a smart ring. Android Central’s Managing Editor, Derrek Lee, introduced me to Oura and said it might be a good option to try.

At the time, I was exclusively wearing a smartwatch, but I was feeling incredibly burnt out with all the notifications and constantly feeling like I needed to hit my fitness goals. So I actively decided it was time to take my watch off and not worry about any of those stats.

Something was missing, though, and that’s when I got the Oura Ring 3 and learned that I do like notifications, but I personally like something that monitors me passively. And I think that’s exactly why you should get the Oura Ring 4.

Some of my favourite things about the Ring 4 are that it is much thinner than the Ring 3, it takes less time to charge, and I don’t have to charge it as often. I like that I wake up every morning and I can see how I’ve slept and whether my body is ready (or not) for the day. And most importantly, I like tracking my menstrual cycle and can exactly pinpoint all of my cycles.

And while I’m still seeing stats about my body, I’m not actively getting pinged throughout the day telling me to do things. I like knowing how my body has recovered from stress, or how my heart health is doing.

So this Black Friday, if you’re thinking about living a softer but you want to make sure that you are getting the right information about your health, then I recommend getting the Oura Ring 4.

• Best Buy: major discounts on Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: official Black Friday discounts on tablets, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
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When is Black Friday 2025?

Black Friday will occur on November 28th this year. As usual, that's the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, and it will be followed by Cyber Monday on December 1st. Most of the best deals will be available on Friday, but you can expect to see loads of great offers throughout the entire weekend.

Where can I find the best Black Friday deals?

If you're looking for good old-fashioned discounts on Android tech, start by checking regular Big Box retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. You can also find verified refurbished devices through sites like Backmarket.com. If you don't mind a bit of fine print, you should also check with your phone carrier to see what sort of promotions they're running around Black Friday. You never know, you might even get a free phone out of the deal.

A year after the Oura Ring 4 launched, the company introduced a new ceramic version of the wearable. As someone who has been using the original titanium version of the ring since it launched in October 2024, I was excited to get my hands on this new, stylish take on the device, which Oura says “is designed to stand up to daily life while blending style and function.”

But it wasn't just the Oura Ring that got a glow-up; the Oura app was recently updated with a new design that gives my Android phone a touch of iOS. Both of these updates highlight how Oura is not just a health and wellness product, but also a lifestyle one, making wearable tech that blends in while also standing out.

The new ceramic ring doesn't come cheap, though, and you'll pay a hefty premium over the cheapest Oura Ring 4 model to get the new material.

After a month of using the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic, is it worth the extra cost, or should you just spring for a cheaper finish?

Pretty in premium

Oura isn't the first to bring a ceramic finish to its products, and I hope it isn't the last. The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic takes what I think was already a winning design and steps it up a couple of notches with a material that both looks and feels quite premium when compared to the titanium Oura Ring 4.

The new ceramic finish feels incredibly soft to the touch, a stark contrast to the more rigid and titanium finishes. The difference is quite noticeable, particularly with how easily my finger glides across the ring.

My unit is the Cloud color, which is an off-white hue, although there are three other options to choose from, including Tide (light green) and Petal (light pink). Most are pastels except for the Midnight blue option, which has a deeper hue and is probably my favorite of the lot. According to Oura, the colors were chosen "to complement a wide range of skin tones and personal styles."

Oura also notes that the ring should retain its hue over time, thanks to a process that creates the colors "with minerals inherent to the ceramic material itself," as opposed to using a surface color that can eventually fade.

In my use, I've noticed some areas where the color has seemingly been scratched off. You'll want to avoid handling certain objects that could scratch against the ring, like a metal dumbbell. Otherwise, I normally wear a rubber "case" around the Oura Ring, and it appears to work well enough to keep it from scratching. Unfortunately, Oura still doesn't offer first-party ring protectors, but I've found some on Amazon that work well.

That said, Oura does provide a Ceramic Polishing Pad, which should be able to handle scuffs and scratches to make your Oura Ring like new again, although I didn't receive one with my unit.

If you're comparing the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic with the titanium model, you'll notice that the new finish makes the ring noticeably thicker and a bit heavier. The size of the ring never bothered me, although some of my friends have pointed out how they find the Oura Ring unpleasantly thick, so the new finish may not appeal to everyone despite its rather premium look.

Otherwise, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic and titanium Oura Ring 4 are pretty much the same. There's nothing internally different about the newer model, so you can expect the same sensor layout, tracking capabilities, and battery life.

A touch of Liquid Glass on Android

More recently, Oura introduced a new look for its app, which appears to take some design inspiration from Apple's Liquid Glass. It's a much more visually-driven design, with dynamic backgrounds, transparent UI effects, new card designs, and a floating navigation menu at the bottom.

The Today view will go from day to night depending on the time of day, with background images of sunny hillsides or a starry night sky. The vitals shortcuts at the top of the view have a design that almost resembles matte glass, and as you scroll up, the UI elements will blur into the top of the display before disappearing.

Oura says the new card design "uses colors to signal your body’s different states according to your biometrics," while the My Health view provides a more visual glance at your long-term metrics.

The new design also puts greater emphasis on the Advisor to help you better understand your metrics and provide more insight into how your behaviors affect your long-term health and wellness.

That said, the Android version of the app is still missing a ring locator function, which is probably my number one request.

Should you buy the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic?

The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic is proof that smart wearables don't have to sacrifice style to remain functional. Many smartwatches and smart rings can still end up looking very much like tech, while Oura is trying to balance that out with a refined sense of style.

Unfortunately, that doesn't come cheap, with the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic priced at $499. That's $150 more than the cheapest Oura Ring 4 color options, although it matches the price of the more expensive Gold and Rose Gold options. So, if you were already looking at the latter colors, you might want to give the Ceramic models a look. Otherwise, I would have a hard time recommending anyone spend this much on a smart ring, especially when you account for the subscription.

It's also worth noting that the titanium Oura Ring 4 is currently on sale for Black Friday, with as much as $150 off, depending on the color.

On the plus side, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic is still FSA/HSA eligible, so you can use that purchase one. For many people, that money is just sitting there largely unused, so you might as well spend it on something.

FAQ

What you need to know

• Ouraring Inc. filed lawsuits in the Eastern Texas U.S. District Court against Zepp Health, Reebok, and Noise on Monday for alleged patent infringement.
• Oura previously filed a lawsuit against Samsung in late October, announcing the suit publicly this week.
• Oura claims the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Amazfit Helio Ring, Reebok Smart Ring, and Luna Ring all use designs protected by its '178 "Wearable computing device" patent.
• Oura previously sued Ringconn, Circular, and Ultrahuman over this same patent, successfully compelling the first two to form "royalty-based patent licenses" for its IP.

Oura has sued four new smart ring rivals, including Samsung, for "unlawful importation and sale of products that infringe on several of Oura’s patents," it announced in a blog post on Wednesday.

The lawsuits against Zepp Health, Reebok, and Nexxbase Marketing (aka Indian wearable brand Noise), rely on the same patents it successfully used in a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) case against Ultrahuman and Ringconn, demanding that they be removed from sale and banned from U.S. imports.

Oura sued Samsung last month in U.S. District Court, claiming that "after defending multiple unprovoked attacks on its patent portfolio," it needed to "protect its patent rights." It announced the lawsuit publicly this week.

Why Oura is suing Samsung

Oura has patented the concept of putting electronic components, such as a flexible printed circuit board, battery, and sensors, between the inner and outer layers of a ring. Unsurprisingly, every competing smart ring uses a similar configuration, as curved components allow a smart ring to remain slim.

"Innovation that moves the category forward is good for the industry and for consumers. At the same time, it’s essential to uphold standards of originality and respect for intellectual property," says Oura.

Oura uses these ITC lawsuits to compel rivals to make licensing agreements for its IP, where they make "royalty payments" to Oura in exchange for continuing to sell their product in the United States.

So far, Circular, Ringconn, and OMATE have fallen in line, and Oura's blog post says royalty-based patent licenses are the "clear path forward" for Samsung, Zepp, Reebok, and Noise to "bring compliant products to market." Ultrahuman refused to pay for Oura's licensing and is currently appealing an ITC cease-and-desist order against smart ring sales in the U.S.

Samsung countersued Oura last year, claiming that "Oura's pattern of indiscriminate assertion of patent infringement against any and all competitors in the smart ring market" was an "actual, imminent risk to Samsung." In other words, it sued Oura before Oura could sue Samsung.

In early 2025, a U.S. federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Oura's general statements about enforcing its patents "were not directed at Samsung" and "do not reveal a likelihood or intent to enforce Oura’s patents against Samsung."

While Samsung had no legal proof of Oura's intent at the time, the recent lawsuit certainly seems to validate their initial claim.

While smaller smart ring brands have been unable to challenge Oura's patents, Samsung has previously stated that these patents are unreasonably broad, claiming ownership of "features common to virtually all smart rings, such as the inclusion of sensors, electronics, and batteries." It may attempt to invalidate the patents, rather than pay Oura off.

As for Zepp Health, Reebok, and Noise, they may choose to follow the path of Circular and Ringconn, paying the licensing fee to avoid the threat of a sales ban.

What you need to know

• Oura is dropping an update for its Preventive Health features, beginning with Cumulative Stress, to help users understand how chronic stress is affecting them.
• A Blood Pressure Profile study is kicking off soon in Oura Labs, aiming to help identify risks and signs of hypertension.
• The Oura app is updating its UI and overviews, while Cycle Insights expands its window for broader understanding.

Helping users stay on top of their health is a major catalyst behind two major updates arriving for the Oura app today (Oct 20).

In a press release, Oura states that its newest updates rolling out for its app today are a part of its Preventive Health capabilities. It teases that the two main features were developed using "peer-reviewed studies and continuous algorithm refinements." Seeing as Oura is interested in offering Preventive Health assistance daily, the new features begin with "Cumulative Stress."

Oura states the purpose of this new feature is for users to understand how stress affects their bodies. More specifically, Cumulative Stress will monitor and inform users on how their bodies "respond to chronic stress over time." If left untamed, long-term stress can lead to severe problems, such as fatigue, burnout, and even illness, according to Oura's research.

Cumulative Stress will also break down where stress is affecting them. In the new "Stress Management" screen rolling out with this feature, users can see how their chronic stress is affecting their sleep, heart stress-response, temperature regulation, and more.

Cumulative Stress will arrive globally in "the coming weeks" on Android and iOS.

A Study on the Blood Pressure Profile

This next feature is more of a test, as Oura states it is currently "engaged with the FDA and developing new blood pressure features aligned with our shared view of safe and effective innovation." Oura Members participating in this new Blood Pressure Profile Study in Oura Labs will more deeply understand their heart health. The press release details that users can receive alerts if the system detects they're at risk of hypertension.

This "reading" is a mixture of your Oura Ring data, short questionnaire answers about family history, medication, and lifestyle habits. You'll see an alert about your hypertension risk after answering these questions, which Oura states could fall within any of the following ranges: No signs, Moderate, or Major.

The Blood Pressure Profile will continue to monitor your body for any changes. Oura adds that this feature "passively" works in the background to detect potential signs of hypertension to educate users about their heart health. If something is there, or something doesn't sit right with you, book an appointment with your doctor. It mentions that, in conjunction with the FDA and following approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Oura aims to detect "early signs" before they become serious.

This Blood Pressure Profile Study will arrive in Oura Labs for Members in the U.S. "in the coming months."

Cycle Insights & in-app UI updates

Oura is rounding out its two major Preventive Health capability updates with an in-app UI overhaul.

This rework regards the Oura app's Today screen first. The new Today tab will work to better inform users about their well-being before engaging in daily activities and decisions. Oura says the highlight for this new tab is the "One Big Thing," an overview that brings relevant scores, insights, and Discoveries to the surface. Next, the My Health tab has been updated to provide a "clearer view" of their long-term health.

A new Habits and Routines section is said to "connect daily behaviors to measurable health metrics." Then, there's the Vitals tab, which is an at-a-glance view of your personal core health pillars: sleep, stress, and cardiovascular trends. Users can take a walk through their personal changes, seeing how they've (hopefully) improved in these core areas over the past few days, weeks, months, or even years.

This UI update isn't only for the app's tabs, but also for Cycle Insights. This feature is now expanded from one-month insights to a 12-month window about a woman's period and fertile window predictions. This feature is for Oura Members, just as a side note.

Oura states, "instead of waiting 60 nights, Oura Members will now receive personalized cycle phase and prediction data from a single night of sleep data."

The Oura app redesign and the updates to Cycle Insights are rolling out globally to users "in the coming weeks" on Android and iOS.

What you need to know

• Oura just secured over $900 million in new funding, pushing its valuation to a massive $11 billion.
• The new cash will fuel AI-driven innovation, expand Oura’s global presence, and strengthen its growing health platform.
• Oura has sold 5.5 million rings, with more than half shipped in the last year, and is on pace to top $1 billion in revenue by 2025 after doubling sales in 2024.

Oura announced today that it has secured over $900 million in a new funding round, catapulting its valuation to a hefty $11 billion.

That’s a huge leap for a brand that started out a decade ago trying to make sleep tracking cool. The money will help Oura double down on AI-driven innovation, expand its health platform, and get its smart rings into more hands around the world.

CEO Tom Hale says the new funding proves how far the company’s vision of “proactive health” has come. In his words, it’s not just about tracking sleep or heart rate anymore — it’s about helping people understand their bodies, make smarter lifestyle choices, and connect data with healthcare providers.

Oura's momentum definitely backs up that vision. The company recently crossed 5.5 million rings sold, with more than half of those shipped just in the past year. It doubled its revenue in 2024 to over $500 million, and is on track to top $1 billion in 2025.

Leadership shuffle

Alongside the funding news, Oura is shaking up its leadership. Longtime board member David Shuman is stepping in as chair of the board, taking over from Eurie Kim, who’s held the position since 2019.

The board is also expanding to include Wen Hsieh from Matter Venture Partners, an engineer and investor with deep hardware chops who’s expected to help guide Oura's next phase of product innovation.

And yes, the company’s still making moves on the product front. Oura recently rolled out its Oura Ring 4 Ceramic, a more durable take on its flagship wearable, along with the Charging Case, its first real hardware accessory. It also added Health Panels, which let users schedule lab tests and view results directly in the app.

These updates follow other software tweaks focused on sleep, readiness, and activity tracking, underscoring Oura's shift from fitness gadget to full-on health platform.

With sales and revenue climbing fast, Oura is clearly building more than just a piece of jewelry — it’s building a health ecosystem. And with nearly a billion in new funding to fuel expansion, the company’s next challenge might be more about staying ahead in a wearables market it helped redefine.

What you need to know

• Oura Ring 4 Ceramic launches in four vibrant colors with advanced health tracking features.
• Oura's first-ever charging case offers multiple charges and seamless switching between rings.
• The durable ceramic material ensures lasting quality while enhancing stylish wearability.

Oura is kicking off October (rather Tech-tober) on the right note! It has announced a whole new collection of the Oura Ring 4, along with its first-ever charging case. The latest collection features high-performance ceramic, giving it a look that literally resembles wearing a ceramic ring on your finger, rather than a smart ring.

As much as it looks like it's made of glass, the new Oura Ring 4 Ceramic retains the same advanced health tracking capabilities of the original Oura Ring 4. The ring maker seems to be chasing some nostalgic mood ring vibes with this collection.

"By merging tradition with innovation and pairing it with the most advanced technology, we’ve created a ring that is as sophisticated in its design as it is in function—refined, enduring, and distinctive. Our goal is to make this wearable technology as beautiful and expressive as the jewelry we cherish," said Miklu Silvanto, chief design officer at ŌURA

As for the ring's dimensions, it measures 7.9mm in width, similar to the Oura Ring 4; however, the new collection is significantly thicker, measuring 3.51mm due to the zirconia ceramic material on the ring, which maintains the ring's color, luster, and durability.

The ring's weight varies anywhere between 5.1 and 8.1 grams based on the size of the smart ring. The Ceramic collection comes in four colors: Tide(green), Petal (pink), Cloud (white), and Midnight (dark blue). Additionally, Oura adds that since the color on each of these rings is inherent to the material and isn't a surface coating, it is said to "keep its richness throughout its life."

Despite being durable, this ring can get some scuffs from softer metals, like a dumbbell, when lifting weights. Oura says that these grey marks are metal transfers and are reversible. With each of these ceramic rings, users get a Ceramic Polishing Pad to wipe these marks and restore their ring's shine.

With this launch, the company says users can switch seamlessly between multiple rings within a single account without having to go through the hassle of syncing the data on the app. "Whether switching for a workout or matching an outfit, the transition is simple, ensuring uninterrupted health tracking across Oura Ring devices," the press release added.

The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic collection is available globally starting today, $499

Here comes the case, finally

If you'd ask an Oura Ring 4 owner what they were missing, their answer would most likely be a wireless charging case. Finally, we have one. Oura has launched its first-ever charging case after giving us four generations of its rings. While it's only compatible with the latest gen smart ring, the case can power up to 5 full charges and complete one ring charge as well as the case charge in 90 minutes.

The case is black and looks like a clamshell with smooth, rounded edges, making the Oura Ring feel like a pearl in the center. Oura says each case is size-specific, so you can't share it unless someone has the same size. It also doubles as a secure spot to store the ring, because let's face it, sometimes I'm hunting for mine all around the house.

The case is made from recycled aluminum and is anodized. It has a silicone insert on the inside, which creates a sort of seal, making the case dust and splash-resistant. Oura's spokesperson told Android Central that this case could last you an entire month-long trip to Europe, considering the Oura Ring 4 survives for up to eight days on a single charge. So, do the math!

The LED indicator on the case displays the Ring's charge level when inserted, and the case's charge level when empty. Lastly, the case weighs about 60 grams, can be charged via a USB-C cable, and costs $99. As of now, this charging case will only be available in the US starting today (Oct. 1), but Oura says they'll bring it to more markets globally later this year.

What you need to know

• Oura Health Panels cost $99 and let members track 50+ cardiometabolic blood markers alongside their ring data.
• A partnership between Oura and Quest Diagnostics makes it easy to schedule labs at approximately 2,000 U.S. locations directly through the Oura app.
• Licensed clinicians review tests, and results appear in-app with simplified visuals highlighting key trends.

A new health service from Oura, known as Health Panels, is now available to help Oura members gain a deeper understanding of their personal health.

For $99, Oura members can now connect over 50 blood biomarkers, from cholesterol to blood sugar and kidney function, directly with the daily data already streaming from their ring.

Health Panels is an addition to the Oura membership that provides a more comprehensive look into one's body by integrating insights from the Oura Ring with meaningful cardiometabolic blood biomarkers. The goal is to move beyond just tracking data to enabling proactive health management.

The idea is simple: blood results show the “what,” and the Oura Ring shows the “why.” If your A1C is creeping up, you can immediately see how your eating habits, workouts, or restless nights might be contributing. The Health Panels go beyond passive tracking and tie everything together in one app, so instead of a stack of lab reports, you get a clear picture of your overall health.

Seamless in-app process

Through a partnership with Quest Diagnostics, Oura members can book tests directly inside the Oura app and choose from roughly 2,000 Quest locations across the U.S. A licensed clinician signs off on the order, the blood draw happens in person, and the results land back in the Oura app with a design that highlights the most important trends instead of burying you in spreadsheets.

Beyond just providing results, the Health Panels service makes the data actionable with the help of Oura Advisor. Based on the lab results and Oura data, members receive personalized tips and recommendations.

Actionable insights

Oura Advisor can answer practical questions, such as "What does my A1C of 5.7% mean?" or "How can I improve my cholesterol profile?". The service turns raw biomarker data into actionable, everyday guidance that connects directly to a user's sleep, readiness, and activity patterns. A downloadable report of the results can also be shared with a physician.

Oura's chief product officer, Holly Shelton, stated that Health Panels are a pivotal step in the company's evolution from a consumer wearable to a comprehensive health management platform.

Health Panels are currently available exclusively to Oura members who are 18 to 64 years old and reside in the U.S. The service is HSA and FSA eligible. It is not available in Arizona, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island due to state-level legal and regulatory restrictions.

What you need to know

• Oura announced that it has now sold over 5.5 million smart rings, a number that has surged ahead in the past year.
• The company also states that its revenue has doubled to $500 million earned, which is expected to cross $1 billion by the year's end.
• Oura started selling its products on Amazon in 2024 as it awaited Samsung's entry, and a recent update focused on premenopausal symptoms and new moms.

Oura is kicking off this week with a major announcement about its latest smart ring performance on the market.

Through Business Wire, the smart ring company Oura announced that it has marked a major achievement: it has now sold over 5.5 million Rings since its inception in 2015. The chief executive officer at Oura, Tom Hale, states, "ŌURA has sold over 2.5 million rings since June 2024, reaching in just over a year what previously took the company eleven years to achieve since its founding in 2013."

Hale adds that the achievement is a "testament" to the "incredible demand" for its smart rings.

The post highlights that the Oura Ring is available in over 150 countries. Moreover, it reiterates the company's presence on Amazon, which consumers found welcoming, as Business Wire states, Oura became the fastest-growing brand on the platform.

Aside from this, Oura states that its sales performance has doubled, which seemingly goes hand-in-hand with its newest units sold. The post states that Oura has passed over $500 million of earned revenue in 2024, and is reportedly on track to surpass $1 billion by the end of 2025.

Oura made some moves, and continued its health focus

The press release's mention of Oura's smart rings on Amazon takes us back to 2024 when the announcement first occurred. A range of its devices was posted on Amazon's marketplace as Oura sought to get ahead of its expected competition: Samsung. Oura saw this shift as a way to expand its retail presence and reach even more consumers.

While this came at a time when the world was expecting the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Oura's chief marketing officer, Doug Sweeny, said new competition was a "positive thing." Sweeny added that Samsung's (then-pending) introduction into smart rings gave Oura "validation" in what they were doing. We've since seen how that "validation" has become a real positive for Oura over this past year.

Recently, the smart ring company has continued to focus on moms and premenopausal women. The latter arrived as a new "Perimenopause Check-In" for women to track their symptoms and receive personalized health reports. For mothers, Oura added Pregnancy Insights to its app, and it now offers guidance for expectant mothers.

What you need to know

• Oura adds Pregnancy Insights to track health changes and give guidance to mothers-to-be.
• New Perimenopause Check-In offers symptom tracking and personalized health reports.
• Pregnancy Insights launches Aug 12, 2025, with Perimenopause Check-In in the U.S. Aug 13.

Oura today announced new features in its app focused entirely on mothers-to-be. During pregnancy, a woman's body goes through transformational changes as it adapts to a growing baby, impacting various health metrics. Many women have no easy way of knowing whether these changes are normal or if they warrant a discussion with a doctor. Oura's new feature aims to address this.

The company unveiled Pregnancy Insights, which helps women track these changes and provides educational content to guide them through each phase of pregnancy. The feature will show new metrics like Gestational Age, along with updated trimester rings and weekly insights on the home card.

A new trend view will display how key metrics, such as temperature trends, resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory rate, change during pregnancy. There's also a Keeping Track system, allowing members to tag symptoms, experiences, and emotions.

Oura says that Readiness, Sleep, Rest Mode, and Recovery Mode insights will now be contextualized for pregnancy, helping women understand why their scores are impacted.

Oura also unveiled its first-ever perimenopause feature

In addition to the pregnancy tools, Oura announced Perimenopause Check-In to support women navigating perimenopause. This feature combines self-reported symptoms with wearable data and gives women direct access to healthcare resources within the Oura app.

Users start by answering a survey, after which they receive a personalized assessment of symptoms and overall quality of life. A PDF report summarizing symptoms, biometric trends, and cycle data can be easily shared with healthcare providers.

The Pregnancy Insights feature is available to all Oura app users starting August 12, 2025. The Perimenopause Check-In will be available in the U.S. starting August 13, 2025, with other regions to follow soon.

I've been reviewing smart rings for years, starting with the Gen 3 Oura Ring. The Oura Ring 4 launched last year, but if you were on the hunt for any sales, you were out of luck. Finally, this Prime Day sale is the first time I've seen a significant discount for it on Amazon, and I couldn't be happier!

The Oura Ring 4 normally retails for $349, but this 15% discount brings the price down to just $296.65, which is slightly lower than the starting price of last-gen's model at $299. You can also opt for the pricier color options, such as Brushed Silver (my personal favorite), which is $60 off for Prime Day, taking the price from $399 to $339!

The best part about this Prime Day deal is that you can use your FSA or HSA to purchase the device, meaning you can put that money to good use if it would otherwise go unused.

• Shop all Amazon Prime Day deals

✅Recommended if: You want a well-design yet low-key device that tracks your sleep, activities, and various health metrics without distraction.

❌Skip this deal if: You won't want to invest in a $6/month subscription for access to its most useful features and insights.

Health and wellness at your fingertips (iterally)

When compared to the older (but still good) Oura Ring Gen 3, the newer Oura Ring 4 arrived with a better sensor layout, an enhanced algorithm, and even better battery life. The ring is capable of automatically tracking heart rate data when automatically detecting activities, and Oura has worked to make step counts and other data more accurate than ever.

I find the Oura AI advisor very helpful, as it uses my data to inform me on how I can improve my sleep or readiness. The meal tracker also utilizes AI to log your food; simply point a camera at it, and it will automatically identify what you ate and how your meal timing regularly contributes to your overall health. It's all very intuitive, and given Oura's tendency to add more features, I feel it makes the $6/month subscription all the more worth it.

Of course, you can also opt for last year's Oura Ring Gen 3, which remains a great device and offers many features found in the Oura Ring 4. Thankfully, the price has come down since the newer model launched, meaning you can get it for even less.

Prime Day 2025 Android deals - quick links

• Prime Day is coming: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to %45 off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

For everything on Amazon Prime Day, head to our ultimate shopping guide.

I've been using an Apple Watch for a while now, starting with a Series 6 and later upgrading to a Series 8 when it was released three years ago. So for about five years now, I've had a bulky square-ish dial on my wrist- and I still do, as I type this article. On the flip side, I've owned the Oura Ring 4 for only about 3 weeks now, and it has become this silent source of encouragement pushing me to take care of myself while I go about my life. And for the first time, Oura just dropped the price for the Oura Ring 4 this Prime Day.

As a first-time mom, my sleep cycle has been erratic, to say the least, with frequent nightly wake-ups to feed my infant. This is exactly why I needed to know if I was getting optimal rest and if my health was truly supporting my ability to function during the day. This was the primary reason behind trying out the new Oura Ring 4, which, when compared to a smartwatch, is manageable to sleep with.

Now, I use the Oura Ring 4 all the time as an overall health tracker, while the Apple Watch sticks to being my fitness companion.

• Prime Day returns July 8th: check out our ultimate guide

No-nonsense sleep tracking

While setting up my Oura Ring, the app asked me a bunch of questions to determine whether I had any special circumstances or health issues that could impact my readings, to which I ticked off the option of having small kids at home, acknowledging the fact that this could affect my sleep score.

For instance, after a night of only about 5.7 hours of sleep, my Oura Ring app presented a detailed picture of my breathing patterns and heart rate, in addition to the standard awake time, REM sleep, deep sleep, and so on. This analysis put things into perspective for me, and the app gave me suggestions as to how I could avoid a long afternoon nap so I could get my sleep cycle back in sync, asking me to wind down during the night with a book or a quick mindfulness session, or taking steps to improve my sleep quality at night. While the advice didn't stem from the fact that I was frequently waking up because my infant needed me, it did give me actionable items that helped me understand my sleep scores better.

The Oura Ring 4 tracks sleep using a special "Smart sensing" technology that involves a combination of advanced sensors that are fitted into the ring, along with machine-learning algorithms that are specifically trained to track different stages of sleep. It also has sensors that track your oxygen, heart, and respiratory rate to understand how your body functions when you sleep.

Oura's AI-powered Advisor

As someone who is constantly juggling multiple responsibilities — from managing my role as a News editor, and also navigating the unpredictable challenges that come with having an infant, stress can easily become something that goes under the radar, manifesting as a headache or just pure anxiety, as I transition between home and work, without a moment to myself.

This is when Oura's AI-powered Advisor comes into play. The sensors constantly monitor my physiological state, and when the smart ring tracks that I'm experiencing elevated levels of stress based on my heart rate variability (HRV), the app instantly sends me a quick notification to take a look at the stats and possibly step back and "breathe the stress away" with a quick four-minute mindfulness session that gives me the much needed moment of calm amidst the daily chaos.

Beyond that, the Oura Ring 4 also doubles as a subtle activity coach. Instead of constantly bugging me with reminders to "close rings", it gently nudges me to get in 3-4 minutes of movement when it detects longer periods of inactivity. While I still track my workouts with the Watch, these soft reminders from the Oura Advisor actually play a crucial role in keeping me on track with my fitness goals.

While those were the main reasons why I primarily use the Oura Ring 4, I sometimes also track my steps with it when I don't have my watch on. However, another cool feature that I'm currently experimenting with is "Meals," a super-easy way to keep track of what you're eating in a day. Unlike traditional food tracking apps that require users to manually input data, which again is time-consuming to me, all I have to do is take a picture of my plate, and this AI feature will break things down for me. It shows me each "Meal Item" and the nutrients my plate contains, helping me reach for healthier options.

So if you're a first-time mom juggling work and the challenges that come with having a tiny human at home, then this ring-sized motivator is for you. It will keep track of your sleep, stress, and sanity. The best part is that you don't have to reach for the charger as often as you would for an Apple Watch, as it offers up to 8 days of battery on a single charge.

While the Oura Ring 4 (starting around $349) is on the more expensive side, it's worth noting that the Oura Ring 3 has currently crashed back to its lowest price at Amazon ahead of Prime Day, offering a more accessible entry point into Oura's excellent tracking capabilities.

Prime Day 2025 Android deals — quick links

• Prime Day is coming: see the full list of Amazon deals
• Phones: major discounts on Samsung and Pixel
• Tablets: discounted Galaxy Tab and iPad
• Wearables: up to %45 off Garmin watches
• Most Prime Day deals are members-only: sign up for the 30-day trial

Dipping into the world of smart ring deals might be overwhelming, but whether you're new or old to wearables, you can still find some great entry-level options with big price drops. One example includes Amazon's limited-time discount of $50 off the Oura Ring 3, which is the last-generation version of our top pick within the best smart rings category.

The Oura Ring 3 offers sleep and heart rate tracking, and access to more than 40 apps for fitness and other health-related programs. This particular deal is for the Heritage style version of the ring, but you can still access the discount in both Black or Silver colors at the time of writing.

• Prime Day returns on July 8th: see the best early deals and FAQ

✅Recommended if: you're looking for a good value on a smart ring, and you don't mind going last-gen; battery life is important to you when it comes to finding a smart ring; you want a fitness tracker ring in silver that looks like a normal ring.

❌Skip this deal if: you'd prefer the Oura Ring Gen 4 compared to the Gen 3; you want a fitness-focused smart ring like the Amazfit Helio; you'd rather hold out for a really good deal on a smart ring that comes in different colors, and you don't really care about sticking with Oura.

The Oura Ring 3 has been well-liked since its release, offering five- to seven-day battery life and virtually all the features modern users want in a smart ring. From HR and sleep monitoring to fitness trackers and more, the third-gen version of the ring isn't too far off from the Oura Ring 4, which is currently our favorite smart ring in 2025.

At $50 off the normal purchase price for the Oura Ring 3, this might be a good entry point for buyers who are new to smart rings and want to keep their sticker prices under $200.

What you need to know

• Oura is announcing a huge overhaul of its Activity features in its app for users.
• The company is initially improving the accuracy of its step counter and Active Calories Burned, giving users a might insightful daily overview.
• Additionally, the Oura app is extending its activity tracker to truly encompass all hours of the day, including hours from 12 am to 4 am.

Oura is preparing a nice set of updates for its fitness-focused features within the app.

Many Oura users are familiar with its slew of Activity features in the Oura app. According to a press release, the company says those features are in for a major overhaul. Metric/statistical accuracy is incredibly important when it comes to understanding your fitness, and that's where things begin.

In the app, Oura states your step counts should be more accurate. The company says the app will forgo estimating your steps through "generic movements." Instead, the Oura app will more closely mirror the behavior of a pedometer, as well as machine learning for a more realistic step count. So, be ready to grab your Oura Ring 4 and get moving.

Moreover, Oura is improving the accuracy of Active Calories Burned, thanks to better heart rate monitoring. To be specific, Oura states the app's display of how many calories you've burned will factor in the intensity of your heartbeat. This will particularly come into play during exercises.

These features are rolling out to members globally.

Metrics, Activities, & More

There are a few smaller refinements for the Oura app's behavior, like All-Day activity tracking. The post says users will now see more insightful data regarding their movements and activities throughout the entire day (including things done between 12 am and 4 am). Additionally, if something isn't right, users can add/edit activities in the Oura app and the program will "automatically adjust" older Readiness and Activity Scores.

Oura details the inclusion of your heart rate from partner apps like Google Health Connect and HealthKit.

Speaking of automatic detection, Oura is adding more movement data, like running splits, via its updated fitness metrics. The company highlights the app's new ability to show more detailed run and walk information.

Active Minutes picks up a new Trend view, which will hopefully give users a more insightful overview of their daily, weekly, and monthly activities. Oura's updated fitness metrics and Trend view will arrive "later this summer" on Android. The other features, All-Day Activities, improved automatic activity detection, heart rate from partners integration, and add/edit activities are available today (May 21) for all users.

More Partners

While Oura is incorporating your heart rate from partners like Google and HealthKit, there's more in store that expands your horizons.

The company states the Oura app will also integrate statics about you with other apps like CorePower Yoga. Starting May 21, Oura members will be able to see their sleep, heart rate, stress and Readiness data inside the CorePower Yoga app. Moreover, those using the yoga app and Oura will find a 15 percent off an All-Access CorePower membership once this rolls out.

Oura app will also integrate with The Sculpt Society on May 21, too. The Readiness score from Oura will hop over, giving users tailor-made workout suggestions based on your energy levels. Also, to celebrate, Oura members will receive 50 percent off their first two months of the TSS app using the code “OURA” at checkout.

Tomorrow packs even more as Oura says it's analytics will hop over into Open. The Open app will provide users with "personalized" recovery rituals based on your Sleep Score. Lastly, Technogym will be able to utilize your HRV, resting heart rate, and sleep patterns from the Oura app. These stats will work into Technogym's Wellness Passport.

What you need to know

• Oura launched two new metabolic features in the U.S. to help users keep track of their overall eating habits.
• The ring maker has partnered with Dexcom, an American healthcare company that manufactures continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.
• Users need to purchase the Stelo, a glucose biosensor by Dexcom, that will send glucose readings directly into Oura's app once integrated.
• Oura is also launching its "Meals" feature, which will help users know whether their meals are balanced throughout the day.

Oura announced on Tuesday (May 6) that it is launching two new features to its existing AI-powered lineup designed to help users in the U.S. track their overall metabolic health. Oura has developed a way to track users' blood glucose levels by integrating data from a secondary device directly into the Oura app.

The ring maker has partnered with Dexcom, an American healthcare company that manufactures glucose biosensors to help users gain insights into their blood-glucose levels during the day.

This feature can be accessed when users purchase or already own Stelo, a small FDA-approved biosensor worn on the back of the upper arm, which leverages Dexcom’s most accurate glucose technology and reveals how lifestyle factors can affect glucose.

Members who integrate Stelo with Oura will see their daily glucose readings throughout the day, and also gain insights as to how nutrition, stress, movement, and sleep also have a role to play when it comes to balancing their blood-glucose levels.

Much like other health parameters, this feature will show users contextual graphs on a new "Glucose screen" and insights from Oura Advisor to help them understand glucose levels throughout the day. This way, they can tailor their lifestyle habits to help them maintain or "achieve optimal glucose balance"

When tracking blood glucose levels, users need to understand a key metric, called “Time Above Range,” which is the time spent above their target glucose range. The Oura app uses AI to analyze this metric and showcases glucose trends for that particular day, based on the user's lifestyle.

"Meal-induced glucose spikes can vary significantly due to factors like sleep, stress, exercise, and meal timing," said Shyamal Patel, senior vice president of science at Oura.

And with this feature, the company aims to help users experiment and discover lifestyle habits that impact their glucose levels rather than solely relying on foods that spike it.

"With this approach, members can maintain a healthy relationship with food while building long-term habits that support metabolic health," Patel added.

Track your 'Meals' with Oura

Furthermore, the company is launching a seamless method for users to log their meals. Unlike other apps that require manually inputting each food item to track calorie consumption, with the "Meals" feature, Oura's App will analyze an entire plate simply by using a picture. "After several months of testing in Oura Labs, Meals will now be a permanent feature in the Oura App," the company stated.

Steering away from traditional calorific intake insights, Meals focuses on macronutrients. As seen below, once users click a picture of their plates, the feature breaks things down for them. Showing each "Meal Item" and the nutrients their plate contains.

Showcasing elements like protein, fiber, processing level, added sugars, total fats, and total carbs to give users an at-a-glance summary. Oura's AI-powered Advisor also comes into play, which helps users understand their plate better, personalized "non-judgmental" tips about their meals.

That said, these features will be available on iOS and Android for Oura members based in the United States. As for the Glucose biosensor Stelo, interested individuals will be able to purchase it directly from Oura's website for $99 in the U.S.

Lastly, Oura says that the Meals feature, though restricted to the U.S. for now, will be rolled out internationally "later this year."

“With the launch of Meals, Glucose, and Oura Advisor—and the strategic integration of AI across all three—we’re taking a pivotal step forward in connecting the dots to deliver the most personal and holistic health platform available,” said Holly Shelton, chief product officer at Oura.

What you need to know

• The ITC has ruled in Oura's favor, saying Ultrahuman and RingConn straight-up copied its smart ring tech.
• Oura’s unique design, fancy curved battery, and slick sensors were at the heart of the fight.
• If this ruling sticks, both rivals could be kicked out of the U.S. market unless they revamp their rings.

In a landmark ruling that could shake up the wearable tech market, Oura has scored a big victory against rivals Ultrahuman and RingConn in a high-stakes patent fight.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) sided with Oura, finding that both companies infringed on key patents for Oura’s smart ring—meaning its competing rings could soon be banned from the U.S. market.

Oura has long dominated the smart ring space. But in recent years, competitors like Ultrahuman and RingConn have rolled out suspiciously similar-looking rings, prompting Oura to take legal action.

At the heart of the case is Oura’s dual-housing design, curved battery tech, and advanced sensors.

Oura argued that Ultrahuman’s Ring Air and RingConn’s Smart Ring ripped off these features, and after a deep dive into engineering schematics, CT scans, and even tear-down videos, the ITC agreed.

Ultrahuman’s sketchy moves backfire

Things got messy during the trial when Ultrahuman got caught faking evidence about a supposed U.S. manufacturing plant in Texas. Turns out, the company photoshopped Ultrahuman logos onto a third-party facility and altered internal documents to make it seem like the company made rings stateside.

The judge called Ultrahuman’s CEO “not credible” and slammed the company for “lack of truthfulness.” Oura even hired a private investigator to expose the deception.

The ITC’s initial ruling recommends blocking Ultrahuman and RingConn from importing infringing rings into the U.S., and halting sales of existing stock.

What’s next? Possible U.S. import ban

If finalized, this could force both companies to either redesign their rings or exit the U.S. market entirely. That’s a big deal, considering America is one of the largest markets for wearables.

Oura didn’t mince words in its victory lap. In a blog post, the company said the ruling validates the strength of Oura’s intellectual property and makes it clear it'll protect what it built, down to every last algorithm and sensor-packed band of titanium.

Meanwhile, RingConn’s CEO admitted under oath that the company studied Oura’s rings, which probably didn’t help its case.

What you need to know

• The new Oura Advisor feature is coming out of Oura Labs and landing as a permanent fixture in the app.
• It will provide customized coaching and personalized recommendations based on the user's health trends.
• Oura Advisor will be able to "think" when the user isn't active and will have access to "Memories,” which will allow the AI-powered advisor to look through past user behaviors and patterns.
• This feature will allow the smart ring to "better understand and support users' health goals."

Starting today (Mar. 31), Oura will roll out its new AI-powered feature to users globally. The company is calling this feature the "Oura Advisor," a digital assistant designed to help users better understand their health goals. This feature was in the testing phase for most of last year when the company announced that users would be able to take it for a spin via Oura Labs.

Now, Oura tells Android Central that all Android and iOS users will see the Oura Advisor pop-up on their apps. This will empower users to stay on track with their health goals, giving them "personalized insights, recommendations, and encouragement."

Oura added that this advisor is less of a feature and more of a coach to the smart ring wearer. It wants people to think of the Oura Advisor as their trainer that they can carry in their pockets.

Once this digital coach is summoned, it will tell you what your health stats look like and give you personalized recommendations on what kind of activities you should focus on. It has the power to look through various health parameters to give users "tailored" lifestyle changes so that they can improve their sleep, stay calmer in stressful situations, and optimize their overall physical and mental health.

What's more, is that the Oura Advisor will give you these recommendations in a "coherent guidance storyline" that connects different pieces of advice into a story that's easy to follow along.

Additionally, since the Oura Advisor is a conversational chatbot, its tone is also dynamic — this means your digital coach could take a supportive, mentoring, or even goal-oriented tone. "It adjusts based on the user's chosen tonality, affecting the conversation's perspective while maintaining empathy and core values," Oura added.

This AI chatbot can "think" independently about you even when you're inactive, so it can give you more relevant advice when you engage with it. While it's doing its thinking, the Oura Advisor will look through different user trends and data, as it has access to something called “Memories.”

Oura explains that these Memories allow it "to retain and reference context from past conversations and make long-term connections about user behaviors and patterns."

According to data collected during the test run of the Oura Advisor, the company reports that over 60% of users interacted with the digital coach multiple times a week, with 20% using it daily and 56% reporting that the Oura Advisor helped turn insights into actions with health benefits.

Essentially, with the integration of AI, the Oura Advisor aims to help users better understand their Oura Ring's data and trends, which will "empower them to take control of their health and well-being," the ring maker added.

Elsewhere, Oura is partnering with more retailers to make the latest Oura Ring accessible to more people. Last week, the company announced that the smart ring will debut on Costco's website and will be available to Costco Members in sizes four through 15 and in gold, silver, and black.

What you need to know

• The Oura Ring 4 is debuting on Costco's website, expanding its coverage for consumers looking to strive for better health goals.
• The company says the ring is available today (Mar. 19) for Costco Members in sizes four through 15 and in gold, silver, and black.
• Oura's smart rings were previously only sold through its channels, but it brought the series to Amazon in 2024.

Oura announces a major next step in expanding the reach and availability of its latest smart ring.

Today (Mar 19), Oura announced its partnership with Costco. The company hopes its product can assist Costco's broad and diverse group of consumers with access to "premium health technology." Beginning today, the post states Costco members can purchase the Oura Ring 4 directly from the retailer's website. Consumers will find the Ring 4 available in sizes four through 15.

More importantly, the smart ring can be purchased in three colors: gold, silver, and black.

Considering the Oura Ring 4 to rolling in for Costco Members only, the wearable will be featured in a "Oura Ring 4 bundle." The post states this bundle will provide consumers with an additional charger to ensure your smart ring can keep up with your daily life.

Oura is once again expanding its coverage with its smart ring, looking to make its technology "accessible to individuals at every stage of life." The company says its new partnership with Costco "simplifies" the path to proactive wellness to assist consumers in reaching their health goals. Furthering this partnership with Costco is Oura's CMO Doug Sweeny who states, "Costco members are known for their commitment to quality and their trust in the brand's curated selection of premium products, which aligns perfectly with Oura's dedication to providing exceptional wellness solutions."

Moreover, Sweeny adds this partnership will "empower more individuals to take control of their health."

What's more, this major retail expansion will join Oura's other partnerships with Best Buy in the U.S. and the U.K., as well as Target and Amazon. Oura has also established "successful" partnerships with stores like John Lewis in the U.K. and Elkjop (Nordics).

As Oura highlights its recent wave of retail expansions for smart ring availability, it's worth touching on its Amazon debut in 2024. The company's entire smart ring collection hit Amazon's digital shelves in March last year with Sweeny stating it was a "natural step for us." Previously, Oura only sold its smart rings through its website directly with shipping stemming from its warehouses.

Similar to sentiments stated today about its Costco expansion, Oura widening its ring net with Amazon opened it up to a "very, very wide demographic of people."

The Oura Ring 4 debuted last fall with a sleek and durable design alongside an improvement in sensor accuracy. The bundle being offered to Costco Members might be a worthwhile pair for the device's larger battery, which can last up to eight days on a single full charge. Comfortability was a key aspect of the Ring and its updated sensory accuracy means there are fewer "gaps" in your heart rate and blood oxygen readings.

The Oura Ring 5 may not arrive for another couple of years, given that the last three models arrived in 2018, 2021, and 2024. But given the rapid explosion of smart rings and the rise of rival products like the Samsung Galaxy Ring, it's fair to speculate what this popular, beloved smart ring brand will deliver next and how soon.

Topping our list of the best smart rings, the Oura Ring 4 doesn't do gimmicks: It automatically tracks sleep, workouts, steps, resting heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and stress; it then converts that data into stats like VO2 Max, resilience, and readiness, while its AI Advisor explains your stats to you.

That's already a definitive list, so what's next? Based on our time with the Oura Ring 4 — and Oura Health's long list of currently unused patents — here is our Oura Ring 5 wishlist and predictions.

Oura Ring 5: Patents that could appear

Oura has hundreds of patents, both filed and accepted by the USPTO, and a patent is no guarantee that a feature will be used in the Oura Ring 5. Some features stay as ideas for a reason. Still, we're highlighting potential Oura Ring 5 features that we think could be useful in the next-gen ring based on these patents.

Smart gestures: Patent US-12216829-B2 for "Ring-inputted commands" explains that buttons or screens on a smart ring "may detract from the aesthetic appeal," so they need a way for a ring to trigger actions via "some action or movement, such as by tapping or rotating the wearable device, performing some hand gesture, and the like."

This is very similar to the pinching motion control you get on the Galaxy Ring, but Oura envisions multiple "input command patterns" for things like "tagging information or events (e.g., tagging alcohol/caffeine consumption), starting/ending a workout, causing a user device to take a picture, adjusting or activating/deactivating external devices (e.g., speakers, smart lights, smart appliances, thermostats, other household electronics), performing an authentication procedure...activating sensors of a wearable device (e.g., performing an ECG measurement) and the like."

If Oura delivers these kinds of smarts and can make the commands distinct enough from normal hand movement to avoid false positives, this could make the Oura Ring 5 much "smarter" and more dynamic — but also more complicated.

Modular add-ons: Patent US-12177997-B2 for "Functional cover with wireless connection for ring wearable" discusses a significant problem with smart rings: you can't easily replace the battery or other faulty parts, forcing the user to buy a new model or the manufacturer to replace it when it begins to fail. Its suggested solution is "functional covers" or "modules" that "incorporate additional components and/or update existing functionality of the wearable device."

It suggests types of add-on covers like a "battery module, a fitness tracker module, an air quality module, a wireless communications module, a location module, a safety module, a self-identification or authentication module (e.g., module to authenticate the user for purchases, entry to restricted locations), etc."

The Oura Ring 5 would hypothetically have removable elements to make attaching modules easier or "inductive" components that couple with the electronics in the attachable covers. It all sounds quite complicated, but a modular Oura Ring 5 would allow power users to buy and add additional functions over time or augment its battery life as it naturally loses capacity.

GPS tracking: This straightforward patent — US-20230065695-A1 for "Location-based activity tracking — suggests that automatically detected activities could use GPS data to map workouts within the Oura app. The patent defaults to phone-based GPS but suggests that the Oura Ring itself "may be enabled with GPS or other positioning capabilities." No smart ring has a GPS antenna yet due to the major battery requirements and signal challenges, but it'd be intriguing if Oura somehow made the Ring 5 the first.

A major redesign: There are several patents related to the idea of making a universal Oura Ring 5 that fits any finger size, instead of having to make one for each size. Patent US-20250064398-A1 for "Conformable wearable device with deformable shape" suggests their next smart ring could be "manufactured in one size...as a straight piece rather than in ring form."

Depending on your finger size, the Ring 5 edges "may overlap after rolling around the wearable device, form a gap between the edges, or align." The patent almost describes it like a smartwatch that coils around your finger but can be safely broken apart at any time to then attach to another finger (or person).

Another patent (US-20250009085-A1) shows a "C-ring form factor" with a connective bridge between the two ends. Instead of a one-size design, this C-ring design would "transition between multiple discrete ring sizes (e.g., between U.S. ring sizes 6-8)," letting Oura manufacture fewer versions and users swap between sizes to wear it on different fingers.

One particularly outlandish patented idea (US-20250009086-A1) is to design the next Oura Ring with "multiple rings for adjustable circumference," letting you remove some inner rings based on your finger size. We don't think this one will end up happening, but it shows that Oura is willing to try anything.

Finally, another fascinating patent (US-20250000218-A1) has a "deformable inner cover" that uses a "memory shape polymer" to bulge or contract to counterbalance when your finger enlarges or shrinks due to environmental or physiological factors, helping the next Oura Ring deliver "more accurate physiological data measurements."

Universal charger: The Oura Ring 4 has a fitted charger for each ring size. If Oura redesigns the Oura Ring 5 with multiple sizes, then it will need a flexible charger as well. Patent US-20240396371-A1 discusses chargers that "magnetically attract a magnetic component" in order to "align charging coils" between ring and charger.

Haptic feedback: We've always liked the idea of haptic notifications on smart rings, but only Circular has added a vibration motor to one of its rings and cut the feature from its Circular Ring 2. So we're intrigued to see Oura patent the idea of providing "feedback" to users with methods like "vibrations, audio tones, changing temperature or pressure."

In patent US-20240371493-A1, they suggest an Oura ring could detect high blood pressure and send a vibrating alert to warn them. Then, "if the user's blood pressure did not decrease following the feedback, the wearable device may increase the magnitude of subsequent tactile vibrations to more forcefully indicate the user should take action to reduce their blood pressure."

While the main focus seems to be using vibrations as a "sixth sense" to help users "realize when they are stressed," the patent also mentions other potential "objectives" like vibrating based on your current heart rate zone during a workout, vibrating when you're approaching a turn while following directions, or even vibrating when you're facing north.

Whatever Oura does with this feature, it suggests we could get a haptic motor in a future Oura Ring.

Oura Ring 5: Wishlist

We've already covered in the section above how the Oura Ring 5 could have a flexible design to bend to multiple sizes, a haptic motor, gesture recognition, a removable battery or add-on covers, and (though it's unlikely) built-in GPS.

Now, we'll focus on what Oura Ring 5 features we'd like to see, based on our time with the Oura Ring 4 and Ring 3, as well as other smart rings like the Ultrahuman Ring Air.

NFC support: One of our most-wanted smart ring features is an option to make contactless payments. Authentication would be simple: When you put on your ring, you must go into the Oura app and enter your PIN or pattern to enable tap-to-pay. From that point on, your Oura Ring 5 would be authenticated to make payments with your phone in your pocket, or even with your phone at home.

But the moment you remove your Oura Ring 5, the NFC chip would be disabled until you entered your credentials again; that way, no one can go on a spending spree if you leave it on a bathroom sink or someone snatches it.

New health functions: The Oura Ring 4 already takes a holistic approach to health and wellness. The one missing feature we'd love to see on the Ring 5 is either an ECG for active AFib detection or passive irregular heart rhythm notifications.

Since at least one Oura patent mentions blood pressure, it'd be cool if the Ring 5 could provide continuous data and (optionally) buzz your finger if you're stressed or experiencing hypertension.

In addition, since so many smartwatch brands seem to be working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, could we get that same kind of sensor in a smart ring? We don't know if Oura could pull it off, but it'd certainly be useful for diabetics.

Otherwise, given how we've seen smart ring rivals positioning themselves as medical-grade devices, maybe it's less about new features and more about Oura giving the Ring 5 enhanced accuracy. Oura had its $96 million Pentagon contract canceled this March, so it may be looking for other business or medical opportunities beyond its usual consumer sector. That may require FDA-approved accuracy claims.

Ultra-wideband (or just better Find My Ring tracking): Our Oura Ring 4 reviewer has lost several Oura Rings in the past, which we love to tease him about. But he does have a legitimate complaint that they're very easy to lose track of.

There's a Find My Ring function for iOS, but not Android still; that needs to be fixed soon, but it should be resolved before the Ring 5 ships. By that time, we'd love to see ultra-wideband added because the last-location feature can only show its vague location. If the ring's fallen inside a couch cushion, only something like ultra-wideband would let you hone in on its exact location. Plus, UWB would let you use your ring as a digital car key.

A tiny or embedded display: This would move the Oura Ring 5 from the "smart jewelry" category into something more tech-heavy and potentially gimmicky, so we're not sure we truly want a ring screen that would require a thicker design and extra battery life drain. But let's at least talk about it!

What if Oura could add a small, square display like you see on hybrid watches like the Withings ScanWatch 2 or Garmin Vivomove Trend? Your smart ring would look "normal" unless you made an artificial gesture to trigger the screen and see information or unless you set it to light up with notification icons to see what's triggering the buzz in your pocket.

The display itself could be something subtle, like a grayscale OLED embedded like a gem at the top, or else built into the glass layer around the ring so the text can light up but otherwise remain invisible.

An even slimmer design: The Oura Ring 4 only weighs about 3–5g and measures less than 3mm thick. That's very impressive considering how much it can track, and if it adds more health data or a haptic motor, I can't see it getting any skinnier.

But let's imagine that all of those patents are just about Oura weighing its options, and that its Oura Ring 5 will focus less on gimmicks and more on style. In that case, it's fair to argue that the Ring 4 still has that distinct "smart ring look," and is much thicker than a "normal" ring.

If Oura can bring the Ring 5 closer to the range of a traditional skinny ring while still delivering accurate health sensor data, that might be the best way of making it more popular with mainstream users.

Many smart ring deals have hit the market over the past few years of the product category's existence, and Oura's last-gen ring has been a top-seller among them. For those who don't mind going last-gen, Amazon has knocked 17% off the Oura Ring 3's price (Heritage edition), marking $50 off the normal purchase price and bringing it down to its lowest price ever.

While Oura launched the Ring Gen 4 last year, the Ring 3 has held a place at the front of the industry for years, offering a solid smart ring even by modern standards. With this deal, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is just $250, while the Gen 4 retails at $500, so it's definitely worth thinking about whether you need the newest model or not.

✅Recommended if: you want a smart ring with up to a weeks' worth of battery life; you want the basic features that come with most smart rings, such as heart rate monitoring and variability, SpO2, and temperature tracking.

❌Skip this deal if: you'd prefer to go with the latest generation, the Oura Ring 4; you want something that pairs reliable automatic activity detection (AAD) with heart rate data; you need something with Find My Ring for Android.

The Oura Ring Gen 3 is a great last-generation smart ring, offering a range of health features from temperature monitoring, heart rate tracking and activity detection, SpO2, and more. It also boasts about a weeks' worth of battery, and easy app compatibility that actually makes it pretty fun to use.

It is also worth considering that the Oura Ring 4 is our pick for the best smart ring overall, though the Gen 3 is not far behind. Both include great app support, though some of the main differences between the Oura Ring 3 and 4 primarily include the next-gen ring's updated sensors for even better health monitoring, and the addition of automatic activity detection (AAD) for heart rate data.

If those aren't dealbreakers, however, it's worth considering the extra $50 off to go last-gen—especially if you're a casual smart ring user.

What you need to know

• Oura’s latest feature helps your ring recognize natural menstrual cycle changes for better, round-the-clock insights.
• Your Readiness Score now factors in cycle-related shifts like heart rate, temperature, and HRV changes.
• Oura is launching studies to dig deeper into women’s health and improve cycle tracking.

Oura today introduced a new feature for its smart rings designed to pick up on the natural changes that happen throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. The goal is to give your ring a better read on your body around the clock.

Oura is making its Readiness Score even sharper by including menstrual cycle changes. With the "Readiness Score Algorithm Improvement" feature, Oura's fan-favorite smart rings will account for things like higher heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate, and lower HRV during the luteal phase.

The company notes that 35% of users with cycles won’t see their Readiness Score dip during the luteal phase anymore, representing an 81% drop in cycle-related score changes.

Oura’s new cycle-tracking feature is part of its bigger push into women’s health, adding another tool to help you understand your body better.

In late 2024, Oura expanded its women’s health tracking with the Fertile Window feature in Cycle Insights, using your body’s data to pinpoint likely fertile days.

By blending Oura’s temperature tracking with heart rate, HRV, and breathing data, this feature zeroes in on your fertile days with more precision.

Alongside these updates, Oura is kicking off research initiatives to dig deeper into women’s health and find new ways to help users.

Oura is teaming up with Scripps Research Digital Trials Center for a new pregnancy study. The aim is to analyze biometric data from the past three years to spot early warning signs for issues like postpartum depression and miscarriage. They’re recruiting 10,000 Oura Ring users who’ve been pregnant to make it happen.

Additionally, Oura and Stanford University School of Medicine are joining forces for the STIGMA (Study on Typically Ignored Groups of Menstruating Adults) study, focusing on underrepresented menstruating groups.

With up to 10,000 participants wearing Oura Rings, they’ll investigate how socioeconomic factors, reproductive disorders, and hormonal changes influence cycles. This research could help close gaps in menstrual health knowledge and address inequities, especially for women of color.

While Oura has been around for many years, it can be clearly noted that 2024 was its year of spearheading the smart ring movement. We saw many companies launch a version of what they think a smart ring should be, and of course, the Android giant Samsung even launched the Galaxy Ring.

I had the opportunity to sit down with the CEO of the Oura Ring, Tom Hale, to speak about the company, what it’s accomplished, and what the future holds, particularly for health and wellness tracking.

Hale told me it’s refreshing to see competition because it means that “you’re on to something that’s important and valuable.”

Presently, there are two companies leading the smart ring market, with Oura in the lead. An IDC report on smart rings indicated that Ultrahuman is the second largest brand and that in the full year of 2023, global ring sales totaled 880,000 “with Oura representing 80% and Ultrahuman in second with 12%.” By 2028, IDC forecasts that 3.2 million units will be sold equating to a year-over-year growth of 29.5%.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring last summer, and IDC indicated that at the time of publication (October 2024), the early reception was of moderate interest. But that being said, many of the larger players within the wearables space are watching Samsung Ring sales.

“[These companies] are exploring the possibility of producing their own smart rings. So should the Galaxy Ring prove to be a success, we will likely see many other players jumping into the market,” the report read.

Smart rings are for health, not fitness

I’ve been using the Oura Ring for almost two and a half years now. I started with the Gen 3 and then now I’m using the Oura Ring 4. The ring has completely changed the way I think about my health and body, and, more importantly, I’ve noticed that I am able to change and correct my path by doing things based on my stats.

After using the rings for some time, I think what most people fail to recognize is that a smart ring is a passive device that monitors your health. Yes it has features to track your fitness, but it’s more for monitoring health features like your heart rate, readiness, how you manage your stress, and women’s health.

Hale expressed that the ultimate vision for the Oura Ring is that it is a health tool for people.

“Our vision of the future of smart rings is bigger and bolder and badder than just the ring. I think about going beyond the ring,” he said.

Oura recently partnered with Dexcom, a glucose biosensing company, to help people improve their metabolic health. The plan is that Dexcom will help “the integration of Dexcom glucose data with vital sign, sleep, stress, heart health and activity data from Oura Ring…to provide users with a more complete picture of overall health.”

Hale expressed that Oura wants to help people understand more about their health across a wider range of metrics, and understanding glucose is the next step.

“[It’s] not just going to be one set of data. [It’s] going to be a set of data that is the most complete picture of your health,” he said.

To me, this is what a smart ring should be. Right now, when I check my Oura app to see my data, I can see and track the kinds of things that have triggered my stress or what has caused me not to have the greatest sleep. I can also track my ovulation, menstrual cycle, heart rate, and body temperature.

And now, with the launch of the new Symptom Radar feature, my ring can warn me about early signs of strain on my body, such as when I may start feeling under the weather or if I need to take extra rest when major changes take place in my regular data.

Understanding your data is not a game

What I appreciate the most about the Oura Ring is how it is a passive device. You wear it, it tracks your data and you get to monitor it at your own leisure. There aren’t any major notifications; there aren’t haptics and nothing to make you feel guilty.

This is why I think smart rings, in general, are not meant to be treated like an Apple Watch or a Pixel Watch but something to be used in tandem with these devices. One of the main purposes of a smartwatch is to help track your fitness and help you stay motivated. The Apple Watch, for example, will ping you to encourage you to close your movement rings for the day.

But while the gamification of a smartwatch makes sense, it’s not always the most de-stressing component of a wearable. One of the reasons why I stopped wearing an Apple watch was because of this. I was constantly being bombarded with notifications, and it really stressed me out to the point where my anxiety was at its highest. I think one of the reasons why I love the Oura Ring is that it’s incredibly passive and I can go in and check my stats at my own leisure.

Yes, I do get some notifications from Oura. For example, it'll ping me when it thinks I should start getting ready for bed for optimal sleep and when it thinks I’ve been sitting for too long and suggests stretching my legs. However, I do not find these notifications bothersome or stressful because Oura isn't focused on turning health and wellness into a game, and this is something I think the Oura Ring does much better than smartwatches.

In fact, Hale stated clearly that the future of Oura isn’t going to be about that gamification of your data and that the company will focus on features like Symptom Radar that help users become more in tune with their bodies and overall wellness.

“You’ll see us continuing to push innovations, but we always push innovations in the name of health, not in the name of gamification or getting you to engage more frequently…[we want you to] think about where your body is going and to give your body a voice.”

What you need to know

• Oura released its 2024 Year in Review report highlighting Oura Ring users' Global Community Data.
• New Zealand retained its 2023 crown for the country with the best sleep scores, followed by Australia and Sweden.
• The United States is the "most stressed country," with North Dakota topping the states.
• You can check your personal 2024 trends in the Oura app's Today tab, with monthly stats for steps, resilience, stress, and so on.

Oura Ring users looking for some insights into what went right (and wrong) in 2024 should open up their apps: Oura just released its 2024 Year in Review reports, with "personalized insights" based on your sleep, stress, and activity data this year.

The report will highlight your average sleep and wake times, and how those changed every month, noting if you weren't consistent or formed bad habits over time, based on data from your Oura Ring 4 or Oura Ring 3.

The Oura Year in Review report will also indicate the times of day when you were most active (or stressed), your total steps and naps for the year, and whether your Cardiovascular age (relative to your real age) trended upwards or downwards in 2024.

Outside of your personalized data, Oura is also releasing some curated Global Community data about its users, showing international trends and average stats.

According to Oura, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Finland, and Austria had the five best sleep score averages worldwide. Compared to the 2023 report, the Kiwis improved their sleep average by 1.8 points to 79.8 to keep their top spot, while Australia rose from #5 to #2 and Austria kicked off Switzerland. The worldwide sleep score average is 77, or Fair.

Ireland led the daily step-count average at 10,079, the only country to hit the 10,000-step mark — though there's reason to question how many of those steps are false positives. Estonia, the UK and Northern Ireland, Sweden, and Czechia took the next four spots.

Sweden seems to be the all-around champion of this Oura 2024 report, as its users have the lowest cardiovascular age gap of -2.63 years, followed by Norway, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Denmark. Generally speaking, these Scandanavian and middle-European countries seem to have a healthier lifestyle worth emulating.

If you've noticed America's conspicuous absence from this list, the U.S. did show up #1 in one category: most stressed. Oura attributed it to our "fast-paced cultrue, sedentary lifestyles, and pervasive sleep deprivation," as well as a "high-stakes election" pushing up stress in recent months.

Oura didn't share specific U.S. state data in this summary, but it did share some interesting tidbits with us directly: Montana had the highest sleep scores, New Yorkers were the most active, Hawaii had the lowest Cardiovascular age, and North Dakota was the most stressed.

We love this trend of fitness companies sharing general trends, as a baseline for people to compare against. For example, the Strava annual report showed the median averages for runners, cyclists, and hikers across age groups, along with their favorite devices for activities. And the Garmin annual report discussed people's average Body Battery, Daily Readiness, sleep, and stress scores; Garmin users seem to sleep worse and be less "ready" than Oura users, though this may be because of a more active lifestyle.

(Update: 12/5 3:50 pm ET): Updated the date of availability for Symptom Radar in the Oura app.

What you need to know

• Oura highlighted its new Symptom Radar, which will encourage you to take rest days based on your biometric changes.
• Symptom Radar features three levels of potential signs of strain with the highest being "Major Risk," meaning users should take a rest day.
• Oura states this feature could help users get ahead of potential signs of sickness and take time to rest their bodies.
• This is rolling out to Oura Ring 4 and Gen 3 members in its app on December 11.

Oura is detailing a new feature for two of its smart rings that could help you get ahead of those sick days.

The company highlighted the coming arrival of "Symptom Radar" for the Oura Ring 4 and Gen 3 members. The post states that the feature works by monitoring "changes in your data." According to Oura, the data it sifts through could indicate that something is "straining" your body, like sickness. Wearing your Oura ring will give the app the information it needs to function, such as your skin temperature, average temperature "trends," respiratory rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and inactive time.

The post states users will find their Symptom Radar in the Oura app by navigating to the Today tab. Tapping its highlight card will produce its full page. Moreover, the radar can be accessed more regularly through the hamburger menu in the top left of the Today tab.

Symptom Radar displays signs of strain in three levels, with the first being "No Signs." Oura says this means that your ring has not detected an "obvious sign" in your biometrics that points toward bodily stress. "Minor Signs" means that there is something there or "small signs" that could indicate approaching sickness.

Lastly, "Major Signs" means that in your biometrics, your ring has detected "stronger signs" that something is working against your body. Oura says that "Biometrics under strain" section will explain which parts of your data show the most signs of stress. If there is a significant change in your trends, this could indicate sickness/stress.

Oura adds that it looks at multiple pieces of data to see if there's a "deviation in combination" of everything it's collected. If there are major signs or, perhaps, minimal ones, Oura will suggest taking a rest day.

The press release states that users enabling Rest Mode will see their activity scores paused alongside any goals and activity contributors. However, Symptom Radar will continue to work in the background whilst Rest Mode is active.

Oura offered a few advisories, stating Symptom Radar may not work with "pre-existing medical conditions." Additionally, pregnancy may impact "biometric baselines" and affect the accuracy of the feature. Oura adds that this radar can be turned off if you are pregnant. What's more, the company reiterates that its rings are not a "medical device." It seems wise to take what Symptom Radar is telling you and see a medical professional if you feel concerned.

Oura states Symptom Radar is rolling out to all members with a Ring 4 or Gen 3 on December 11 in the app.

In a separate post, Oura detailed the long development history of its Symptom Radar. The science and process of it stretches back to March 2020. However, Oura's April launch of its Labs experience helped further its progress. During its early testing, the company stated users found it difficult to know if Symptom Radar's information had been updated. As a result, Oura states it provides a historical graph so users can see the different updates the feature has made.

More importantly, the post says testers reported increased interest in seeing which biometric changes "indicated risk." Oura states users will now see markers for a changed piece of data and "why the risk increased."

Seeing as the colder months are here, Symptom Radar may help users as we enter flu season.

A while ago, I saw a video on TikTok from an influencer that absolutely sent my brain into a spiral.

SamDoll, who is the influencer, went on a rant about how she bought the Oura Ring Gen 3 and absolutely hated it. Her rant was infuriating and actually really upset me because not only was she speaking without much knowledge about the actual ring, but she also has the capability of influencing her nearly one million followers.

While she did make some accurate points in her video, I genuinely did not agree with what she was saying for the most part. It made me realize how important it is that I reiterate to you, our valued readers, how important it is to not get sucked into what regular, everyday influencers say about tech products.

More importantly, as you spend your hard-earned money on products this Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend, then you should be looking to read reviews from trusted sites like Android Central. If you are keen on listening to what influencers say, then you should follow tech influencers who take particular interest in providing the best information that is relevant to help you understand products.

On that note, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is the wearable that pretty much kicked off the smart ring craze, and its best style is currently up to $100 off depending on the color you want, making it a good alternative if you want a great smart ring without breaking the bank.

Why being accurate when you make rants is important

One of the main points that SamDoll makes in her video is how the ring keeps telling her a lot of information that she doesn’t understand, and she also claims that the ring isn’t doing the job right.

In one example, she complains about how she felt like she had a horrible night’s sleep, but when she woke up, the ring indicated her Readiness Score (but she inaccurately calls it recovery) was at 80 percent.

What SamDoll didn’t include in this portion of the video is what the Oura Ring Readiness score is and what it is based on:

“Your Readiness Score reflects how balanced your recovery and activity are. It looks at your sleep quality, body signals, and activity levels to show how prepared you are to take on the day,” according to the Oura website. It is not just based on how well you sleep. Even if you had poor sleep, your body throughout the day could have recovered well.

When you do not express to your nearly one million followers what the ring actually is collecting and how it contributes to the overall score, you’re providing inaccurate information because they’re not getting the whole picture.

It deters a user from wanting to buy something because they trust what you are saying. That is why it is important to ensure you, our valuable reader, are going to trusted sources who take a lot of time to test products to give you the information you need.

Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's worldwide device trackers, reiterated the importance of experience.

“Advice from experts is simply more valuable and enlightening and consumers should focus on that. However, the reality is that anyone with a loud enough voice can make or break a product, so it’s in companies’ best interest to also collaborate with influencers outside of tech,” he said.

The Oura Ring is not for fitness, it is for your health

SamDoll, later in her video, expresses her distaste for how the ring doesn’t automatically detect her workout, and when she plugged her workout into the ring app, it didn’t provide her with accurate information on how many calories she burned.

In the initial stages of the Oura Ring, which, in my experience, is the gold standard of smart rings, it took a while for the ring to actually detect and accurately provide workout information.

That since has changed and is incredibly accurate. Android Central’s managing editor, Derrek Lee, has noted how the ring is great at detecting common activities like walking and running. He had expressed to me about a time when he went out with friends dancing, and the ring, later on, indicated that he had some activity and labeled it as dancing, something it has accurately deduced on more than one occasion.

While he often manually tracks workouts with the ring, it will sometimes automatically detect more ambiguous activities like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and yoga.

But that being said, I don’t actually think the Oura Ring is for fitness; rather, it’s meant to be an overall health tracker and monitor. I think the purpose of the ring is to help you understand your body, and as such, I actually think it would be better paired with another wearable like an Android smartwatch if your desire is to monitor fitness.

Ubrani agrees, adding that a smart ring is a “replacement for the health-related aspects of smartwatches.”

The biggest problem with the Oura Ring

While SamDoll made a lot of claims in her video that I did not agree with—and there were more than what I detail in this article—I did agree with her on one major point.

She expressed how the Oura Ring is already an expensive device (starting at US$299), which it is. But to top it off, if you really want the best experience with the ring, you need to pay an additional $5.99 before tax per month for the subscription service. Granted, the subscription service does come with a lot of features like the following:

• Detailed sleep analysis
• 24/7 heart rate tracking (Daytime, Nighttime, Activity)
• Integration with third-party health and wellness apps like Strava
• Advanced temperature monitoring
• Blood Oxygen Sensing (SpO2)
• Cardiovascular Age
• Cardio Capacity (VO2 Max)
• Cycle Insights
• Daytime Stress
• Dynamic activity goals with Automatic Activity Detection
• Oura Labs
• Pregnancy Insights
• Resilience
• Weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and anniversary reports

But that’s a lot of money, especially when no other company that produces a smart ring requires an additional paid subscription to enjoy the ring (even Amazfit got rid of its subscription for the Helio Ring). Basically, all the most useful Oura Ring features are hidden behind a paywall.

I strongly urge Oura to rethink this idea, as it can also be a deterrent for users who may consider buying a smart ring. That said, Oura explains that it does this because it uses the money to invest in its features and its technology. This is why we see the ring constantly getting new features, even years after the Gen 3 launched.

Oura is the gold standard for smart rings

Oura has been around for many years, and we do know that the company strives to do more to help people with their health, which it has proven with the newer and excellent Oura Ring 4.

Like me, Ubrani also agrees that the ring is the gold standard for smart rings only because the company has done a “great job in offering a very polished and well-rounded experience for users, which in turn has set a high bar for competition.”

Oura has been able to do this only because they had a massive lead up in the market, also providing them much more time to refine the experience of the ring.

But more importantly, I think, in general, if you’re going to buy something during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, try to do more homework than just relying on one creator.

The Black Friday deals are already upon us, and Oura's excellent last-gen smart ring is currently on sale. The Oura Ring Gen 3 is the wearable that pretty much kicked off the smart ring craze, and its best style is currently up to $100 off depending on the color you want, making it a good alternative if you want a great smart ring without breaking the bank.

The Oura Ring Gen 3 (Horizon) originally retails for up to $449, making it more expensive than even some of the best Android smartwatches. However, you can get up to 22% off select colors/finishes and snag the ring for as low as $249. And with the new Oura Ring 4 out, we know the company is eager to sell its remaining stock of last year's model, so you'll wanna get on this fast before they run out.

✅Recommended if: You want a smart ring for tracking your activities and health without paying a premium for the latest model.

❌Skip this deal if: You don't want to pay for a subscription or want the latest Oura Ring 4 for its improved health tracking.

When I first reviewed the Oura Ring Gen 3, I was already quite impressed with its capabilities. From its impressive sleep tracking to its week-long battery life, the Oura Ring Gen 3 became a staple in my life, not just for my physical health, but my mental health as well.

Even more impressive is the fact that Oura continues to add new features and capabilities to the app and ring, making this a long-term device that you don't really have to worry about upgrading every year, which is what helped make it one of the best smart rings we've reviewed. So even though the newer Oura Ring 4 is available, you can be sure that Oura will continue supporting the Gen 3 for as long as it can. That's what makes the smart ring worth looking at, even with Oura's low-cost $6/month subscription.

Oh, and if you're still on the fence, you should know that you can also use your FSA or HSA to purchase the ring, which could help you pull the trigger.

Samsung's first smart ring, the Galaxy Ring, gave the category a much-needed boost of popularity this year. But while Samsung might have drawn a lot of attention to this relatively niche wearable category, Oura was the company that started it all.

Right on cue, Oura launched its fourth-generation smart ring, the Oura Ring 4 just a few weeks after the Samsung Galaxy Ring. For the most part, it's a better product than Samsung's in basically every way but it has one potentially fatal flaw: the best features require a monthly subscription.

Still, as you'll find out, Oura's hardware and software are just plain better than Samsung's, including better and more accurate health tracking, competent workout tracking, and great features like AI-powered food logging. Is the Oura Ring 4 worth the extra money it'll cost you over time? Yes, and here's why.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Cost and value

The Oura Ring 4 comes with a $50 price hike over the Oura Ring 3 but is still cheaper than the Galaxy Ring ultra out the gate. That is, of course, if you choose specific finishes. Black and Silver are $349, making them $50 less than the Galaxy Ring. Our Oura Ring 4 reviewer, Derrek Lee, preferred the $399 Brushed Silver option, while the Gold and Rose Gold options up the price to $499.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Ring comes in Black, Silver, and Gold for the same $399 price across the board. Samsung requires customers to purchase a $10 ring sizing kit before buying but the kit comes with a $10 credit for a Galaxy Ring, making it free so long as you actually buy one. Oura doesn't charge for the sizing kit at all.

But the initial purchase isn't the only cost you need to consider. The Oura Ring's best features are only available when you subscribe to Oura's service, which costs $5.99 per month. It's not a lot of money but the $50 you could potentially save over buying a Galaxy Watch gets quickly made up in less than a year.

You could opt to ditch the Oura subscription but you'll only have access to your three daily Oura Scores, ring battery, basic profile information, and app settings. Everything else is locked and there's no way to get the data via a third-party app, either.

Samsung offers all data for free but only offers AI-powered insights when you pair the Galaxy Ring with a Samsung phone that has Galaxy AI. Truth be told, Oura's subscription is worth it if you care about more accurate data which you'll find out more about in the health tracking section below.

Since smart rings are expensive, replacing a lost ring could be a deal breaker. Oura only offers a "find my ring" feature on iOS, but some Android users have had luck using the Wunderfind app. Oura is planning on adding this functionality to the Android app officially at some point.

Finding a lost Galaxy Ring is easiest with a Samsung device, as the company has deep location-based ties in One UI and offers a "last known location" feature for Galaxy users. All other Android devices have the option of blinking the lights on the ring to make it easier to find in the dark but other than that you're out of luck. I tried finding my Galaxy Ring once with the Wunderfind app and had no luck.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Design and battery life

The Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring look like normal rings, although both are a little bit thicker than your average wedding band. Both rings utilize titanium construction but only the Oura Ring 4 is titanium inside and out.

The new titanium inside of the Oura Ring 4 keeps all the sensors flat against your skin, meaning no irritating protrusion like the Galaxy Ring has. Plus, since it's titanium all around, it feels more premium than the epoxy that covers the sensors on the inside of the Galaxy Ring.

Titanium is plenty durable but the shiny gold variant Galaxy Ring I have has plenty of scratches that annoy me after just three months of use. It actually got scratched after just a few days of using it, while Derrek's brushed metal Oura Ring 4 still looks great as noted in his review on Android Central. Neither company offers official ring covers (cases), so be sure to choose a finish that will last.

Both rings offer roughly a week's worth of battery on a single charge, although the Oura Ring 4 could last up to 10 days depending on your use. Long battery life is good because both rings take nearly 2 hours to charge, although the Galaxy Ring is more convenient because of the case.

That charging case is very similar to what you would expect to get with the best Bluetooth earbuds, making it super convenient to charge on the go. That's not only handy for traveling but also for those times when you forgot to charge the ring.

Meanwhile, the Oura Ring 4 ships with a charging dock that plugs into the wall so you'd have to leave your ring at home if you forgot to charge it. On the bright side, the Oura Ring 4's charger is far more premium-looking than the transparent one that ships with the Galaxy Ring.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Health and sleep tracking

The main reason to get a smart ring is for 24/7 health tracking and, in particular, more comfortable sleep tracking than a smartwatch offers. Both rings offer 24/7 health tracking and sleep tracking but the Oura Ring 4 has been significantly more accurate in our tests.

As I noted in my Galaxy Ring review, the sleep-tracking accuracy isn't great compared to a Google Pixel Watch 2, the best sleep-tracking smartwatch I had at the time of review. I often found the Galaxy Ring's numbers were statistically significantly different to a point where I didn't trust the data it gave me.

Meanwhile, Derrek noted that the Oura Ring 4's sleep-tracking was right in line with his Pixel Watch 3. The only caveat he found was that it often said he slept a bit less than the watch told him, but the accuracy of the data while sleeping was great.

The Oura Ring 4 also has automatic workout tracking including more niche categories like dancing. Like the previous generation, the Oura Ring 4 will also track "miscellaneous" workouts it can't readily identify so you can go into the app and assign a label to it. You can also manually start a workout from the app and give it a label ahead of time for more accurate workout tracking.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring, meanwhile, only automatically tracks running or walking and only outdoors. I tried working out with the Ring for over a month and it seldom even noticed I was doing anything more than sitting at my desk working. There's no way to manually track a workout using the Galaxy Ring's data and the Galaxy Ring doesn't let you assign any kind of labels to detected workouts after the fact.

I even ran a Spartan Race back in August while wearing the Galaxy Ring and several other smartwatches and found the Galaxy Ring's data was totally inaccurate. Everything from the heart rate to the distance I ran was wrong, and it arbitrarily broke the race into sections whenever I needed a walking break.

One thing I will give Samsung is that the Galaxy Ring's step tracking is crazy accurate based on our testing, while the Oura Ring 4 doesn't hold up nearly as well.

Both rings also offer period tracking and our testing from female staff members so far indicates that accuracy is on point.

Overall, though, I would not recommend the Galaxy Ring for anything more than extremely casual health tracking, while the Oura Ring 4 is a much better choice for a smartwatch replacement. You might have to pay for Oura's data but it's completely worth it given the absolute gulf in data accuracy between these two rings.

Both rings' apps are quite competent and offer plenty of data and features. Samsung's Galaxy Ring app ties in deeply with Samsung Health, an app that does everything and anything you could possibly ask for.

Samsung Galaxy owners get exclusive features when paired with certain Galaxy phones including Galaxy AI health coaching, ring gestures, location tracking, and a few others. Only location tracking is a killer feature, though, as many of the rest are fairly gimmicky.

The Oura Ring app just got a huge makeover in time for the Oura Ring 4 launch, bringing it up to par with some more modern app design standards.

One of the new features includes an AI-driven food logging feature which lets you take a picture of your food to estimate a nutritional breakdown of what you're eating. The app is also smart enough to understand your eating habits and can help you plan your eating times based on your overall health tracking stats.

Of course, you have to pay $5.99 per month to get these kinds of features on an Oura Ring 4 but, as I said before, it's definitely worth it if you're interested in accurate and usable health tracking.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: Which one should you buy?

While the Oura Ring 4 will cost you more over time than the Samsung Galaxy Ring, it does just about everything better than Samsung's first smart ring. It's got a better design with a flush, titanium interior, the potential for longer battery life, and more accurate health tracking data.

Oura's app is also fantastic with actionable information and an easy-to-understand UI design. New features like AI-powered food logging and eating time suggestions help paint a better overall picture of your health than what Samsung offers, further rounding out the Oura Ring 4 as the superior choice. The Samsung Health app has a bevy of wonderful features, including some Oura doesn't have, but the inaccuracy of the data from the Galaxy Ring makes some of those features far less useful.

And while the omission of a charging case for the Oura Ring 4 feels a little silly these days, 7-10 day battery life means it's actually pretty difficult to wind up with a dead ring. You get what you pay for and, in this case, the Oura Ring 4 is a more expensive long-term investment that's absolutely worth it if you're investing in health tracking.

If you're hoping to buy your first smart ring this holiday season, Cyber Monday sales present an excellent opportunity to do so.

You'll find a ton of smartwatch deals available right now. There's a great Garmin BF sale on all our favorites, while Fitbits have dipped to tempting prices and the Galaxy Watch 6 is at an all-time low. But the fact is, watch deals are pretty common! Smart ring discounts are rarer, and worth paying closer attention to.

You can find cheap, unreliable rings on Amazon anytime, but for the best smart rings — especially Oura — deals are infrequent and more likely to sell out. Unlike one-size-fits-all smartwatches, smart rings often sell out in certain ring sizes and finishes — especially if you have to wait for a ring sizing kit first.

At the moment, some of our favorite last-gen smart rings are discounted, including the RingConn Gen 1 for $169 (39% off) or Oura Ring Gen 3 for $249 ($50 off). For the latest and greatest models like the Oura Ring 4 or Galaxy Ring, it's harder to find discounts, and you have to snag them when you can. Hopefully when Cyber Monday arrives, your smart ring of choice will still be available in your size; you may not want to risk waiting, though!

Now that Cyber Monday smart rings deals have begun to arrive in earnest, you shouldn't hesitate because they're genuinely rare to find at these low prices — and some of the best like the Oura Ring 4 still haven't gone on sale.

With Oura as the most popular pick for a lot of people, we've written an Oura Ring 4 vs. Gen 3 guide that'll explain whether or not you should take advantage of the Oura Cyber Monday deal or hold out for the newer version, even if it costs more.

A smart ring won't replace your smartwatch; it's a luxury

If the point of Cyber Monday deals is to splurge on something you normally wouldn't, then a smart ring fits that theme better. People need smartwatches for notifications, workouts, maps, and the like. If you compare smartwatch vs. smart rings, you'll find they cover a lot of the same ground for features and health tracking.

So why buy a smart ring? They ensure you don't have to wear an uncomfortable watch at night to get 24/7 data on your sleep quality, stress, and heart health; and if you buy the right smart ring, it'll look sleek and stylish doing it.

That won't be enough to appeal to everyone, but smart rings have become increasingly popular for a reason. People who prefer non-smart luxury watches to smartwatches can still get the basic health data they want; and since basic watches outsold smartwatches this year, I'm guessing there's a lot of you out there who'd benefit from one.

Smart rings aren't perfect. We've found that they're very accurate for normal at-rest HR data but can struggle with workout results, and while they're shockingly good at step counting when you're out and about, they tend to generate a lot of false steps when you're just sitting at your desk typing or gesticulating.

In other words, smart rings are still in their early stages, improving their accuracy and usefulness over time. And since so many companies are trying to establish themselves in the smart ring market, they're all charging a high amount to break even on their R&D.

That's why Cyber Monday is the right time to buy one, if you're going to: it's the rare moment when smart rings won't be a bit overpriced for what they can do, so you can jump in on the trend without breaking the bank.

What about fitness bands vs. smart rings?

Smart rings can't replace smartwatches, but they basically exist to replace cheap fitness trackers like the Fitbit Charge 6 or Xiaomi Smart Band 9.

These devices may have screens for notifications, but in other respects they have few of the smarts of a traditional smartwatch. They're there to track your health and workouts, aligning with smart rings' main purpose.

Because fitness bands have more space for health sensors and your full wrist instead of a tiny strip of finger skin to work with, they tend to be more accurate for workouts. But like smartwatches, they're less comfortable for sleep tracking and more liable to get dislodged from your wrist by a bad sleep position, while your well-fitted smart ring stays comfortably in place.

And unlike smartwatches, fitness bands honestly aren't particularly attractive. They're "sporty" at best and cheap-looking at worst, which gives smart rings the edge.

Still, a fitness tracker lets you check notifications, can buzz you awake without a traditional alarm, and costs significantly less even before Cyber Monday deals come into play. So if you're more concerned about function than looks, a fitness band may be the better option for you.

When you think about smart rings, despite the fact that there are so many other companies big and small making them, Oura is the top brand that comes to mind. The company's latest model is the Oura Ring 4. But what really kicked off the wearable craze was the previous-generation Oura Ring Gen 3. it sports an impressive feature set, battery life, and small size.

If you're finally ready to get on board and you have decided to stick with Oura, you might be wondering if you should go with the older Oura Ring Gen 3 or splurge for the newest model. If you aren't new to the smart ring game and already own an Oura Ring Gen 3, you might also be considering upgrading, but need to know first if it's worth it.

We are here to help with this detailed comparision of the Oura Ring 4 vs. Oura Ring Gen 3. Hint: the answer isn't as simple as you may think.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Design

At first glance, the Oura Ring 4 doesn't look all that different from the Oura Ring Gen 3. The newer model takes after the Horizon style of its predecessor, which features a fully circular design, while the older Heritage style has a flatter "top" section. Where the rings differ, however, is in the materials and the sensors.

Unlike the Gen 3, which has a titanium exterior and an epoxy interior, the Oura Ring 4 has an all-titanium design, which should improve overall durability. In addition, the sensors are now flush with the interior, whereas the Oura Ring Gen 3 has three raised bumps where the sensors go. Having them flush should make the ring more comfortable to wear.

While the Heritage style Oura Ring Gen 3 only comes in four different colorways and finishes, the Horizon style has six options, which correspond with the Oura Ring 4 color options. That includes black, silver, Brushed Titanium (Brushed Silver for the Oura Ring 4), Stealth, Gold, and Rose Gold. What you pay for the ring will depend on the color you choose, and for the Gen 3, it will also depend on the style. For comparison, the most expensive Oura Ring 4 colors are $50 cheaper than the most expensive Gen 3 colors, although the cheapest model is $50 more expensive.

Aside from the all-titanium design, the Oura Ring 4 has the same waterproof protection, meaning it should be safe at depths up to 100 meters. The Oura Ring 4 is also available in more sizes than its predecessor, and the width has remained the same, although the thickness lies somewhere between the two Gen 3 styles, while the weight has been reduced overall.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Specs

Spec-wise, the Oura Ring 4 is actually pretty similar to the Oura Ring 3, with some differences in battery life, size options, and sensor layout (as well as the specific type of sensors.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Health tracking

Both smart rings feature the standard set of health tracking features, including heart rate monitoring, SpO2, heart rate variability (HRV), temperature, and more. The Oura Ring Gen 3 featured superb health tracking features with the help of its sensor array and algorithms. The ring even supports automatic activity detection, meaning it can detect various activities based on your movements. However, its features are somewhat limited, with automatically tracked activities only showing limited information such as calories.

The Oura Ring 4 improves Automatic Activity Detection by including heart rate data when the ring automatically detects certain activities. You'll get a graph of your heart rate, your average HR, and a view of your heart rate zones while the activity was being detected, useful information for people seeking a more active lifestyle.

While the Oura Ring Gen 3 is fairly accurate (although step counting is hit or miss), the Oura Ring 4 should prove more accurate when measuring things like blood oxygen levels. This is thanks to Oura's new Smart Sensing technology, which takes advantage of the new sensor array on the Oura Ring 4. Instead of static signals, the algorithm can find optimal pathways while on your finger to ensure it's as accurate as possible, even as the ring shifts around. Oura says this is also aided by the all-titanium build on the new ring, and it has more than double the number of pathways.

With smart sensing, the Oura Ring 4 should also be able to respond better to people with different finger physiology, meaning users across genders, skin tones, and ages will benefit from better accuracy.

As a result, the Oura Ring 4 is 30% more accurate with blood oxygen readings than the Oura Ring Gen 3. You'll also find better heart rate monitoring with fewer gaps throughout the day and overnight.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Oura Ring Gen 3: Which should you buy?

Truth be told, both smart rings are at the top of their class when you consider the Oura Ring 4 vs. Oura Ring Gen 3. The Oura Ring 4 is obviously the better ring, but the Oura Ring Gen 3 is still no pushover, and both devices easily best other competing smart rings. That said, if you had to choose between these two, I would recommend buying the Oura Ring 4, and here's why:

The Oura Ring Gen 3 launched in 2021 and has been able to add plenty of new features to its repertoire, proving that smart rings have the kind of longevity and flexibility that doesn't require yearly model updates like a smartwatch. However, it's been a few years already and the Oura Ring Gen 3 is seemingly at the end of the line. Oura says that it will continue to sell the Gen 3 but at a discount, and once stock runs out, that's it.

Meanwhile, given what we know about the Gen 3, the newer Oura Ring 4 will likely receive the same treatment, receiving new features while it's available (and perhaps beyond). So, with the Oura Ring 4 having launched last year, this is probably the best time to get one.

However, it's a little different if you already have the Gen 3. Oura doesn't offer any upgrade perks or discounts, so there's no real pathway to "upgrade" your ring besides outright buying a new one. And while that may seem tempting (if you have the money, go for it), you're probably best sticking with the Gen 3 until it completely dies.

Some information about the Oura Ring 4's battery life, and how you can make it even better

Smart rings seem to be the next big thing in the world of wearable technology, with several new players making their presence felt in the segment. That being said, Oura continues to be the most well-known brand in this space, and the Finnish company's newest product — the Oura Ring 4 — looks poised to strengthen that position further.

Made fully from titanium, the Oura Ring 4 features a refreshed design with recessed sensors, which should allow for increased comfort and better accuracy. Speaking of which, the wearable comes with 'Smart Sensing' technology that works alongside an improved algorithm to continuously record a plethora of health & wellness metrics.

Of course, all these advanced sensors require power, and the Oura Ring 4 has that in abundance. According to Oura's claims, the smart ring can go up to eight days with a fully charged battery. This is something we'll only be able to test out when we review this thing, but given that the Oura Ring (Gen 3) impressed Android Central's Derrek Lee with its solid battery life, we have high hopes for the latest-generation wearable.

As is the case with any modern gadget, the actual battery endurance of Oura Ring 4 is going to depend on individual use and other factors like ring size, activities logged, and more. Oura recommends following a few tips and tricks to get the most out of the smart ring's battery life, and some of them are mentioned below:

• Keep the wearable's firmware updated to the latest version. This can be done via the companion app, and the smart ring must have over 30 percent juice left in the tank.
• Charge the battery to at least 30 percent before going to bed.
• Enable Airplane Mode and low battery notifications.

With its premium build quality, industry-leading activity tracking hardware, and great battery life, the Oura Ring 4 is all but certain to take over the crown of the best smart ring from its predecessor. It's comfortable enough to be worn at all times, features a laundry list of sensors, and is available in a wide range of sizes and finishes. Having a starting price of $349, it doesn't come cheap, but if you want a stylish and feature-packed activity tracker for your finger, this one is definitely worth checking out.

Finding the right Oura Ring 4 finger and size for you

Choosing your Oura Ring 4 finger and size isn't as simple as just matching your Oura Ring Gen 3 choices. 

The Oura Ring 4 has a new titanium design, new enhanced sensors, smarter automatic workout detection, and longer battery life. Whatever Oura did to achieve these upgrades, it changed the size of the ring compared to the last generation, so you'll need the new sizing kit to confirm your size.

While American buyers can go to Best Buy for an in-store sizing, we recommend against it. You should wear your dummy ring sizer for 24 hours because your finger size changes from day to night; you may find a ring snug during the day but uncomfortable at night, or too loose for a proper reading.

Here is our recommendation: First, wear the ring on your non-dominant hand. Right-handed people can wear it on their right hand, but you'll find it gets in the way during random activities like cooking or using the bathroom, and it becomes easier for the Oura Ring 4 to get dirty or scratched.

Second, try the ring on your left index finger first, as that's most likely to get accurate results. Samsung also recommends the left index finger for the Galaxy Ring, and we've seen similar recommendations from other brands. 

The middle or ring finger is your backup. We've heard of people using smart rings as a replacement for wedding bands, but single people will probably avoid that.

Lastly, don't be afraid to wear your Oura Ring 4 on multiple fingers. Our fingers expand during workouts because of excess blood flow or can swell at night due to sleeping position, arthritis, or other health or diet concerns. One thing you can do is swap to a different finger or hand preemptively before a run or before you go to sleep, knowing it'll stay snug.

To be clear, you should have a primary Oura Ring 4 finger where the ring fits snugly during the day. But don't be afraid to experiment!

The Oura Ring 4 is the latest generation of smart ring from Finnish company, Oura, after essentially starting the new wearable trend with its Gen 3 ring, which launched in 2021. The smart ring brings a number of notable upgrades compared to its well-received predecessor, which promises to make it more accurate, more durable, and last longer. However, in the time span between models, the wearable landscape has changed quite a bit, and Oura has more to contend with.

Competition among smart rings has heated up recently, particularly in 2024, when we've seen follow-ups from smaller companies and new models from larger companies. This includes Samsung and Amazfit, both of whom are well-versed in smartwatches, with the hopes that their ecosystems will help drive adoption.

So, is the Oura Ring 4 still competitive in 2024, where most other options bring similar features and don't require a subscription? After using the smart ring for a couple of week, I think it shows growth in the right places that keep it on top, but the gap may not be as wide as it once was.

Oura Ring 4: Price and availability

The Oura Ring 4 was announced on October 3 and was immediately available for preorder. It is available in stores and ships on October 15 with a starting price of $349.

The ring comes in sizes 4-15 and is available in six different colors/finishes, which vary in price. The color/price breakdown is as follows:

• Silver, Black: $349
• Brushed Silver, Stealth: $399
• Gold, Rose Gold: $499

When purchasing a new ring online, you will be sent a sizing kit at no additional cost to determine what size ring you will receive. However, you can also opt out of this if you know your size (which seem to fall in line with the previous generation).

In addition to the hardware cost, there is an additional $6 monthly subscription to the Oura Membership, which gets you access to many of the ring's features. You can also pay for a yearly subscription at $69.

The Oura Ring 4 is FSA/HSA eligible.

Oura Ring 4: What I like

I was a fan of the design of the original Oura Ring Gen 3, which had a unique "flat top" design that made it easy to discern if it was being worn right-side-up. It later adopted a fully round design with the Horizon style rings, which is the starting point for the Oura Ring 4. But while the outside may look nearly identical to its predecessor, Oura has made some important changes to its overall design to improve durability and comfort.

First, the all-titanium design makes the ring look and feel much more durable than its predecessor, which featured a non-metallic epoxy inner surface. This time around, you can't see any of the ring circuitry, and the only thing that's visible are the sensors, which have also been changed. Some users may be happy to know that the three pumps lining the inside of the ring are no longer present. In fact, there are a couple of indentations on the otherwise flat inner surface between the sensors and LEDs.

I never had an issue with the protruding sensors on the Oura Ring Gen 3, but the new design feels quite comfortable to wear for extended periods, and I think anyone moving from the previous version would agree. That comfort should help maintain the ring's all-day health tracking. In fact, Oura also says the all-titanium design improves the ring sensor pathways, which means better accuracy and fewer "gaps" in heart rate or blood oxygen readings.

My ring is the Brushed Silver option, which is the middle of the road in terms of cost. I personally don't care for glossy finishes, so I like that Oura provides a number of options for people who like either. My Gen 3 scuffs and scratches pretty easily, but I haven't noticed this to the same degree with the Oura Ring 4, which has so far managed to keep its pristine looks through a couple of weeks of exercises and other activities. Still, I would recommend you try to find some sort of smart ring cover if you plan to work with it, which, unfortunately, Oura doesn't provide.

Aside from the improved design, Oura also promises better battery life with up to eight days per charge. I've only managed to get seven days per charge, which falls short of some competitors like the RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring's 12 days of battery life, but it's nothing to snuff at. In fact, I imagine you could squeeze out more battery life depending on the features you have enabled and the amount of activity the find is monitoring. Aside from automatic detection (which I'll get to in the next section), I would often manually record one or two workouts a day, which could run down the battery more.

The charging situation hasn't really improved, with the ring taking as long as 80 minutes to charge, but the new metal charger looks much better than the rather cheaply designed plastic charger of the previous model.

Aside from hardware upgrade on the ring, the Oura app has also received a rather major overhaul. Instead of adding more tabs at the bottom, which was seemingly Oura's previous M.O., the app has in-fact reduced the number of tabs to three. The result is an app that is much easier to use, with navigation that just feels more logical. The Today tab is pretty much a view of your day, including Readiness and Sleep, Resilience levels, stress graph, and more.

One of the best additions to the Today tab is the Timeline at the bottom, which automatically logs activities throughout your day (although you can also manually add activities). At the top of the Today tab, you also have shortcuts to individual metrics available in the Vitals tab. These are the metrics that dynamically change your scores in the Today tab and you can view detailed insights on each, which a mini navigation bar to easily switch between each vital reading.

Finally, there's the My Health tab, which focuses on the more slowly-moving metrics, including Resilience, heart health, and sleep health. Like me, you'll probably visit this tab not as frequently as the other two, but it's a great way to see where you're at and how you're trending.

Oura Ring 4: Health tracking

You'll find the typical range of health tracking metrics available on the the Oura Ring 4. The device utilizes a new sensing platform dubbed Smart Sensing that optimizes the rings sensors to improve accuracy and battery life. As such, while the Oura Ring Gen 3 was still plenty accurate, this new model should prove more consistently accurate overall.

For instance, sleep tracking is one of my favorite use cases for a smart ring, as it's much more comfortable than wearing a smartwatch to bed. The Oura Ring 4 is incredibly detailed when it comes to sleep tracking, providing details I didn't know I needed, but ultimately, they will help me better understand how I sleep and how I can improve.

Comparing my sleep stages with my Pixel Watch 3, the results are more or less a match, with usually slightly shorter times on the ring. I'll find that others metrics are pretty much within range and more or less match the PW3, which I find encouraging for the Oura Ring 4.

I haven't slept all that well these past few weeks, and while I know that based on how I feel when I wake up, the ring essentially corroborates that based on my fairly middling sleep scores. As a result, the app reminds me that I should prioritize sleep this week solely based on my average scores from the previous week. It will also remind me daily that I should probably chill and take more time for recovery based on how much exercise I do.

Speaking of exercise, one of my favorite things about the Oura Ring Gen 3 was the Automatic Activity Detection (AAD), which is good enough to even detect when I'm dancing. This feature has been improved with the Oura Ring 4, with the ring automatically monitoring your heart rate when it detects you are doing an activity, which helps fill a missing piece of your daily activity metrics.

Given the rather passive nature of a smart ring, this will give you less reason to open the Oura app, knowing that it should do the work for you. As with the Ring Gen 3, AAD isn't perfect, and sometimes it won't know exactly what you were doing at a certain time, meaning you'll have to manually edit the activity, but more often than not, the ring will at least detect something. That said, if you know you're going to be doing a certain workout or activity, I find it's best to still manually track it and let the ring fill the blanks with anything extra.

The manual selection is still limited, but you can always set it to one of the five options and change it later.

Activity tracking is particularly useful when monitoring stress, which takes heart rate, motion, temperature, and heart rate variability into account. The stress graph ranges from restored to stressed and will show when you're in each of the four zones and what activities you were doing during certain times. The goal is to help better identify and understand stressors in your life, and the app will encourage you to reflect on these. Whether I will or not is between me and my therapist, but it's nice to have a visual reference.

Among the new additions for Android phones is Oura Labs (but was already available for iOS users), which lets users try out experimental features ahead of their "official" release on the app. Among these is an AI-powered Oura Advisor, a sort of chatbot that aims to help you better understand your metrics and provide personalized advice on how to improve them.

From my fairly limited experience with Advisor, it feels like a conversational way to get much of the information already provided by the app. I can see how it can be useful, especially if you want to ask specific questions on ways to optimize sleep or improve resilience. In addition to the already useful nudges the Oura app provides, Advisor can ping you with notifications at least once a day to check in, which I find to be a great motivator and a way to remind you about your progress.

Meals is another new feature Android users can try out. It lets you log your meals and beverages (they'll show up on your Timeline) by manually typing or taking a photo. The app analyzes the image or text and can guess or extrapolate the food you're trying to log and the likely ingredients. It will use this information to help you figure out an optimal meal schedule based on your body clock, with the goal of helping reduce hunger and excessive snacking (a problem for me).

I haven't had much time to test this feature, so I can't speak on its usefulness, but so far, I'm impressed with its ability to guess what food I'm logging when uploading a photo. For instance, it was able to correctly guess that I was eating avocado toast with micro greens and even listed the balsamic glaze among the ingredients, which even I wouldn't have known if it weren't for the fact that I had the ingredients in front of me on a menu. I did have to manually add the chili flakes, but I'm excited to play with this feature more.

Of course, I would like to see this data sync with MyFitnessPal, since that's what I use to track my macros, but there are some nutrition-based app integrations with the Oura app that users can look into.

Step tracking for the Oura Ring 4 is still hit or miss, with the ring logging in fewer or more steps than my smartwatches, often by the hundreds. It's not terrible, and step tracking on smart rings is getting better, but Oura says this is something it's working on improving. For now, take step counts with a grain of salt, and you'll likely want to rely on a smartwatch or even a fitness watch for this.

For users who experience periods, there's also mensural tracking and the ability to help determine a fertile window for those trying to get pregnant. I personally cannot try these features, but Android Central editor-in-chief, Shruti Shekar, has done some preliminary testing of the former and has so far come out impressed:

"I plan to do more in-depth testing on the menstrual cycle tracking feature, but for now, I can absolutely say that the Oura Ring 4 is one of the best smart rings on the market right now. I got my ring just shy of four days of getting my period for the month. After installing and setting up the ring with the info that was transferred from my previous ring, the app was already able to figure out when I was about to get my period. More on the features soon.

But in general, I am so in love with this ring and the new design of the app, and I genuinely think Oura knocked it out of the ballpark."

Oura Ring 4: What needs work

While the Oura Ring 4 isn't the most expensive smart ring on the market (that honor goes to a certain Samsung ring), the base model now costs $50 more than its predecessor, which is just the first cost-related consideration you have to make. However, in addition to that, you also have to consider the monthly cost of the Oura Membership, which gets you access to the more useful features (and trust me, you'll want it).

How you feel about the $5.99 subscription may vary from person to person, and while I personally don't find it particularly offensive, I can understand why the added cost may not appeal to everyone, especially at a time when we already have to worry about everything turning into a subscription service. That said, I have friends on the membership who don't seem to mind or really care about the cost, with one even saying he just doesn't think about it.

Feature-wise, the Oura Ring 4 comes with nearly everything I would want in a smart ring. That said, there's no dedicated AFib detection feature like what's on the way for the Ultrahuman Ring Air, although it can help users identify symptoms associated with it, particularly via heart rate variation. There's also no sleep apnea detection, but again, you could use sleep-tracking details to help identify potential episodes.

One feature I would like to see come to Android is location tracking for the ring itself. I've lost two Gen 3 smart rings because I could not remember where I last took them off my finger, and I would hate to lose the Oura Ring 4. iPhone users already have a Find My Ring feature, which shows the ring's last known location, and I would love to see this on Android.

Oura Ring 4: Competition

Oura's biggest competitor at the moment is the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which relies on the popular Galaxy ecosystem to drive adoption. It's more expensive, but there's no subscription, and it ties in with Samsung's Galaxy AI for insights on your health, which can be tied in with data from your Galaxy smartwatch. That said, in our experience, Samsung still has a long way to go, with unreliable sleep tracking and limited fitness tracking capabilities.

The RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring is an impressive device with a 12-day battery life, the longest we know of on a smart ring. Its signature sleep apnea feature has the potential to be invaluable for anyone who may suffer from the condition, although it can drain the battery quickly. The ring is also slightly cheaper and without a subscription, but the insights and other details may seem pretty basic compared to Oura.

Oura Ring 4: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You don't like wearing a smartwatch to bed
• You don't mind the $6 monthly subscription
• You want a stylish smart ring to replace or supplement your smartwatch
• You need help getting pregnant

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You don't want to pay for a monthly subscription
• You lose rings easily
• You own the Oura Ring Gen 3

It was hard to imagine how Oura could follow up on its already impressive Gen 3 smart ring, but the company managed to pull it off. The new design and Smart Sensing platform have taken the ring to the next level, and the Oura Ring 4 is a solid wearable that anyone should want if they're looking to take charge of their health and wellness. It has more features and capabilities than you could imagine would come from such a small device, and knowing Oura's track record, this is only the beginning.

No one likes the idea of paying a monthly subscription, especially if the benefits aren't immediately and obviously clear. A streaming service is one thing, but a passive smart ring could be a hard sell for some. That said, if you can get past the $6 monthly charge to use its best features, the Oura Ring 4 is a smart ring that deserves a place on your finger.

What to know about Oura Ring 4 and AAD

The AAD feature in Oura Ring enhances the experience by providing and tracking even more information. Along with logging duration and distance for certain activities, it can also provide an average heart rate and heart rate zone information once the Oura Ring 4 detects that you’re in the middle of a specific activity among the 40 supported activities. (It can do this if you manually queue up a workout as well). 

When the activity is done, you can look in the app and see a heart rate chart that shows how long you spent in each of the six heart rate zones. This will help you determine the intensity of the workout and if you need to ramp up the next time or slow down because you’re staying in a target heart rate zone for too long. It will also give you an idea of which activities get your heart rate up the most or help you keep consistent numbers. 

There’s also a bar chart at the bottom of the Activity detail card that will add up your total activity minutes for the week and how these relate to metabolic and cardiovascular benefits. 

Oura calculates the heart rate zones, which range from slow movements and recovery to all-out all-out effort whereby your heart and respiratory system are working at maximum capacity, by using a formula that takes into account your maximum heart rate combined with your age, how long the activity lasted, and additional metrics. 

The feature, which is coming to Oura Ring 4 members as well as Gen 3 members, means even if you forget to start tracking a workout, the ring will detect that you’re doing something, potentially even know what specifically you’re doing, and start tracking it so you get credit for your hard work. So, no more frustratingly stamping your feet because you're halfway through a 5K run and forgot to start the workout.

Oura says that AAD is about 89 percent accurate within one minute, and it is able to detect all types of activities based on the way you’re moving, your heart rate, and other factors. Some of the most popular activities it can track, according to Oura, include walking, yoga, hiking, yard work, and housework. Once you are doing the activity for at least 10 minutes, the ring should kick in and realize what’s going on. The more you perform any of these activities or others Oura Ring can detect, the better the smart ring will get at automatically detecting them. 

Introduced in early October 2024, Oura Ring 4 is the latest generation of the company’s smart ring. At its heart is Smart Sensing technology that works with research-grade sensors to adapt to your finger and deliver continuous and accurate data. Lightweight with a smooth interior and thin shape, Oura says it’s also more comfortable than previous generation models. It’s also available in an expanded range of sizes, from 4 up to 15. 

We have already named the Oura Ring Gen 3 smart ring the best smart ring you can buy. We’re confident the Oura Ring 4 will overtake this model as the new favorite for smart ring buyers.

The Oura Ring's 4th-gen model improves on its predecessor in almost every way. From the all-titanium design to the Smart Sensing technology, the Oura Ring 4 is one of the best smart rings you can buy today. And with the new Oura Ring 4 Ceramic launch, it now comes in several color options and finishes.

The best part of the Oura Ring 4 is that none of the colors are limited to a specific size, and vice versa. However, you will have to keep the cost into account, as Oura charges different prices for different colors.

So, what are the color options you can choose from, and which is the best for you? Well, we can definitely answer the first question, but we'll help you try to answer the second.

All the Oura Ring 4 color options to choose from

It's about more than color, it's also about cost

You'll find a lot more to choose from here than you will compared to the Galaxy Ring. Whether classic metallic or colorful ceramic, every hue of the Oura Ring 4 looks great. It's important that you take into account your current jewelry and the types of things you like to wear. You should also consider your lifestyle; are you more active and often using your hands? If so, the glossy options may not be the best options, as they may likely be easier to scratch and scuff. The brushed metal colors, like the Brushed Silver finish, may be better options, as they would be much better at hiding those.

However, not every Oura Ring 4 is created the same, and how much you pay will depend on the color option you select. Here's the breakdown of the Oura Ring 4 colors/finishes and their cost:

• Silver, Black: $349
• Brushed Silver, Stealth: $399
• Golf, Rose Gold: $499
• Petal, Cloud, Tide, Midnight: $499

Itching for the Gold or Rose Gold Oura Ring 4? Or maybe you're dying to get your hands on the more stylish Oura Ring 4 Ceramic colorways. In that case, you'll be paying the most for those options. Silver and black are rather common options, which is likely why they cost the least, with Brushed Silver and Stealth sitting between these (just $50 more, but $100 less than the pricer options).

That said, no matter which color you choose, you'll end up with one of the best smart rings on the market, featuring an impressive all-titanium waterproof build. Just make sure you take care of it, as smart rings aren't exactly repairable.

How much water can the Oura Ring 4 resist?

The Oura Ring 4 is a good-looking wearable that you'll want to take everywhere you go, but can you? For example, you may want to go scuba diving, but there are some details you need to know before you head out with your flashy new Oura Ring 4.

Is the Oura Ring 4 waterproof? The smart ring is waterproof up to 100 meters or 330 feet. Oura confirms you can take it with you while swimming, showering, or participating in water activities such as snorkeling. However, due to the higher water pressure, the company does not recommend using it while scuba diving in depths greater than 100 meters or submerging it for over 12 hours.

The ring's operating temperature is between -10 Celsius and 52 degrees Celsius, meaning you can take it with you to ice baths, hot tubs, showers, and even cryotherapy tanks. However, it's important to remember that you shouldn't expose the ring to these activities for too long. You should also avoid exposing the Oura Ring to any scenarios where it's exposed to extreme pressure since it can also affect the smart ring's water resistance.

Repeated drops and poor maintenance are factors that can degrade your ring's water resistance. Oura provides some fantastic tips on caring for your smart ring and expanding its lifespan. For example, Oura recommends cleaning the sensors approximately once a week with either mild dish soap and water or wiping the ring with a piece of cloth or your T-shirt.

Another helpful tip is to wear your Oura Ring on your non-dominant hand. Using your less dominant hand reduces contact with objects that collide with your Oura Ring 4. You can also avoid using rings adjacent to the Oura Ring 4 and prevent scratching as you move your fingers.

It's also essential to avoid exposing your Oura Ring 4 to harsh chemicals, such as cleaning products, sunscreen, lotions, and other chemicals that can weaken the watertight seals. If you expose it to water or any chemicals, dry it immediately to avoid permanent damage. So, when it's cleaning time at home, it's best to put the ring in a safe place. Therefore, even though Oura says you can expose your ring to specific temperatures, it would be best not to since it contributes to your smart ring's water resistance lasting longer.

The Oura Ring 4 has the same rating as the Apple Watch Ultra 2; it can be submerged for 100 meters. But you can always check out other options from the best smart rings we've gathered. 

Smart rings are all the rage right now, and Oura has pretty much led the pack with its impressive Oura Ring Gen 3. The ring launched in 2021, inspiring tons of other companies to make their own versions. Now, in 2024, the company has launched the Oura Ring 4, which features plenty of upgrades over its predecessor and an improved design. However, if you're thinking you should just get the latest model, you might wanna consider this Prime Day deal on the best Oura Ring Gen 3 style instead.

The Oura Ring Gen 3 comes in two styles, with the Heritage starting at $299 and Horizon starting at $349. However, this Prime Day deal brings the newer Horizon model down to $299 for the silver and black colorways, and depending on the size, you can even find the ring for as low as $280. 

•  See all the October Prime Day deals: USA | UK | Canada | India
•  Rival sales: Best Buy | Walmart | Dell | Newegg | HP | Target  

After using the Oura Ring Gen 3 for a few years, I can honestly say that it's one of the best wearables I've owned. It comes with plenty of features and has a seven-day battery life despite its small size. And yet, Oura keeps stuffing more and more features into this small ring, making it well worth the cost of ownership.

Sure, the Oura Ring 4 comes with better battery life, higher accuracy, and better activity tracking, but the Oura Ring Gen 3 is still one of the best smart rings on the market and, in some ways, is better than many Android smartwatches. And the Horizon style is the better-looking option over the Heritage style, especially since it looks nearly identical to the Oura Ring 4. I like my Heritage model, but if I could afford the Horizon style, that would've been my choice. Fortunately, Prime Day is making that a little bit easier for shoppers.

✅Recommended if: You want a discreet health tracking wearable that you can use to monitor your daily activity, sleep, stress, and more.

❌Skip this deal if: You want the latest Oura Ring 4 or you prefer a smart ring without a monthly subscription.

There hasn't been a better time to buy a smart ring, but you'll want to get in on this deal now, because once the Oura Ring Gen 3 is out of stock, that'll be it! And some of you may be happy to know that the ring is FSA/HSA eligible, which could make purchasing one even easier.

Otherwise, you can check out these Prime Day deals on smartwatches if you want something a bit more involved and interactive.