Oura is the OG of smart rings, spawning numerous competing clones in recent years, and now it’s back with a new model. Unveiled on Thursday, the Oura Ring 4 is available for pre-order now for $349, a $50 increase from the third-generation model. It’s scheduled to start shipping on October 15th, but I got an early look at the new smart ring and I’m pretty impressed.
Slipping the Oura 4 ring onto my index finger, the first thing I notice is the lack of sensor bumps jutting out from the inside bottom. These bumps are common on other smart rings, including the Oura Ring Generation 3, and while they’re generally small enough to prevent major discomfort, the Ring 4’s refined interior allows it to sit closer to the skin mine, which makes a difference in terms of overall feel and style.
The Ring 4 is available in 12 sizes (4 to 15), an expanded range from the Generation 3, which comes in sizes 6 to 13. You can get a size kit when you order, and Oura recommends one as well for users of earlier models such as “Size may vary from generation to generation.”
Oura is only offering the Ring 4 in the Horizon shape with a fully rounded exterior, not the Heritage shape with a flattened top from the last generation. Ring 4 buyers get a choice of six colors: brushed silver, gold, rose gold, silver, stealth (dark gray) and black.
Size Kit (Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Like its predecessor, the Ring 4 has red and green infrared LEDs to measure blood oxygen, heart rate, heart rate variability and breathing rate. It also has skin temperature sensors and an accelerometer. It is water resistant to a depth of 328 feet and is suitable for shallow water sports, but not for diving.
The biggest hardware change for this generation is the toned down interior. Sensor bumps on previous models were necessary for accuracy, but Oura says advances in its technology allow for performance gains even with this generation’s sleeker design.
Alongside Ring 4, Oura is introducing a complete redesign of its app, with new features available to owners of any of its rings. This includes long-term stress management tools, heart rate zone measurements, and more women’s health knowledge about the menstrual cycle and fertile windows.
There are no bumps on the inside
For this story and my upcoming Ring 4 review, Oura sent me first a size set and then a size 14 model in silver. The Ring 4 ships with a sleek charging stand and a cable.
I’ve already worn the Ring 4 for a full day at the time of this writing and it’s quite comfortable. The larger design of the Oura Ring Generation 3 proved a bit awkward when grabbing objects, which should be less of an issue with the new version.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
Both the interior and exterior of the Ring 4 itself are now fully titanium, compared to the Epoxy interior of Generation 3. The Ring is smooth and quiet at a glance, with several sensor windows lining the interior, but a view unadorned, understated exterior with a single carved level marking the end of the Ring. This level helps you correctly place the Ring 4 on your finger and on the charging stand, which has a similar mark.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
The bump-free interior is made possible by Oura’s new Smart Sensing technology. Ring 4 doesn’t increase the number of sensors from the last generation, but it simplifies the sensor process. The sensors now seek different signal paths based on the shape of your finger and the rotational position of the Ring on it. According to Oura, the Ring 4 can now find 18 different paths to optimize its sensing capabilities, up from eight in Gen 3.
By constantly finding the best path, Oura 4 can better adapt to different fingers, even different positions on the finger. Oura still recommends wearing the ring on your index, middle, or ring finger with the cut facing down, but if the Ring 4 rotates a bit during the day, it’s less likely to cause deviations in the data it collects.
According to Oura, the latest model offers a 120% improvement in blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) signal quality over the last generation, which should allow for more accurate measurements at night. It also promises improved detection of breathing disturbances, as well as fewer gaps in heart rate readings during the day and night.
Simple signal processing also helps preserve battery life on the Ring 4. Oura claims the Ring 4 can last up to eight days on a charge, or at least a full day longer than the Generation 3. In our testing, The Gen 3 fell just short of Oura’s estimate, which lasts up to six full days on a charge.
New application design and features
Oura says its redesigned app should make it easier to find the metrics you care about and track your progress toward your fitness goals over time.
The app’s Today tab shows your alertness, sleep and activity scores, and updates throughout the day to highlight health information you might want to know as a result of elevated stress. The Vitals tab allows you to view all of your metrics. Unlike the Today tab, it’s not dynamic, so you can always find the same metrics in the same place. Finally, the My Health tab provides long-term trend charts for metrics such as cardiovascular age, sleep, and stress tolerance. As part of the app revamp, Oura is also bringing its previously exclusive iOS Labs hub for testing experimental features to Android for the first time.
(Credit: Oura)
The redesigned app also adds more options for tracking your activities. It now supports 40 types of activities (up from five previously), with automatic detection and heart rate monitoring for each. In post-workout stats, you’ll now see a breakdown of your training heart rate zones to help you adjust your strain.
The app also adds more context to stress data. It shows your stress mapped to movement data and activities so you can get a better understanding of what’s causing any bumps and how you might be able to mitigate them.
Finally, Oura is building on existing women’s health features with a new window fertility tracker. Designed to help women trying to conceive, it will provide an estimate of your most fertile days and your chance of conceiving on any given day of your current menstrual cycle.
Oura Ring 4 comes with a one-month trial of the Oura app. The app costs $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year after that. While the subscription price hasn’t increased, the third-generation ring came with a six-month trial instead of just one month. Without membership, you won’t be able to use any of Oura’s best features and will be limited to checking basic information. Most of Oura’s competitors don’t charge a monthly fee to access your metrics.
Increasing competition
When the third-generation Oura launched, it stood alone as the only smart ring worth considering. Since then, Samsung launched the competent Galaxy Ring, Verizon partnered with smart ring marker Ultrahuman, and other contenders like Circular, Evie, and RingConn have entered the scene, but we’ve yet to test one that beats the Oura.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
The Oura Ring Generation 3 struggled to keep up with wrist-based exercise tracking alternatives, but the Oura Ring 4 could close that gap thanks to its improved app and streamlined sensors. Additionally, the smooth interior makes it one of the most comfortable and unobtrusive ways to collect long-term health and sleep data.
I’m still testing its accuracy and battery life and evaluating the revamped app, so stay tuned for my full Oura Ring 4 review in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out our roundups of the best fitness trackers and smartwatches.
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About Andrew Gebhart
Senior analyst, smart home and wearables
