Starting at $349, the Oura Ring 4 builds upon its already excellent predecessor with a more comfortable design, more accurate sensors, and longer battery life. It arrives alongside a redesigned and more feature-rich companion app that makes it easy to understand all of the health and wellness data the smart ring collects. While you’re still better off with a wrist-based fitness tracker like the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 or a smartwatch like the $399 Apple Watch Series 10 for detailed exercise tracking, the Oura Ring 4 gathers enough metrics to give you a complete understanding of your holistic health, making it our Editors’ Choice winner for smart rings.
Oura Ring 4 Features, Pricing, and Sizes
The Oura Ring 4 is an app-connected smart ring that tracks the details of your activity and sleep from its position on your finger. Specifically, it has red and green infrared LEDs to measure blood oxygen, heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate, as well as skin temperature sensors and an accelerometer. It can track 40 different types of exercises, your movement throughout the day, your sleep duration and stages, as well as your stress levels.
You can view any of the data it captures via the Oura app on Android or iOS. The app also analyzes your individual metrics to offer holistic scores for readiness, sleep, and activity level recommendations for the day.
At $349, the Oura Ring 4 costs $50 more than its predecessor but still undercuts its most high-profile competitor, the Android-only $399.99 Samsung Galaxy Ring. Oura offers some basic stats for free, but you’ll need a membership to access the majority of the app’s features and insights and make the most of the ring. Oura's membership costs $5.99 monthly or $69.99 annually after a one-month free trial. While it costs more up front, one benefit of the Galaxy Ring is that it does not require a monthly fee to access any of the features in its companion app.
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The Oura Ring 4 is available in 12 sizes (4 through 15), an expanded range from the previous generation, which came in sizes 6 through 13. The Galaxy Ring comes in sizes 5 through 13. You can get a sizing kit from Oura when ordering, and the company recommends one even for users of past models.
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: black, brushed silver, gold, rose gold, silver, or stealth (dark gray). Black and silver come at the base $349 price, brushed silver and stealth cost $399, and gold and rose gold cost $499. I tested a silver model in size 14 for this review.
In terms of hardware, the Oura Ring 4 improves on its predecessor by flattening the interior sensor bumps customary in other smart rings for a more comfortable fit. The refined sensor tech also purportedly allows the ring to continually look for the best pathways to gather data and accommodate for variations if it rotates on your finger throughout the day or night.
According to Oura, the Ring 4 can find 18 different pathways for data collection, up from eight in the last model. The better pathfinding is meant to help remove deviations and gaps in daytime and nighttime heart rate readings for improved accuracy. This new architecture also requires less power than the last generation, thereby improving battery life.
In terms of software, the Oura Ring 4 launches alongside a complete redesign of the Oura app, which organizes everything into a dynamic Today tab, a straightforward Vitals tab, and a forward-looking My Health tab. The app has a few new features as well, including long-term stress management tools and heart rate zone metrics. As part of the app revamp, Oura is also bringing its previously iOS-exclusive Labs hub for testing experimental features to Android for the first time.
That testing hub has helped Oura launch several new metrics in the app since the arrival of the previous model, including cardiovascular age, cardio capacity, and stress resilience, plus fresh features like an AI-powered advisor that offers personalized health insights.
Oura has also leaned heavily into women's health in recent years, adding features like Cycle Insights for period predictions and Pregnancy Insights to track important factors while expecting, like body changes and gestational age. With the launch of the Oura Ring 4, the app is also adding a feature called Fertile Window, which will give women trying to get pregnant an estimate of their most fertile days each month and a predicted chance of conception at any given time.
All older Oura devices will have access to the new app and all of the new features, limiting the Oura Ring 4’s advantage over its predecessor to its hardware refinements but offering reassurance as to the Ring 4’s future. It’s unlikely to get left behind on updates in the foreseeable future.
Refined Design
Save for a small notch at the bottom, the exterior of the Oura Ring 4 looks like a traditional piece of jewelry. Oura recommends wearing it with the notch facing down on any of your middle three fingers, but don't stress too much if it shifts. The improved sensing technology can accommodate a 30-degree rotation to either side without any loss of accuracy, the company says.
I alternated wearing my ring between my right index and middle finger and didn’t notice any changes in the data when I made the switch. I like the classy, simple look of the silver model I tested, and the lack of sensor bumps helped it sit flush against my skin, which makes a difference both in terms of overall feel and style.
The previous ring's bulkier design proved slightly uncomfortable when gripping objects like a dumbbell. I didn’t notice any discomfort when wearing the Ring 4 for my ten days of testing and often forgot that I was wearing it as I went about my day.
The interior of the Oura Ring 4 looks like a connected device, with sensor windows and notches. If you run your finger along the interior, you can feel tiny bumps, but they are much smaller and less noticeable, measuring 0.3mm tall instead of 1.3mm on the previous model.
The Oura Ring 4's interior and exterior are now fully titanium, as opposed to its predecessor's epoxy interior. Like the previous model, the Ring 4 is water resistant to depths of 328 feet and suitable for shallow water sports but not diving.
Other than the smaller sensor bumps, the rest of the Oura Ring 4's measurements generally match those of its predecessor at 0.3 inches wide and 0.1 inches thick. Weighing 0.12 to 0.18 ounces, depending on your ring size, it is lighter than the last generation (0.14 and 0.21 ounces). The smaller minimum weight makes sense given that the Ring 4 comes in a smaller size, but it also has a lower maximum weight despite offering a bigger size option.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring similarly measures 0.28 inches wide and 0.10 inches thick and is even lighter, at 0.08 to 0.11 ounces, depending on the size. Samsung's model also matches the Oura Ring 4’s durability.
Setting Up the Oura Ring 4
The Oura Ring 4 box includes the ring, a charging stand, a cable (but no power brick), and a small guide that tells you to download the app and gives you some basic tips and tricks for using the ring.
You need to plug in the charging stand and line the notch on the ring with the matching notch on the stand. When lined up properly, it slides on easily. The Oura Ring 4 will wake up once it’s on the stand, after which you’ll need to use the Oura app to sync it to your phone and complete the setup process.
In the app, you’ll need to set up an account if you don’t already have one. After you enter your email, you’ll be sent to your browser to set up billing information for the subscription. Then, you’ll come back to your phone and enter personal information so the ring can properly calibrate the data it gathers. It asks for your birthday, weight, and sex assigned at birth (male, female, or other).
The app then gives you the option to grant notification permissions and sync data with your phone’s default health app to round out its information.
Once the basics are done, the app goes into a robust questionnaire to learn about you and your wellness goals so it can properly frame its holistic health advice. It asks you to pick a focus area with options such as Develop Creativity, Manage Stress Levels, and Improve Health. I went with "be more productive and energetic." Next, it asks you how you usually sleep, then prompts you to select from a list of distracting factors that might affect your slumber, such as having small kids, sharing your bed, or leading a hectic life. Finally, it asks you to select your most common activities and exercises from a list. I selected the elliptical machine, housework, running, strength training, and walking.
After the questionnaire, the app tells you to put the ring on with the dimple facing down, and then it calibrates its signal to your finger to complete the setup.
Battery Life
One major advantage of a screenless fitness tracker like a smart ring is battery life. Oura claims the Ring 4 lasts for eight days on a single charge. It came up just short of that number in our testing. I put it on its charging stand after seven days and six hours with 11% remaining. Oura sent me a push notification in the morning with the Ring 4 at 20%, telling me to charge the Ring at some point that day before I went to bed again that night. I put it on the charger at 10pm, and it was full in 80 minutes.
The previous model also fell a little short of the company’s estimated seven days of battery life and lasted six days on a charge during testing. The Samsung Galaxy Ring lasted six days in our tests as well, so the Oura Ring 4 edges out both with the best battery life of the bunch.
The Oura Ring 4's long battery life is convenient, as it allows the device to track your heart rate and other metrics around the clock, with fewer gaps in data than you'll experience with screen-equipped fitness trackers and smartwatches. For comparison, the Fitbit Charge 6 lasted three days on a charge in testing. Most smartwatches need to be removed daily for charging or every other day at most with power saving.
Holistic Guidance
Since it lacks a screen, you interface with the Oura Ring 4 using its app. After setup, you’ll be able to see your heart rate right away and your sleep score after wearing it to bed for one night, but some of the other metrics take more time to populate. Readiness and activity recommendations take a day to calibrate, stress takes five days, and some metrics like cardiovascular age, stress resilience, and sleep regularity take a couple of weeks before they’re ready.
The app opens to the Today tab, which features dynamic windows meant to bring the most relevant information of the moment to your attention. At the top, you’ll always see your readiness score, an encapsulation of all your data as a simple number on a scale from 1 to 100, as well as your sleep score from the previous night, your current activity score, and your last measured heart rate.
Below that is a dynamic spotlight section. In the morning, it might show your sleep score if it needs work or your readiness score if it’s above or below normal. In the afternoon, your activity score might move to the top if you need to get busy to catch up to your goal, or your stress score could surface if you’re overworked and need to take a break. Scroll down to see a timeline of any activities that you’ve recorded or that the app imported from your phone’s health app, and continue scrolling for news and updates. Tap the plus button in the bottom right to manually record an exercise or activity.
The Vitals tab reiterates the numbers from the top of the Today tab but lets you dive further into the details by tapping any of them to see charts of data collected over time and contributing factors to each of your scores. You can also take a quick measurement of your heart rate with a button on this screen.
The My Health tab shows longer-term stats like cardio capacity, cardiovascular age, and sleep regularity charted over a longer period of time. You can also download and share the charts on this page with your doctor.
Tap the icon with two circles in the upper right of the Today tab to access the device’s battery life and settings. Tap the menu button in the upper left for additional features like Oura Circles to connect with family and friends, an Explore section offering guided meditations and breathing exercises, and Rest mode for pausing activity goals. You can also access Oura Labs in this menu as well as browse trends, reports, and additional settings.
Oura’s Health Assessments
The Oura app has long offered holistic health insights in the form of readiness, activity, and sleep scores. Each score has simply become more refined over time as Oura added AI guidance to accompany them and gained features to add to the equation.
Readiness takes a wide range of information into account, including resting heart rate, sleep, and activity. Thanks to consistent sleep, I averaged a score in the 80s during my testing. I reached 91 as my peak because I got extra sleep on a Saturday morning after working out the day before, but the next day, I saw my lowest score of 73 after having a lazy day and then tossing and turning during the night.
Each day, within the Readiness tab, you can see how each factor played into the score, with simple bar graphs showing how close you came to optimal results. The graphs will be red and labeled Pay Attention if they’re acting as a primary detractor from the score. Tapping any graph will give you insight into the data and how you can improve.
That said, unlike the tailored guidance alongside your readiness score, the advice you get when tapping on each category is broad. When I tap Previous Day Activity, it warns me about doing too much or too little without being specific as to what I did that day.
By tapping the activity score, though, you can get details. While the readiness score is a single static value, the activity score changes throughout the day based on how much you move. The Oura Ring 4 keeps careful track of all activity, including just moving around the house, taking a walk outside, or doing chores. I quite appreciated knowing that I wasn’t a complete lazy bum on days that I didn’t get a chance to work out. I know my cats appreciate it when I clean up their food and litter areas, and now I have an additional source of positive affirmation for that activity.
Within the activity tab, you see bar graphs like those under readiness with contributors, again highlighting any you need to pay attention to in red. Staying active throughout the workday can be a challenge for me, as I tend to have long sedentary periods, and this page warns me about those gaps in activity. The app also sends me an occasional push notification to get moving after I’ve been sitting still for an extended period of time. Your data in this tab is also broken down into charts showing the amount of high, medium, and low activity, and I again appreciate the detail here. I’ve been able to meet my goals on a few days just by walking around the neighborhood for a while.
After a couple of weeks of testing, the Oura Ring 4 delivered long-term assessments of my cardiovascular fitness and sleep regularity. According to the ring, my cardio capacity is low, my cardiovascular age is mostly aligned with my actual age, and my sleep regularity is optimal. Tapping any of these metrics opens up a page with additional details and charts. While the cardio capacity metric took about a week to populate and can be manually tested with the Ring 4, sleep regularity took roughly two weeks and cardiovascular age took almost a month to first show any assessments.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring has a similar metric to Oura’s readiness called Energy Score. It is represented as a static daily value from 0 to 100 that is populated by Samsung’s Galaxy AI and accompanied by a personalized wellness tip. Though the Galaxy Ring works with any Android phone, you need to pair it to a Samsung handset specifically to see these values.
As for wrist-based trackers, the $299.99 Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 has the same Energy Score and wellness tips. The $399 Apple Watch Series 10 has an exercise-specific metric called Training Load that warns you if you’re working out too much or too little. The $349 Pixel Watch 3 comes closest to Oura’s full repertoire with static Readiness Score and Cardio Load metrics and a continually updating Training Load, but it lacks the breadth of Oura’s long-term charts and insights.
Broad But Accurate Exercise Tracking
Oura now automatically tracks 40 different types of exercises, up from 30 when its predecessor launched. For any exercise, the Ring 4 keeps track of your calorie burn, intensity level, and workout duration. If you have your phone with you during an outdoor run or walk, it will log your distance, average pace, and a map of your route.
You can also manually start tracking a workout to capture detailed heart rate data, but this feature is only supported for five activity types: indoor cycling, indoor running, outdoor cycling, outdoor running, and walking. The Oura Ring 4 collects heart rate and activity data no matter what you’re doing, but for those supported activities, it will offer a breakdown of your heart rate zones to show your intensity level. It will also show your heart rate charted over the course of the workout, along with the average value during the session.
I tested the Oura Ring 4 during a run alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and the ring matched the watch in assessing my average heart rate, calories, distance, pace, and time. During the latter part of the run, I sprinted at intervals to see how well the ring could keep up with spikes and dips. The graph looked a little rounded during the section but did show some ebbs and flows.
While the Oura Ring 4 does break down the time in each heart rate zone, and you can tap below the zones to get information about each one, you can’t actually see exact numbers on the heart rate graph at any given moment. Still, its heart rate zone data provides a nice guide for planning future workouts and staying active.
If you’re simply interested in generally improving your health, the Oura Ring 4 captures plenty of data. If you’re looking for more granular details of any workout in particular, you’ll need to turn to a wrist-based fitness tracker or a smartwatch. For running in particular, the Apple Watch Series 10, Galaxy Watch 7, and Pixel Watch 3 all capture advanced form metrics like cadence, ground contact time, power, and vertical oscillation. Devices with a screen are also obviously easier to check during a workout if you want an update on your current heart rate without pulling out your phone.
The Galaxy Ring captures running cadence details and shows moment-to-moment heart rate values during a workout, but only offers automatic tracking for walking and running and no manual tracking. Its heart rate and step numbers also occasionally showed minor inaccuracies in testing.
To test automatic workout tracking on the Oura Ring 4, I spent 10 minutes on a rowing machine, five minutes on a stair climber, and 10 minutes on an elliptical. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 picked up the first and third workout and correctly identified which machine I was using. The Oura Ring 4 wasn’t as precise. After I got home and opened the app, I found that it had grouped my time into one workout, and it asked me to label my activity while guessing that I was running. It also didn’t start tracking my workout until about 10 minutes after I started and extended the end by roughly 10 minutes as well. This makes sense since it’s looking at heart rate, and it likely took that long for me to get rolling at the start and to cool down at the end.
While I prefer the Oura Ring 4 for automatically tracking general activity, it’s clearly not as precise as a wearable like the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at precisely and automatically tracking specific workouts.
Getting Detailed With Sleep and Stress
The Oura Ring 4 did an excellent job of tracking my sleep. It measures sleep duration, efficiency, latency, restfulness, time in bed awake, timing, and the amount of time you spend in each sleep stage, plus health metrics like average heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, breathing regularity, and resting heart rate. It assesses these various contributors to give you a sleep score and personalized assessment.
The numbers it gathered generally matched those of the Nest Hub on my nightstand nearby and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 on my wrist. Oura usually gave me credit for slightly less sleep than Nest, but closely matched the Ultra 2, which makes sense, as the devices on my person better understood when I actually fell asleep as opposed to when I was still.
Sleep stage charts were consistent across all three devices, and the heart rate numbers matched those of the Ultra 2. I didn’t notice any gaps in the data like I did when testing the Galaxy Ring, so Oura's sensor tech indeed seems to work well at keeping the data flowing despite the ring shifting during the night.
The Oura Ring 4 assesses breathing regularity and provides useful insights into your sleep. Over time, its recommendations prompted me to maintain a consistent schedule and to be sure I took time to decompress before turning in for the night. It does not, however, monitor snoring like the Galaxy Ring when paired with a nearby Samsung phone.
I also found Ring 4’s stress information detailed and useful. It showed rises and dips that matched my experience, calling my stress levels Engaged as I went about my work day and attended meetings. It spiked to Stressed during a workout or when I was watching a close playoff baseball game and dipped to Relaxed or Restored when I chilled out for the night and started playing video games.
You can also see movement and activity overlayed on its stress chart, including any manually started workouts, those you added to Oura’s database after the fact, and any that the Oura Ring 4 captured automatically. Altogether, the chart painted a clear picture of when I was stressed and gave me a decent amount of hints as to why. You can also manually add tags to the stress chart, a feature I used to record the impact of a suspenseful Tigers game.
Below the chart is a written assessment of your current state of stress and your overall stress for the day. Overall, Oura’s stress charts are much more detailed and informative than comparable data from its competitors, including those from the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which graphs ebbs and flows more broadly without any contextual overlays.
Verdict: The Best Smart Ring
The Oura Ring 4 is comfortable to wear, lasts for days on a charge, and accurately gathers detailed data on activity, sleep, and stress. Its companion app makes all of your stats easy to find and provides useful insight into daily activity goals and long-term health management. The Galaxy Ring is a good alternative for Samsung phone users who want a smart ring without a monthly fee, but it doesn't offer the same breadth of features as the Oura Ring 4. You could also go with a smartwatch like the Apple Watch Series 10 for holistic health insights or opt for an affordable fitness tracker like the Fitbit Charge 6 for detailed exercise and sleep tracking, but neither offers the same unobtrusive comfort level or weeklong battery life as the Oura Ring 4. As such, the Oura Ring 4 stands out as one of the best holistic health trackers, regardless of form factor, and earns our Editors’ Choice award for smart rings.
The Oura Ring 4 provides numerous details about your fitness, sleep, and stress, making it the best smart ring on the market and one of the top holistic health trackers overall.
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