Oura Ring 4 overview: nonetheless on high — for now

For the higher a part of this previous summer time, I wore six good rings without delay. I wished to see which was finest, and the Oura Ring Gen 3 was the clear winner. Effectively, it’s been about two weeks since my experiment ended, and there’s now a brand new winner: the Oura Ring 4.

Oura has been the highest canine in good rings for the previous decade. Positive, there’s been a sensible ring renaissance this yr, however its rivals are principally both simply moving into the sport or launching a second model. That is the fourth Oura Ring. Oura has spent years collaborating with researchers and conducting its personal research. It’s probably the most available at third-party retail shops within the US; it’s the one wellness influencers preserve flaunting in TikToks; and it’s seen on the fingers of A-list celebrities. In response to elevated competitors, Oura has launched half a dozen new options previously 12 months. And now, Oura is closing out 2024 with a number of {hardware} and software program refinements.

The Oura Ring 4 extends the corporate’s lead over the competitors. The query is how lengthy Oura can preserve it when its rivals price much less, eschew subscriptions, and have began innovating in new instructions.

Sporting the Oura Ring 4 is best than the Gen 3. Simply not by a lot.

The Oura Gen 2 and Gen 3 rings had resin interiors with domed sensor bumps. The fourth-gen ring is made totally of titanium, and the within is flatter, with recessed sensors. It may not appear to be it, however that is spectacular engineering for a tool so small. In comparison with titanium, the resin in older rings subtle gentle from the sensors in a much less exact approach. Since rings naturally rotate throughout the day, it’s additionally straightforward for these sensors to maneuver out of correct alignment. That’s partly why the earlier Oura Rings had raised sensor bumps — they ensured good pores and skin contact to mitigate these elements. 

This time round, Oura’s launched a brand new Sensible Sensing algorithm that will increase the variety of sensor sign pathways from eight to 18. The sensors are positioned asymmetrically to permit for quite a lot of distances and measurements. Principally, it now issues much less in case your ring rotates and higher accounts for the truth that everybody’s fingers are completely different. This additionally means you don’t want these sensor bumps anymore. 

My mind appreciates all of the engineering sweat and tears that went into making this potential. Technologically talking, Oura is flexing on its rivals. However virtually talking, it means near diddly squat for the typical wearer. Ninety-nine p.c of the time, sporting the Oura Ring 4 felt the identical because the Oura Ring Gen 3 and the Gen 2 earlier than that. The one time I observed a distinction was after I felt bloated. I’ve knobby knuckles, and the sensor bumps on older Oura Rings could possibly be painful when attempting to take the ring off. It was a reduction to not have that drawback this time round. 

Design-wise, this all-titanium ring is sweet however not dramatically completely different from different premium choices just like the Samsung Galaxy Ring or the Ultrahuman Ring Air. You’ll discover extra of a distinction in the event you’re coming from older Oura fashions with flat or angled tops. All the fourth-gen rings are absolutely spherical. This isn’t new — Oura launched absolutely spherical variations of the Gen 3 in 2022 — however I’ve discovered it to be extra comfy. In case you are mulling an improve, I extremely suggest attempting the brand new sizing package first. I used to be a dimension 8 within the outdated rings, and now I’m a dimension 9. Plus, Oura’s dimension vary has 4 new choices, spanning sizes 4 to fifteen. Should you had been beforehand a dimension 6 or 13, it’s possible you’ll discover one of many newer sizes matches you higher.

One other enchancment: battery life. Now you can stand up to seven or eight days on a single cost. I’ve been in a position to get about 6.5 days, even with the power-guzzling blood oxygen sensing function enabled. With a Gen 3, I obtained three to 4 days. Once more, your mileage will fluctuate relying on ring dimension. (Bigger dimension, bigger battery.) It is a important bump, although I did get longer with the first-gen RingConn and from the Samsung Galaxy Ring when it was paired with a smartwatch. 

Talking of battery, Oura’s up to date the charging dock. It’s bigger, metallic, and appears sleeker than earlier docks. Sadly, my hangry cat had no issues knocking it off my nightstand. I want Oura had opted for a extra handy charging case like lots of its rivals, however alas. Perhaps subsequent time.

Oura’s {hardware} isn’t that a lot better than the competitors. I preserve the Galaxy Ring’s concave form is extra comfy, and its charging case extra handy. The Evie Ring’s open-gap design can be fetching and intelligent for these of us vulnerable to bloating. However the place Oura trounces everybody else is software program and its dedication to science, each in conducting and speaking it.

Let’s begin with software program. The app has had a much-needed redesign. Oura launched a number of new options and metrics previously yr, turning the dashboard right into a cluttered mess. Now all the things’s been streamlined into three tabs: Right this moment, Vitals, and My Well being. 

The Right this moment tab comprises shortcuts to particular metrics, a timeline of all of your day by day exercise, and playing cards that spotlight various things (e.g., sleep rating, readiness, and many others) relying on the time of day. Vitals is the place you’ll discover all of your metrics, albeit in a extra digestible format. My Well being is the place you’ll discover longer-term well being developments and stories. All redesigns take a sizzling second to regulate to, however total, I’ve discovered this to be a useful reorganization.

One other wanted enchancment: computerized exercise detection has been expanded to 40 actions. (Oura lists roughly 30 of them right here.) This makes the ring a a lot better standalone exercise tracker, particularly since enabling location permissions may also generate computerized GPS route maps. It’s versatile for smartwatch customers, too. I sometimes don’t monitor walks on my smartwatch, however Oura picked them up simply. Begin and finish instances, in addition to the route maps, had been additionally correct. Conversely, I a lot want to document my runs and energy periods with a smartwatch. For these situations, Oura prioritizes manually tracked or imported actions so I didn’t have to fret about duplicate exercise information. 

For monitoring, Oura cites an exterior examine saying the brand new Sensible Sensing algorithm helps a big bump in accuracy for sign high quality, blood oxygen, and respiration disturbance detection. It additionally claims customers ought to see fewer occurrences of coronary heart price information gaps each throughout the day and at evening. 

It’s inconceivable for a single reviewer to definitively check these claims. The final consensus is that consumer-grade wearable sleep monitoring is broadly correct on the fundamentals however must be taken with a heavy grain of salt. All I can inform you is what I skilled in my very own testing. The Oura Ring 4’s sleep and wake instances align with my very own handbook testing logs. I nonetheless noticed occasional gaps in nighttime coronary heart price, although it’s exhausting to say after solely two weeks whether or not there have been fewer or higher than earlier than. My coronary heart price metrics, nevertheless, had been all on par with my smartwatches — which is an effective factor. Step counts and calorie estimates could be inflated in comparison with smartwatches, however that’s been true of each good ring I’ve examined. What I can say for Oura, nevertheless, is its measurements are constant and its margin of error is on the smaller facet. After years of testing wearables, I belief the Oura Ring’s measurements for sleep and restoration monitoring — in actual fact, I exploit it as a management for evaluating the sleep monitoring options of different gadgets. 

A giant cause for that’s this can be a closely studied machine. For instance, a lately printed peer-reviewed examine in contrast the accuracy of its sleep algorithm to the Apple Watch Sequence 8 and Fitbit Sense 2. Oura’s algorithm was discovered to be 5 p.c extra correct than the Apple Watch and 10 p.c greater than Fitbit at detecting sleep levels. You need to take all research, together with this one, with a wholesome dose of skepticism. Not all research or meta evaluations are created equal, and one of many researchers here’s a member of Oura’s medical advisory board. That stated, Oura has additionally persistently made an effort to companion with exterior researchers to validate its outcomes for years. It additionally has a document of publishing these weeds-y findings, even when the outcomes aren’t probably the most thrilling. You see this from massive firms like Apple, Samsung, and Google, nevertheless it’s a lot rarer from smaller firms in area of interest wearable areas. 

All these items collectively give Oura the sting amongst good rings. The app is polished, I by no means should assume twice about syncing, the corporate places immense effort into frequently enhancing accuracy, and it’s had frequent function updates previously yr. I’ve little doubt Oura’s rivals will begin catching up right here. Samsung and Ultrahuman aren’t too far off. However for now, Oura is the one to beat.

The bizarre factor concerning the Oura Ring 4 is it’s the very best good ring you will get proper now. I additionally assume most individuals don’t must improve.

The {hardware} expertise isn’t drastically completely different. Oura additionally received’t gatekeep any of those new software program updates or the app redesign to the latest ring. That’s nice! But it surely means there’s little incentive for people with a Gen 3 to improve until their battery is toast, particularly for the reason that beginning value has elevated to $350, and there doesn’t appear to be a trade-in program. (Present Oura members can get a ten p.c low cost, however that’s it.) Actually, the Oura Ring 4 is finest for brand spanking new customers or individuals who beforehand couldn’t discover a dimension that match them.

For these people, it’s a matter of whether or not you possibly can abdomen the Oura Ring’s single largest con: the $6 month-to-month / $70 annual subscription. I don’t see a degree in attempting to justify its subscription. You’ll both assume all the things Oura’s delivered to the desk is price it, otherwise you received’t. Should you’re the latter, honest sufficient. My take is that the Oura Ring is price it if sleep monitoring and restoration are your high priorities. In any other case, a smartwatch is a greater funding.

That is and can proceed to be Oura’s biggest impediment. It’s obtained a considerable lead on this house, however its rivals have made a degree of eschewing subscriptions. Samsung, particularly, has giant coffers and fascinating concepts about how good rings ought to work together with different devices like telephones and smartwatches. For example, the Galaxy Ring has gesture controls for the Galaxy telephone’s digicam and will get longer battery life when used with a Galaxy Watch. If Apple comes out with a sensible ring, it’ll be a darkish day at Oura headquarters. In the meantime, smaller rivals like RingConn can undercut Oura’s value, even when the monitoring is extra primary.

Oura is betting that the very best is price paying for. It’s a gambit that can most likely maintain as long as everybody else is taking part in catch-up. However ask anybody who races: it’s exhausting to keep up a lead without end.