Oura Ring 5 vs. Oura Ring 4 Squeezes Upgraders at $399

Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4 is a harder buying decision than the spec sheet suggests: Oura made the ring dramatically smaller, but kept the biggest software gains available to Oura Ring 4 owners too.

That tension matters because smart rings don’t win on launch-day spectacle. They win by disappearing. The Oura Ring 5, unveiled earlier this month, is 40% smaller than the Oura Ring 4, starts at $399, and extends claimed battery life to six to nine days, according to ZDNet. The Oura Ring 4 starts at $349 and is rated for five to eight days.

The upgrade case, then, rests on hardware discipline: comfort, battery, durability, and health signal quality. Not novelty.

Oura Ring 5 makes the upgrade question harder, not easier

Oura fixed the most obvious complaint first. The Oura Ring 4 is capable, but ZDNet’s Nina Raemont calls it “chunky,” and that matters when the device is supposed to live on your finger day and night.

“I’ve loved the Oura Ring for years, but it has always felt like a piece of technology first and an accessory second.”

The Oura Ring 5 attacks that directly. It measures 6.09 mm wide and 2.28 mm thick, versus 7.99 mm wide and 2.88 mm thick for the Oura Ring 4. Weight drops from 3.3 to 5.2g on Ring 4 to 2 to 2.69g on Ring 5, depending on size.

That is not a cosmetic tweak. XOOMAR analysis: for passive health tracking, fit is part of the sensor system. If a ring feels bulky, shifts during sleep, or gets taken off during daily tasks, its health data becomes less useful. Oura’s slimmer design could improve adherence simply because users may notice the device less.

But the catch is sharp: many of the new app features are not exclusive to Ring 5. That weakens the case for satisfied Oura Ring 4 users.

Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4 specs: the numbers that decide the health tracking fight

The Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4 comparison is really a trade-off between physical refinement and price discipline.

The price gap is larger than the headline $50 difference if you want certain finishes. ZDNet reports that Deep Rose, Stealth, and Gold Ring 5 finishes are priced at $499 each. Oura’s $70 annual subscription also remains central because it unlocks the bulk of Oura Ring data.

That subscription detail changes the upgrade math. Hardware buyers are not just choosing a ring. They’re choosing another year inside Oura’s software model.

A simple before and after view:

• Before: Oura Ring 4 gave owners strong passive health tracking, a larger size range, and the same core software path at a lower starting price.
• After: Oura Ring 5 cuts bulk, adds a longer claimed battery range, upgrades durability claims, and narrows the available size range.

For readers interested in how health metrics can become misleading when treated as absolute truth, our separate analysis of the health tracking accuracy trap is useful context. The same principle applies here: better hardware only matters if it produces better decisions.

Health tracking accuracy is where Oura Ring 5 has to beat Oura Ring 4

Oura says it re-engineered the fifth-generation ring to support better battery life despite the smaller body. ZDNet cites three changes: more powerful LEDs for biometric measurements, a new battery, and a refined algorithm for efficiency.

That sounds promising, but ZDNet had not yet completed full testing of the Oura Ring 5 in the supplied article. So the strongest accuracy claims remain unproven in real-world use by that source.

The metrics that deserve scrutiny are the ones Oura users actually build routines around:

• Resting heart rate: Useful only if the ring maintains consistent skin contact overnight.
• Heart rate variability: Sensitive to noise, fit, and algorithmic interpretation.
• SpO2 and breathing patterns: Oura’s new Health Radar monitors key health patterns, including nighttime breathing and sleep blood pressure.
• Skin temperature: Valuable as a trend signal, but the supplied source does not provide new Ring 5 validation data.
• Activity detection: Ring 5 may be more comfortable, but the source does not prove it is materially better for workout capture yet.

The software story is more concrete. Health Radar will monitor patterns including nighttime breathing and sleep blood pressure, according to ZDNet. Oura says the nighttime breathing feature is made possible through a partnership with ResMed. If users experience breathing disturbances during sleep, they can complete sleep assessments and connect with ResMed providers for diagnosis and treatment.

Oura also announced a partnership with Counsel Health to bring medical AI tools into the app. ZDNet says users can ask clinical questions and connect with Counsel physicians to receive medical care.

That pushes Oura closer to connected care, but the ring itself should not be treated as a diagnosis engine based on the supplied material. The source describes pathways to providers, not standalone medical diagnosis by the device.

Oura Ring 4 owners get the software, Ring 5 buyers get the body

This is the most important buying point: ZDNet reports the Oura Ring 4 gets the same software updates as Oura Ring 5.

That includes:

• Health Radar: Tracks key health patterns, including nighttime breathing and sleep blood pressure.
• ResMed partnership: Supports sleep assessments and provider connections when sleep breathing disturbances appear.
• Counsel Health tools: Brings medical AI tools and physician access into the app.
• GLP-1 Insights: Tracks biometrics during use of weight-loss drugs, including dosing, side effects, weight, and overall biometrics.

XOOMAR analysis: this makes Oura’s strategy clear. The company is not forcing every new health feature behind a new ring. It is using Ring 5 to solve the physical hardware problem while keeping the subscription platform broad enough to retain Ring 4 users.

That is good for current owners. It also raises the bar for Ring 5. A slimmer ring must feel meaningfully better, because software alone won’t justify the upgrade.

This mirrors a wider pattern in connected devices: the hardware grabs attention, but the durable value sits in the service layer. We’ve seen similar questions around whether new form factors justify premium pricing in products like $2,195 Snap Specs and Xreal Aura, even though the category is different.

Buyers, clinicians, and Oura itself will read Ring 5 differently

For current Oura Ring 4 owners, the decision is narrow. Upgrade if the size, weight, or battery life solves a real annoyance. If your Ring 4 already fits well and lasts long enough, the case is weak until independent testing proves better tracking reliability.

For first-time smart ring buyers, the Oura Ring 5 is easier to defend. It is smaller, lighter, and rated for longer battery life. It also gets the full Oura software story from day one. The size limit matters, though. Ring 5 comes in sizes six to 13, while Ring 4 spans four to 15.

For users focused on health trends, the Ring 5’s appeal depends on whether Oura’s slimmer design improves wearability without hurting signal quality. That is the engineering challenge. A smart ring can look better and still disappoint if the sensor contact suffers.

For clinicians and connected care partners, the more interesting move is not the thinner body. It is Oura’s push into ResMed and Counsel Health workflows. That gives Oura a path beyond wellness dashboards, but the supplied source leaves open how users, physicians, and care partners will evaluate those signals in practice.

Our coverage of Samsara’s tiny tracking label showed a different side of the same hardware lesson: small devices create value when they collect reliable data without demanding attention. Oura Ring 5 is chasing that same invisible utility in health tracking.

Oura Ring 5 could reset upgrade cycles for premium health wearables

The practical answer is blunt: most satisfied Ring 4 owners should not rush. The Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4 decision turns on comfort and battery first, then proof of accuracy.

Ring 5 is likely most compelling for three groups:

• New buyers who want the least bulky Oura ring.
• Older-generation owners who already planned to replace hardware.
• Ring 4 users who dislike the current ring’s width, weight, or battery behavior.

The watch item is evidence. If testing confirms that Oura Ring 5 delivers better comfort, stronger battery life, and equal or improved biometric reliability in daily use, Oura will have a cleaner premium upgrade story. If the improvements are mostly visual, Ring 4 remains the value play, especially because it gets the same major software additions.

For now, Oura has made its best ring smaller. It still has to prove it made the health tracking better.

Key Takeaways

• Oura Ring 5’s slimmer design could make continuous health tracking more comfortable and consistent.
• The $50 price difference matters because many new software features are also available to Ring 4 owners.
• For current Ring 4 users, the upgrade case depends more on comfort, battery life, and fit than new app capabilities.