Oura Ring 4 overview: nonetheless on high — for now

For the higher a part of this previous summer season, I wore six sensible rings without delay. I wished to see which was greatest, and the Oura Ring Gen 3 was the clear winner. Nicely, 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 sensible rings for the previous decade. Positive, there’s been a sensible ring renaissance this 12 months, however its rivals are largely 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 maintain 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 solely of titanium, and the within is flatter, with recessed sensors. It won’t seem 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 means. Since rings naturally rotate throughout the day, it’s additionally simple 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 components. 

This time round, Oura’s launched a brand new Good 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 totally 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 attainable. 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 might 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 good however not dramatically totally different from different premium choices just like the Samsung Galaxy Ring or the Ultrahuman Ring Air. You’ll discover extra of a distinction for those who’re coming from older Oura fashions with flat or angled tops. The entire 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 snug. 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 previous rings, and now I’m a dimension 9. Plus, Oura’s dimension vary has 4 new choices, spanning sizes 4 to fifteen. If you happen to had been beforehand a dimension 6 or 13, you might discover one of many newer sizes matches you higher.

One other enchancment: battery life. Now you can rise up to seven or eight days on a single cost. I’ve been capable of get about 6.5 days, even with the power-guzzling blood oxygen sensing characteristic 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 significantly better than the competitors. I preserve the Galaxy Ring’s concave form is extra snug, and its charging case extra handy. The Evie Ring’s open-gap design can be fetching and intelligent for these of us susceptible 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 12 months, turning the dashboard right into a cluttered mess. Now all the pieces’s been streamlined into three tabs: At present, Vitals, and My Well being. 

The At present 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 so forth) 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 tendencies and studies. All redesigns take a scorching second to regulate to, however general, 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 significantly better standalone exercise tracker, particularly since enabling location permissions may even generate computerized GPS route maps. It’s versatile for smartwatch customers, too. I usually don’t observe 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 desire 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 data. 

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

It’s inconceivable for a single reviewer to definitively take a look at these claims. The overall consensus is that consumer-grade wearable sleep monitoring is broadly correct on the fundamentals however ought to 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 fee, although it’s onerous to say after solely two weeks whether or not there have been fewer or higher than earlier than. My coronary heart fee metrics, nonetheless, had been all on par with my smartwatches — which is an effective factor. Step counts and calorie estimates may be inflated in comparison with smartwatches, however that’s been true of each sensible ring I’ve examined. What I can say for Oura, nonetheless, is its measurements are constant and its margin of error is on the smaller aspect. After years of testing wearables, I belief the Oura Ring’s measurements for sleep and restoration monitoring — in actual fact, I take advantage of it as a management for evaluating the sleep monitoring options of different units. 

An enormous cause for that’s this can be a closely studied gadget. For instance, a lately printed peer-reviewed research in contrast the accuracy of its sleep algorithm to the Apple Watch Collection 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 phases. You need to take all research, together with this one, with a wholesome dose of skepticism. Not all research or meta opinions 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 outdoors researchers to validate its outcomes for years. It additionally has a document of publishing these weeds-y findings, even if the outcomes should not probably the most thrilling. You see this from huge firms like Apple, Samsung, and Google, however it’s a lot rarer from smaller firms in area of interest wearable areas. 

All this stuff collectively give Oura the sting amongst sensible rings. The app is polished, I by no means should suppose twice about syncing, the corporate places immense effort into frequently enhancing accuracy, and it’s had frequent characteristic updates previously 12 months. 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 perfect sensible ring you will get proper now. I additionally suppose most individuals don’t must improve.

The {hardware} expertise isn’t drastically totally different. Oura additionally gained’t gatekeep any of those new software program updates or the app redesign to the most recent ring. That’s nice! Nevertheless it means there’s little incentive for people with a Gen 3 to improve until their battery is toast, particularly because the 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 greatest for brand 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 may abdomen the Oura Ring’s single largest con: the $6 month-to-month / $70 annual subscription. I don’t see some extent in attempting to justify its subscription. You’ll both suppose all the pieces Oura’s dropped at the desk is price it, otherwise you gained’t. If you happen to’re the latter, truthful 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 best impediment. It’s obtained a considerable lead on this house, however its rivals have made some extent of eschewing subscriptions. Samsung, specifically, has giant coffers and attention-grabbing concepts about how sensible rings ought to work together with different devices like telephones and smartwatches. As an example, the Galaxy Ring has gesture controls for the Galaxy telephone’s digital camera and will get longer battery life when used with a Galaxy Watch. If Apple comes out with a wise 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 fundamental.

Oura is betting that the perfect is price paying for. It’s a gambit that can in all probability maintain as long as everybody else is taking part in catch-up. However ask anybody who races: it’s onerous to keep up a lead ceaselessly.