When I first opened the box the Oura Ring 5 came in, my first thought was, “Wow, that’s small.” My second thought was that this is the smart ring that many people have been waiting for.
As someone who is used to wearing the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic, I was surprised at how small and light the new Ring 5 is.
The Ring 5, which Oura describes as the world’s smallest smart ring, is 40% smaller than its predecessor, measuring 6.09 mm in width compared to the Ring 4’s 7.90 mm, and 2.28 mm in thickness compared to the Ring 4’s 2.88 mm. Although the exact weight depends on the size of your ring, Ring 5 weighs between 2 and 2.69 grams, while Ring 4 weighs between 3.3 and 5.2 grams.
I have found that these changes greatly improve the comfort of the ring, and make it extremely attractive compared to its predecessor. The ring no longer proclaims a smart ring, and blends in with all of your jewelry. Oura says the Ring 5 is designed to look and feel like any other ring, and I think the company has achieved that.
The Ring 5 starts at $399.
Whenever I saw people discussing Oura’s smart rings, there always seemed to be two conflicting opinions. One side swore that the ring had changed their life, while the other said it was too big and they would never think of getting it. I think Oura Ring 5 changes the game and appeals to a wide audience, including those who shy away from smart rings because of their size.
Oura knew about the need for a small ring. The company told me that users have been asking for a slimmer and more compact design, which made the company comply. Of course, Oura has had to update its rings to respond to competition from freebies like RingConn and Ultrahuman, both of which sell rings that are lighter than the Ring 4.
While I never found the Oura Ring 4 to be very comfortable, the Ring 5 feels much better on my finger. With the Ring 4 I always knew I was wearing it but with this latest model I tend to forget it’s there, which is great for people like me who don’t always wear jewelry.
I also found that the smaller size of the ring made it easier to wear at night to track sleep and health metrics. A smart ring is more comfortable than a smart watch to wear at night, and the slim design of the Ring 5 allows it to be visible even at night.
As for battery life, the Ring 5 lasts between six and nine days, compared to a range of five to eight days for the Ring 4. In my experience, the improvement seems to be stagnant. The ring arrived charged at 50%, and after about 30 minutes on the charger following the setup process, it reached 75%. After five days of continuous wear, I still didn’t need to charge it, and I was down to about 25% battery.
It’s worth mentioning that Ring 5 comes in fewer sizes (sizes 6 to 13) than Ring 4 (sizes 4 to 15). Oura told me that the few sizing options were due to the challenges of producing small rings in the new form factor. The company said it has chosen to focus on the most popular sizes, and is monitoring the demand for discontinued sizes.
The Ring 5 comes in six shades, including a redesigned Gold with a sharper gold tone, an updated Deep Rose with a bronze look, and Silver, Brushed Silver, Black, and Stealth.
Oura sent me the Gold version, and I really like the way it looks. Unlike previous Oura gold rings, this new color does not have a yellow tint to it, and instead has a subtle tone that feels closer to real gold jewelry. It’s worth noting that the Gold finish, along with the Stealth and Deep Rose finishes, costs $499, which is exactly $100 more than the standard finish.
In terms of durability, Oura says the Ring 5 is less sensitive to scratches than previous generations due to the new finish, but I can’t fully speak to the durability considering I’ve only had it for five days. There was a time when I thought I had scratched the ring guide line when I grabbed a rusty swing chain, but it turned out that the rust was only scraping the ring, and I was able to clean it off with a cloth.
Oura says the Ring 5’s new physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating process ensures the wearable maintains its premium look “out of the box” for longer. It will be interesting to see how this promise holds up.
Oura Ring 5 is introduced along with new software features from Oura Ring Gen3 and later products, including Blood Pressure and Night Breathing Signals. I can’t speak to those yet, as they will be launched later this month.
Overall, the Oura Ring 5 is a significant improvement over the Ring 4 in terms of comfort and aesthetics, making it a great choice for anyone who hasn’t bought a smart ring yet. As for people who already have an Oura Ring 4, the decision to upgrade depends on your budget and how much you value beauty, especially since the Ring 4 will receive all new software updates.
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