Smart Rings / Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) vs Oura Ring 4 (2024)
Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) vs Oura Ring 4 (2024)
Oura Ring 4 (2024)
The widest size range Oura sells, now heavily discounted — same subscription, though.
Wins overall by 0.4 points
Quick Verdict
A 0.4-point gap makes the Oura Ring 4 (2024) the straightforward choice here. The widest size range Oura sells, now heavily discounted — same subscription, though.
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are both closely matched smart Ring models, and the Oura Ring 4 (2024) is $150 cheaper than the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) ($249 vs $399). On Value, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads (7.5 vs 5.5/10) — what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price. On Durability, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads (7.5 vs 6.5/10) — finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied. On Subscription Freedom, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) leads (2.0 vs 2.0/10) — how much of the ring keeps working with no recurring payment — the category's defining trap. Overall, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores 7.4/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.0/10 for the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) | Oura Ring 4 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $249.00 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2024 |
| Battery Life (claimed) (days) | 8 | 8 |
| Battery, In Practice | Same 5-8 day claim as the metal Ring 4, with the same caveat that ring size, app settings and activity level move it. 20-80 minutes to charge. | Oura publishes 5-8 days and states outright that it varies with ring size, app settings and activity level. Smaller sizes are nearer 5. Charging takes 20-80 minutes depending on how flat it is. |
| Subscription | Required in practice — $5.99/month or $69.99/year, identical to every other Oura. Paying $100 more for ceramic buys you no membership credit. | Required in practice. $5.99/month or $69.99/year after one free month, on exactly the same terms as the Ring 5 — the membership is per account, not per ring, so upgrading later does not cost a second subscription. |
| 3-Year Cost of Ownership ($) | 608.97 | 458.97✓ |
| Sizes Offered | US 4-15, no half sizes, matching the metal Ring 4 | US 4-15, no half sizes — the broadest range here, and the reason to buy the older generation if your finger is very small or very large |
| Sizing Kit | Free plastic sizing kit ships before the ring; 24-hour minimum wear including overnight, adding roughly a week before the ring ships. | Free plastic sizing kit ships before the ring; wear the sizer at least 24 hours including overnight. Budget about a week before the real ring is ordered. |
| Returns & Size Exchange | Oura does not publish a return window on its warranty page. The 1-year warranty excludes normal wear and tear; Oura's own product page states that minor scratches from everyday use are expected on the ceramic. | Oura does not publish a return window on its warranty page. The 1-year limited warranty excludes scratches, dents and batteries, and secondhand purchases from unauthorised resellers are not covered at all. |
| Measured vs Inferred | Identical to the metal Ring 4 — red/IR LEDs for blood oxygen, green/IR for heart rate and HRV, a temperature sensor and an accelerometer. Nothing about the ceramic shell adds a measurement. | Green plus infrared LEDs for continuous heart rate and HRV, red plus infrared for blood oxygen reported overnight rather than continuously, an NTC skin-temperature sensor and an accelerometer. Readiness, Stress and Resilience are derived scores on top of those signals. |
| FDA Clearance | None published. General wellness product. | None published. Oura markets the ring and app as general wellness, not as a medical device. |
| Water Rating | Water resistant to 100m/328ft | Water resistant to 100m/328ft |
| Phone Support | iOS and Android, full feature parity; Oura lists integrations with 40+ apps | iOS and Android, full feature parity |
| Charger & Data Export | Proprietary size-specific dock plus USB-C cable, and a ceramic polishing pad. Export: not published as a one-click history download; personal-access-token Cloud API only. | Proprietary size-specific dock plus USB-C cable in the box; the Ring 5 charger is a different part. Export: not published as a one-click history download; Oura documents a personal-access-token Cloud API. |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Midnight, Cloud, Tide, Petal | Silver, Black, Brushed Silver, Stealth, Gold, Rose Gold |
Category Scores
Subscription Freedom
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are level here, at 2.0/10 each. how much of the ring keeps working with no recurring payment — the category's defining trap is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Sleep Tracking
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are level here, at 9.3/10 each. sleep staging depth, overnight accuracy and how usable the morning report is is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Health Sensing
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are level here, at 8.2/10 each. what the sensors genuinely measure — heart rate, SpO2, temperature, ECG — rather than infer is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Battery Life
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are level here, at 7.0/10 each. real days between charges with continuous sensing on, plus what the charging case adds is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Sizing & Fit
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are level here, at 8.5/10 each. how many sizes exist, how good the sizing kit is, and how forgiving the exchange policy is is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
App & Data
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) and Oura Ring 4 (2024) are level here, at 9.0/10 each. app stability, insight depth, platform parity and whether you can get your history out is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Durability
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.5 — a 1.0-point margin on finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied. If that is what you are buying for, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 5.5 — a 2.0-point margin on what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price. If that is what you are buying for, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) if…
- • You prefer the Oura ecosystem, app, and design language.
Choose the Oura Ring 4 (2024) if…
- • Value matters most to you — the Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores 7.5/10 here (what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price).
- • Durability matters most to you — the Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores 7.5/10 here (finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied).
- • You want to spend less — it's $150 cheaper.
Pros & Cons
Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025)
Pros
- +The only ring here that is not metal-coloured — four ceramic finishes including a genuine pastel
- +Ceramic is harder than titanium and does not pick up the same dull scuffing
- +Same sensors, same app and same 4-15 size range as the metal Ring 4
- +$100 below its $499 list at the time of writing
Cons
- −$100 more than the metal Ring 4 for identical sensing — you are paying for the shell
- −Oura's own page warns that minor scratches from everyday use are expected, and the warranty does not cover them
- −Ceramic chips rather than scuffs: a hard knock on tile is a different failure mode from a scratched titanium ring
- −Three-year cost lands at $608.97, the same as a brand-new Ring 5
- −Still tied to the $5.99/month membership like every other Oura
Oura Ring 4 (2024)
Pros
- +Sizes 4 to 15 — if the Ring 5's 6-13 window excludes you, this is the Oura that fits
- +Now routinely $249 in silver or black, $100 under its own list price, for sensing that is a generation behind at most
- +Recessed sensors mean no protruding domes pressing into the finger, unlike the Circular Ring 2
- +Same app, same membership, same iOS/Android parity as the Ring 5
Cons
- −The $5.99/month membership still applies, so three years costs $458.97 even at the discounted hardware price
- −Noticeably chunkier than the Ring 5 — that is the whole reason the Ring 5 exists
- −Discounted stock is concentrated in Silver and Black; Gold and Rose Gold still list at $499
- −Warranty covers manufacturing defects only, not the scratches titanium picks up in normal wear
- −Amazon listings are per size and per colour, so the ASIN you click must match the size you actually need
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) or Oura Ring 4 (2024) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Value, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) or the Oura Ring 4 (2024)?+
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores higher on Value (7.5/10 vs 5.5/10) — what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price.
Which is better for Durability, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) or the Oura Ring 4 (2024)?+
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores higher on Durability (7.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied.
Which is better for Subscription Freedom, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) or the Oura Ring 4 (2024)?+
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) scores higher on Subscription Freedom (2.0/10 vs 2.0/10) — how much of the ring keeps working with no recurring payment — the category's defining trap.
Which is better for Sleep Tracking, the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) or the Oura Ring 4 (2024)?+
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) scores higher on Sleep Tracking (9.3/10 vs 9.3/10) — sleep staging depth, overnight accuracy and how usable the morning report is.
Is the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) worth the price difference over the Oura Ring 4 (2024)?+
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) is the cheaper option at $249 versus $399. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Value.
What's the warranty on the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) vs the Oura Ring 4 (2024)?+
The Oura Ring 4 Ceramic (2025) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Oura Ring 4 (2024) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Circular Ring 2 (2025) — $299.00
Premium Option
Samsung Galaxy Ring (2024) — $299.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.