Smart Rings / Oura Ring 4 (2024) vs Oura Ring 5 (2026)
Oura Ring 4 (2024) vs Oura Ring 5 (2026)
Oura Ring 4 (2024)
The widest size range Oura sells, now heavily discounted — same subscription, though.
Wins overall by 0.3 points
Quick Verdict
Too close to call on score alone: 0.3 points separate them. The widest size range Oura sells, now heavily discounted — same subscription, though. The Oura Ring 5 (2026) answers with a different set of strengths, so let the categories below decide it.
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) and Oura Ring 5 (2026) are both closely matched smart Ring models, and the Oura Ring 4 (2024) is $150 cheaper than the Oura Ring 5 (2026) ($249 vs $399). On Sizing & Fit, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads (8.5 vs 6.5/10) — how many sizes exist, how good the sizing kit is, and how forgiving the exchange policy is. On Value, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads (7.5 vs 6.0/10) — what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price. On Battery Life, the Oura Ring 5 (2026) leads (7.5 vs 7.0/10) — real days between charges with continuous sensing on, plus what the charging case adds. Overall, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores 7.4/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.1/10 for the Oura Ring 5 (2026), though the gap is close enough that your specific use case should decide it. 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 (2024) | Oura Ring 5 (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.00 | $399.00 |
| Release Year | 2024 | 2026 |
| Battery Life (claimed) (days) | 8 | 9✓ |
| Battery, In Practice | 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. | Oura's own claim is a range, 'up to 6-9 days depending on ring size and usage' — the small sizes sit at the bottom of it because the battery is physically smaller. TechCrunch's reviewer was at roughly 25% after five days of continuous wear. Charging takes about 80 minutes. |
| Subscription | 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. | Required in practice. $5.99/month or $69.99/year after one free month. Oura's own FAQ: without a membership 'your Oura Ring and Oura App will still function, but the insights, personal health data, and benefits you receive will be much more limited' — you keep the three headline scores and lose the 50+ metrics behind them. |
| 3-Year Cost of Ownership ($) | 458.97✓ | 608.97 |
| Sizes Offered | 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 | US 6-13, no half sizes. Ring 4 covered 4-15; Oura told TechCrunch the smaller form factor is harder to manufacture at the extremes, so small and large fingers lose the option entirely. |
| Sizing Kit | 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. | Free plastic sizing kit ships before the ring. Oura instructs you to wear the sizer for at least 24 hours including overnight, so the kit round trip adds roughly a week before the ring is even ordered. |
| Returns & Size Exchange | 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. | Oura does not publish a return window on its warranty page. The 1-year limited warranty explicitly excludes 'normal wear and tear, such as scratches and dents caused by everyday handling' and lists batteries as a non-covered consumable part. |
| Measured vs Inferred | 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. | Green and infrared LEDs for continuous heart rate and HRV; red and infrared LEDs for blood oxygen, which Oura reports as an overnight figure rather than an all-day continuous trace; NTC skin-temperature sensor; accelerometer. Readiness, Stress, Resilience and Health Radar are derived scores computed from those four signals, not separate measurements. |
| FDA Clearance | None published. Oura markets the ring and app as general wellness, not as a medical device. | None published for the Ring 5 or its app features — Oura markets the whole product as general wellness. The Blood Pressure Signals feature announced alongside the Ring 5 is not a cuff-equivalent blood-pressure measurement. |
| Water Rating | Water resistant to 100m/328ft | IP68 and water resistant to 100m/328ft; Oura says it is not for scuba diving |
| Phone Support | iOS and Android, full feature parity | iOS and Android, full feature parity |
| Charger & Data Export | 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. | Proprietary size-specific dock in the box plus a USB-C cable — a charger made for one ring size does not fit another, so a replacement has to match your ring. Export: not published as a one-click history download; Oura documents a personal-access-token Cloud API that third-party tools use to pull history. |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Silver, Black, Brushed Silver, Stealth, Gold, Rose Gold | Silver, Black, Brushed Silver ($499), Stealth ($499), Gold ($499), Deep Rose ($499) |
Category Scores
Subscription Freedom
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) and Oura Ring 5 (2026) 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 5 (2026) is marginally ahead, 9.5 to 9.3. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if sleep staging depth, overnight accuracy and how usable the morning report is is your priority.
Health Sensing
The Oura Ring 5 (2026) is marginally ahead, 8.5 to 8.2. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if what the sensors genuinely measure — heart rate, SpO2, temperature, ECG — rather than infer is your priority.
Battery Life
The Oura Ring 5 (2026) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 7.0 — a 0.5-point margin on real days between charges with continuous sensing on, plus what the charging case adds. If that is what you are buying for, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sizing & Fit
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 6.5 — a 2.0-point margin on how many sizes exist, how good the sizing kit is, and how forgiving the exchange policy is. If that is what you are buying for, the Oura Ring 5 (2026) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Data
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) and Oura Ring 5 (2026) 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 5 (2026) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 7.5 — a 0.5-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 (2024) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) leads clearly here, 7.5 against 6.0 — a 1.5-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 5 (2026) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Oura Ring 4 (2024) if…
- • Sizing & Fit matters most to you — the Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores 8.5/10 here (how many sizes exist, how good the sizing kit is, and how forgiving the exchange policy is).
- • 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).
- • You want to spend less — it's $150 cheaper.
Choose the Oura Ring 5 (2026) if…
- • Battery Life matters most to you — the Oura Ring 5 (2026) scores 7.5/10 here (real days between charges with continuous sensing on, plus what the charging case adds).
- • Durability matters most to you — the Oura Ring 5 (2026) scores 8.0/10 here (finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied).
- • Health Sensing matters most to you — the Oura Ring 5 (2026) scores 8.5/10 here (what the sensors genuinely measure — heart rate, SpO2, temperature, ECG — rather than infer).
Pros & Cons
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
Oura Ring 5 (2026)
Pros
- +Genuinely the smallest ring here — 40% smaller than Ring 4 and the first Oura that does not read as a gadget on the hand
- +Sleep staging remains the reference the rest of the category is measured against
- +iOS and Android get identical features, which Samsung cannot say
- +100m water rating and a new PVD coating Oura claims is more scratch resistant than Ring 4's
Cons
- −$5.99/month forever: the real three-year price of the base finish is $608.97, more than triple a RingConn Gen 2 Air
- −Sizes 6-13 only — Ring 4 went 4 to 15, so this generation silently dropped the smallest and largest fingers
- −The premium finishes are a $100 tax for the same electronics: Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold and Deep Rose are all $499
- −Warranty explicitly excludes scratches and dents, and the battery is listed as a non-covered consumable
- −The charger is keyed to your ring size, so it is not a part you can borrow or generically replace
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Oura Ring 4 (2024) or Oura Ring 5 (2026) 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 Sizing & Fit, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) or the Oura Ring 5 (2026)?+
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores higher on Sizing & Fit (8.5/10 vs 6.5/10) — how many sizes exist, how good the sizing kit is, and how forgiving the exchange policy is.
Which is better for Value, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) or the Oura Ring 5 (2026)?+
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) scores higher on Value (7.5/10 vs 6.0/10) — what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price.
Which is better for Battery Life, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) or the Oura Ring 5 (2026)?+
The Oura Ring 5 (2026) scores higher on Battery Life (7.5/10 vs 7.0/10) — real days between charges with continuous sensing on, plus what the charging case adds.
Which is better for Durability, the Oura Ring 4 (2024) or the Oura Ring 5 (2026)?+
The Oura Ring 5 (2026) scores higher on Durability (8.0/10 vs 7.5/10) — finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied.
Is the Oura Ring 4 (2024) worth the price difference over the Oura Ring 5 (2026)?+
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 Sizing & Fit.
What's the warranty on the Oura Ring 4 (2024) vs the Oura Ring 5 (2026)?+
The Oura Ring 4 (2024) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Oura Ring 5 (2026) 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
RingConn Gen 3 (2026) — $349.00
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.