The Oura Ring 4 is a sleek and stylish wearable designed to track your health and fitness, all while looking like a piece of high-end jewelry. This fourth iteration of the popular smart ring offers a mix of comfort, style, and improved performance. With advanced sleep and health tracking features, the Oura Ring 4 aims to provide a comprehensive wellness experience without the bulk of traditional fitness trackers. But is it worth the hefty price tag? Let’s dive into what makes this smart ring stand out and where it still needs work.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
Design and Comfort: A Step Up in Style and Fit
The Oura Ring 4 is noticeably slimmer and more comfortable than its predecessors. It swaps the clear plastic of the previous model for shiny titanium, giving it a sleek, luxurious appearance. It’s available in 12 sizes and six finishes, including black, gold, and rose gold, ensuring a custom fit for every user. Weighing between 3.3g and 5.2g, it feels light and barely noticeable on your finger.
The updated design makes it easier to wear, thanks to the smooth titanium surface and improved sensor placement. The inside of the ring now has two small, flush bumps instead of the previous three, making it more comfortable, especially for those with smaller fingers. The ring is still about twice as thick as a standard wedding band, but many users can now opt for a smaller size compared to the Gen 3 version.
Advanced Health and Sleep Tracking
Oura is best known for its sleep tracking, and the Ring 4 improves on this with even more accuracy. It continues to monitor sleep stages, heart rate, and respiratory rate, offering insights into your sleep quality. The Oura Ring also tracks activity, including steps, calories burned, and heart rate zones. While it doesn’t offer as in-depth workout tracking as some smartwatches, it integrates with third-party services like Strava to provide a fuller picture of your physical health.
For women, Oura’s comprehensive health features include fertility and pregnancy tracking, which has been expanded in this version. The ability to track your health across various stages of life adds to the overall value of the ring for a wide range of users.
Battery Life and Charging: More Power for Longer Use
One of the standout improvements in the Oura Ring 4 is its battery life. With up to six days of use on a single charge, it outperforms many smartwatches in terms of longevity. Charging takes about 80 minutes on the new charging puck, which is now heavier and stays in place more easily compared to previous models. If you’re looking for a long-lasting device that doesn’t need daily charging, the Oura Ring 4 is an excellent choice.
App and AI Features: A Smarter Wellness Companion
The Oura app has undergone a complete overhaul, making it easier to track and interpret your data. The app now includes an AI-powered assistant called “Oura Advisor,” which helps guide you towards better health habits. This assistant offers personalized tips based on your daily activity, sleep quality, and stress levels. It can even check in with you throughout the day to offer motivation or advice. The app also tracks long-term trends like cardiovascular health, stress resilience, and sleep patterns.
Additionally, the app’s meal logging feature uses AI to recognize and log your meals through your phone’s camera. While not designed for calorie counting, it’s a useful tool for monitoring eating habits.
Price and Subscription: A Premium Product with Ongoing Costs
The Oura Ring 4 starts at $349 (€399/A$569), which is on par with some smartwatches that offer more features. However, Oura charges a monthly subscription fee of $5.99 (€5.99/A$9.99) to access most of the features beyond basic tracking. This subscription is required for in-depth insights into your health data and ongoing wellness guidance. The ring’s non-repairable design and non-replaceable battery might also deter some potential buyers, making it feel like a disposable product despite its premium cost.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Stylish and comfortable design that looks more like jewelry than tech.
- Comprehensive sleep and health tracking features.
- Improved battery life with up to six days on a single charge.
- AI-powered app with personalized wellness advice.
- Water-resistant up to 100 meters.
Cons:
- Expensive, especially with the ongoing subscription cost.
- Basic workout and running tracking compared to smartwatches.
- Thick design may feel bulky to some users.
- No repair options and non-replaceable battery.
TF Summary: What’s Next
The Oura Ring 4 remains one of the best options for anyone seeking a stylish, discreet health tracker with exceptional sleep monitoring capabilities. While it doesn’t match the workout tracking power of a smartwatch, its emphasis on sleep and overall wellness makes it a strong choice for health-conscious users. However, the price and subscription costs may be a barrier for some. As Oura continues to refine its offerings, future versions may address these concerns while further enhancing the app and hardware features.
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