Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4: What Changed and Is It Worth Upgrading?

Oura Ring 5 is a substantial hardware redesign, but it does not make Oura Ring 4 obsolete. The biggest differences are physical: Ring 5 is thinner, lighter, and 40% smaller by volume, while keeping the same core health features in the Oura app.

The short answer: new buyers who value comfort should choose Ring 5. Existing Ring 4 owners who are happy with the fit and battery life can comfortably keep their current ring.

How we compared them: This guide uses Oura's current product specifications and support documentation. It is not presented as a hands-on durability or accuracy test.

Oura Ring 5 vs Ring 4 at a Glance

| | Oura Ring 5 | Oura Ring 4 | |---|---|---| | Starting price | $399 | $349 | | Width | 6.09 mm | 7.9 mm | | Thickness | 2.28 mm | About 2.88 mm | | Typical battery life | 6–9 days | 5–8 days | | Sizes | 6–13 | 4–15 | | Offline data storage | Up to 3 days | Up to 7 days | | Finishes | 6 | 6, subject to availability | | Core Oura app features | Same feature set as Ring 4 | Same feature set as Ring 5 |

The Ring 5 costs more and stores less data without syncing, but it is meaningfully smaller and typically lasts slightly longer between charges.

The Biggest Change Is Comfort

Oura says Ring 5 is 40% smaller than Ring 4. Its width drops from 7.9 mm to 6.09 mm, while thickness falls from roughly 2.88 mm to 2.28 mm.

Those numbers sound small on paper, but a ring sits between your fingers all day and night. Reducing both width and thickness is likely to be the most noticeable upgrade for people who find Ring 4 bulky when gripping weights, sleeping, or wearing adjacent rings.

Ring 5 still uses a titanium exterior and interior. Oura also applies a superhard PVD coating across all finishes, while Ring 4 uses PVD or DLC depending on the finish.

Sensors: A Redesign, Not Just More Hardware

Ring 5 uses two tri-LED units, two photodetectors, a temperature sensor, and an accelerometer. Ring 4 lists three photodetectors alongside the same broad sensor categories.

The lower photodetector count on Ring 5 should not be read as a simple downgrade. Oura redesigned the sensing architecture around smaller, low-profile sensor domes and 12 signal pathways. The company describes Ring 5 as its most accurate generation, but independent testing will be more useful than component counts alone when comparing real-world accuracy.

Both generations track the signals behind sleep, readiness, activity, heart rate, HRV, temperature trends, blood oxygen sensing, and daytime stress.

Battery Life and Data Storage

Oura lists typical battery life of 6–9 days for Ring 5 and 5–8 days for Ring 4. Actual results vary by ring size, settings, battery age, and feature use.

Ring 4 has one advantage for people who leave their phone behind for long stretches: it can store up to seven days of data before syncing, compared with up to three days on Ring 5. Most people sync daily and will never notice, but travelers and frequent Airplane Mode users should keep it in mind.

Ring 5 also supports a separate charging case that can provide multiple charges away from an outlet. It is sold separately, so it should not be counted as part of the standard ring price.

Sizing Is More Limited on Ring 5

Ring 5 comes in sizes 6–13, while Ring 4 spans sizes 4–15. That makes Ring 4 the better fit by default for people at either end of the size range.

The sizing systems are generation-specific. Do not order Ring 5 based only on your Ring 4 size; Oura recommends using the correct Ring 5 sizing kit.

Software Features Are Mostly the Same

Oura states that Ring 5 includes the same core membership features as Ring 4. The newest software experiences announced alongside Ring 5 are also available to Oura members using Ring Gen3 and newer models.

That matters for the upgrade decision: Ring 5 is primarily a comfort, design, sensing, and battery upgrade. It is not a requirement for continuing to receive the main Oura app features.

Who Should Buy Oura Ring 5?

Choose Ring 5 if:

• You are buying your first Oura Ring
• Ring comfort and a slimmer profile matter most
• You want the newest sensing architecture
• You prefer the slightly longer typical battery range
• You want the optional portable charging case

Who Should Keep or Buy Oura Ring 4?

Keep or choose Ring 4 if:

• Your current Ring 4 is comfortable and working well
• You need a size below 6 or above 13
• You want the lower starting price
• Seven days of offline storage matters to you
• You do not want to replace a relatively new ring for a mostly hardware-focused upgrade

For most satisfied Ring 4 owners, the sensible choice is to keep it. The Ring 5 redesign is appealing, but the software experience and the metrics you see each morning remain broadly familiar.

Does Ring Widget Work With Ring 5?

Yes. Ring Widget displays data from your Oura account, so your widgets continue to show readiness, sleep, activity, stress, cardio age, VO2 max, and other supported metrics when you move from Ring 4 to Ring 5.

You do not need to rebuild your Home Screen around a new ring generation. Once your new ring is paired and its data is available in your Oura account, Ring Widget keeps the information visible across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Final Verdict

Oura Ring 5 is the better new purchase for most people because the smaller design addresses one of the clearest compromises of Ring 4. It is easier to recommend for continuous wear while keeping the same core software experience.

Ring 4 remains a strong choice at a lower price, especially for people who need its wider size range. Existing owners should upgrade for comfort or battery reasons, not because their current health insights are disappearing.

Sources

• Discover Oura Ring 5 — Oura Member Care
• Introducing Oura Ring 5 — Oura
• Oura Ring 4 specifications — Oura Member Care
• Oura Ring battery tips — Oura Member Care
• Oura Store — current starting prices