Oura Ring 4 vs Oura Ring 3: What's Changed and Which Should You Get?

Oura released the fourth generation of its smart ring in October 2024, bringing a new design and upgraded sensors (Oura). If you still wear an Oura Ring 3 (Heritage or Horizon), here's what actually changed and whether it's worth upgrading.

Here's a straightforward comparison of everything that matters.

Looking at Oura's newest generation? Read our Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4 comparison.

Design and Comfort

The most obvious change with the Oura Ring 4 is the design. Its sensors are recessed into the inside of the ring by 0.3 mm, which Oura says reduces "friction and pressure on your fingers when shaking hands or gripping objects" (Oura).

The Ring 3 came in two styles — Heritage (flat top) and Horizon (fully round) (Oura). The Ring 4 comes in one titanium design, plus a ceramic version (Oura).

Both generations have a titanium exterior. Gen3 has a "non-metallic seamless inner molding," while the Ring 4 is titanium inside and out. If comfort was your main complaint with the Ring 3, Oura says the Ring 4 is "sleeker and more comfortable than its predecessors" (Oura).

Sensors and Accuracy

Oura Ring 4 is built around a sensing platform Oura calls Smart Sensing. Its sensors form "an 18-path multi-wavelength photoplethysmography (PPG) subsystem," and the platform "dynamically selects the optimal signal path" for your finger (Oura, Oura Ring 4 specs).

In practice:

• Heart rate and HRV — in an independent study of sleep data, researchers found "nearly identical performance" between Oura Ring 4 and Gen3 for resting heart rate and HRV (Oura)
• SpO2 (blood oxygen) — both generations support Blood Oxygen Sensing; on Ring 4, red and infrared LEDs "measure blood oxygen while you sleep"
• Temperature — Ring 4 has a digital temperature sensor that "measures average body temperature variations"; Gen3 added an extra temperature sensor that "enabled Cycle Insights and improved illness detection"
• Automatic Activity Detection — available on both generations

The Ring 3 still tracks all of these metrics. The differences are mostly in comfort and hardware design, not in the data you see.

Battery Life

Oura says a fully charged Ring 4 typically lasts 5–8 days, while a Gen3 ring "may last up to seven days" (Oura). Battery life depends on ring size, settings and battery age.

Both rings charge on a proprietary charger. Note that the Ring 4 uses a different charger than the Ring 3 — they are not interchangeable (Oura).

Sizing and Fit

Oura says sizing "differs slightly between generations," so if you're upgrading, use the sizing kit made for the Ring 4 (Oura).

Ring 4 sizes range from 4 to 15, which Oura calls "a wider range of sizes" than before (Oura). The expanded range means the Ring 4 fits more people, including those with smaller fingers.

Features and Software

Both rings run on the same Oura app and share the same core feature set, including:

• Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores
• Heart rate and HRV monitoring
• Body temperature trends
• Cycle tracking
• Cardio Capacity (VO2 Max estimate)
• Sleep staging (Awake, Light, Deep, REM)

Oura's current feature lists for the two rings are nearly identical (Ring 4, Gen3). The Ring 3 still gets new features: Oura says the software it announced with Ring 5 "will be available to Oura Members with Oura Ring Gen3 and newer models" (Oura).

Subscription

Both the Oura Ring 3 and Ring 4 require the Oura Membership ($5.99/month or $69.99/year in the US) to access detailed insights, trends, and scores beyond the basics. Oura says "new members get their first month free" (Oura). Your membership is tied to your Oura account, so it carries over if you upgrade (Oura).

Price

The Oura Ring 4 starts at $349 (Oura), the same starting price Oura listed for the Gen3 Horizon (Oura). Oura no longer sells the Gen3 ring or its charger (Oura), so you'll mostly find it secondhand.

Which One Should You Get?

Get the Ring 4 if:

• You're buying your first Oura Ring
• You want the more comfortable of the two rings
• Battery life matters to you
• You found the Ring 3's inner bump uncomfortable

Stick with the Ring 3 if:

• Your current ring is working well and tracking accurately
• You prefer the Heritage (flat-top) design
• You don't want to buy a new charger and go through re-sizing

Between these two, new buyers can only get the Ring 4 new, and should also look at the Ring 5 in our Ring 5 vs Ring 4 comparison. For current Ring 3 owners, the upgrade is nice-to-have rather than essential — your ring still gets the same app features.

Track Both Rings with Ring Widget

Ring Widget is an independent app that shows Oura data in iPhone widgets. It works with Oura Ring Gen3, Ring 4 and Ring 5, and can show your Readiness, Sleep and Activity scores and more on your Home Screen. The battery indicator and the Readiness and Sleep widgets are free; other layouts require a purchase.

Ring Widget reads your data from the Oura API, so it works the same way whichever ring you wear. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Oura Health Oy.

Sources

• Oura Ring 4 — Oura Store
• Oura Ring 4 — Oura Member Care
• Introducing Oura Ring 4 — Oura Blog
• Previous Oura Ring Generations — Oura Member Care
• Ring Battery Tips — Oura Member Care
• Use Your Oura Ring Charger — Oura Member Care
• Oura Membership — Oura
• Independent Study Finds Oura Ring Most Accurate Wearable for HRV & RHR — Oura Blog
• Introducing Oura Ring 5 — Oura Blog
• Introducing the Oura Gen3 Horizon Ring — Oura Blog