Oura Ring 4 Review

After two weeks of using Oura Ring 4, the smart ring gave me a better understanding of how my sleep, stress, and exercise influence how I feel in my daily life.

The Oura Ring 4 began shipping to customers and became available in retail stores on Tuesday, and it's an impressive option for those looking for a stylish and comfortable way to learn more about their bodies and make healthier choices.

The smart ring offers more precise sensors, a more comfortable design, and longer battery life than its predecessor. The device is available in 12 sizes and six colors, including a new black finish, and costs $349, although users have to pay a subscription of $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year to use all the features. of the accompanying application.

Overall, the Oura Ring 4 is comfortable to wear and its app is easy to navigate. The ring was a little rougher and scratched more easily than I would prefer, but after two weeks of testing it, the Oura Ring 4 provided useful information about my health.

Getting ready

I had never worn an Oura ring before, so the whole experience was new to me.

The first task was to choose a color and determine my ring size, which I did using the company's sizing kit. Oura recommends that new and returning customers size up as fit can change from one generation to the next. Kits are available online and in-store sizes are available at retailers like Aim and Best buythe company said.

Silver jewelry has always been my go-to style, so I chose the silver Oura Ring 4 to match my accessories.

Getting the size proved more difficult. I got my size done in person with the Oura team, but I miscalculated slightly. The ring I've been using is a little big, so there are sometimes gaps between my finger and the hardware. I never felt like my ring was going to fall off, but I would size down if it did again.

The ring was delivered to my apartment in a small box that included a charger and some basic instructions on how to clean and wear it.

I charged the ring while downloading the Oura app and filling it out with biographical information like my date of birth, height, and weight. Pairing the ring to my iPhone was incredibly easy, and once the battery was full, it was time to attach the ring.

which is good

As someone who has never liked the look of smartwatches, I was excited to try the Oura Ring 4 and use it to track my sleep. The wearable was so comfortable that I often forgot I had it on.

This is due, at least in part, to the device's new sensors, which are significantly smaller than those of its predecessor. The third-generation Oura has sensors that are raised and feel like little bumps, while the Ring 4's are basically flat, giving it a smooth interior like any other ring.

I purposely wore the ring on my right index finger. I still write a lot of my stories by hand (old school, I know), so I wanted to see if it bothered me while holding a pen or pencil. It wasn't like that. The ring is also designed to be worn 24/7 and is waterproof, and I didn't have any problems when I washed my hands or showered with it.

Another highlight was the Oura app. The company started rolling out a redesign of the app to all of its users earlier this month and I thought the design of the app was very intuitive. Smart ring data is presented in three tabs called Today, Vitals, and My Health.

The Today tab highlights information based on the time of day and includes shortcuts where I can quickly see the latest readings for things like my sleep, activity, heart rate, stress, or my preparation for the day. These at-a-glance metrics are easy to digest and useful when I have a quick minute during the day.

I also enjoyed seeing my reading at a more granular level in the Vitals tab. There is a lot to learn and decipher. Oura shows you almost 20 different data points about your sleep alone. Still, the company does a good job of breaking down all of these concepts into simple language. I wasn't familiar with the term latency, for example, but the app taught me that it's the time it takes to fall asleep.

The My Health tab gives users access to long-term information, such as heart health, sleep health, and resilience, a metric that measures your ability to recover from stress over time. These metrics are calibrated once Oura has recorded several weeks' worth of data, so I wasn't able to explore this feature in depth for this review.

Before the review, I was worried if Oura's metrics would negatively affect my mood. For example, if Oura tells me I slept poorly, would I feel less prepared to face my day?

I was pleasantly surprised at how the company approached this framing. I never felt like I was being reprimanded for sleeping poorly, feeling stressed, or missing a workout. Instead, Oura gave me advice on small changes I could make to feel better throughout the day, like taking a few minutes for a break or meditating.

I also liked that the exercise goal in the app varied based on my readings. If there was a day when I was particularly tired or stressed, Oura lowered my activity goal. This helped me feel a sense of accomplishment even when I wasn't at my best.

After only two weeks of wear, my ring is scratched. It's not noticeable from afar, but I can definitely notice it.

On its website, Oura says users can avoid scratches by wearing the ring on their non-dominant hand, keeping it separate from other rings, and taking it off in high-friction scenarios, such as weightlifting.

Despite this warning, I was surprised at how quickly the Ring 4 showed signs of wear, especially considering its price. And no, scratches are not covered by Oura's warranty policy.

Another disappointment was the ring's battery life. It didn't last as long as Oura said it would.

The company advertises eight days of battery life, but I was typically asked to charge my ring after about five or six days. The company said battery life depends on the user's ring size, feature settings, app settings, usage and other factors, so it varies from person to person.

Five or six days is still better than an Apple Watch, which typically needs a daily charge, but I definitely wasn't getting the eight days I was hoping for.

My last complaint was purely aesthetic. I have small hands, so I thought Ring 4 looked a little rough compared to the jewelry I normally wear. My friends said they didn't realize this, but the Ring 4 is not a style I would normally choose, although admittedly I've gotten more used to it over time.

It's worth noting that getting access to Oura's full range of features doesn't come cheap.

You don't have to pay for the company's monthly subscription if you don't want, but without it, you'll only be able to access your daily sleep, readiness, and activity scores, according to Oura's website. I really enjoyed being able to track my stress levels, so for that feature alone I would get the membership. If you want that kind of information, be prepared to make a $5 monthly commitment before you snag an Oura Ring 4.

Overall, the new Oura smart ring is easy to wear and use, and is a great option if you're looking for a low-maintenance way to track your health. I've been recommending it to family and friends, and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up buying one one day.