The 5 most exciting Oura Ring 4 features

The long-awaited Oura Ring 4 is finally here, and it’s offering an updated version of my favorite smart ring. The latest from Oura brings a handful of worthwhile upgrades, both in terms of physical design and software improvements. It promises an extra day of battery life over the Oura Ring 3 — extending to eight days — according to Oura. It also offers a sleeker design, new sensors, and updated algorithms for better overall accuracy. Plus, Oura is rolling out a new app to provide a better experience when checking out all that data.

The Oura Ring 4 is available for purchase with a starting price of $349, depending on the color you want. I haven’t had a chance to see the new ring firsthand yet, but here are the features I’m most excited about in the Oura Ring 4.

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1 A smoothed-out interior on the Oura Ring 4

No more sensor bumps inside the ring

The sensor design is one of the most visually noticeable changes to the Oura Ring 4. The third-gen Oura Ring used raised interior domes for the sensors. While I didn’t find these uncomfortable in my testing, some users have had issues with the raised bumps on the ring’s interior. Those bumps can cause irritation or dryness after long periods of wear, for example.

The Oura Ring 4 uses recessed sensors, resulting in a completely smooth interior wall. It should provide more comfortable wear for more people, especially if you prefer to keep the ring on at all times for more consistent data tracking. Plus, it will provide a lower profile design, which I’m glad to see. I found the third-gen Oura Ring fairly bulky for a smart ring, so this new design is a welcome step.

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2 Better accuracy thanks to multiple upgrades

New materials, updated algorithm, and better sensors

Oura

The new sensor design isn’t just for comfort, either. While the Oura Ring was already very accurate with its data collection, the company is promising even better results with the Oura Ring 4. It says it’s now using Smart Sensing, which includes an algorithm and research-grade sensors that will adapt to each individual’s “unique finger physiology, including the structure and distinct features of your finger (i.e., skin tone, BMI, and age),” Oura said in a blog post on the topic.

Oura says that part of the accuracy is due to improved sensors. The updated sensors more than double the signal pathways, forming an 18-path multi-wavelength photoplethysmography (PPG) subsystem — for context, the Oura Ring 3 featured eight signal pathways. This sensor system will then adjust dynamically throughout the day to find the best signal path, reducing data gaps and providing generally more accurate tracking.

Another feature that could improve accuracy somewhat is the all-titanium build. Previous Oura Rings used a titanium exterior with an epoxy layer on the interior. The titanium material cuts down on weight slightly and adds durability. But it is also better at blocking stray light, which Oura says should help the ring offer more precise results from the sensors.

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Oura conducted an external research study in August 2024, comparing the third-gen Oura Ring to Oura Ring 4 with 60 participants in an overnight sleep clinic. The data from both Oura Rings was compared to additional sensors, including a heart rate monitor and brain activity monitor. Its results showed the following:

• 120% improvement in signal quality for blood oxygen sensing (SpO2), translating to a 30% increase in accuracy in average overnight SpO2 measurement
• 15% more accurate breathing disturbance index (BDI)
• 7% fewer gaps in daytime heart rate graphs
• 31% fewer gaps in nighttime heart rate graphs

Oura cautions that, of course, individual results will vary and that the study showed the biggest improvements in challenging cases. But if Smart Sensing works as Oura says it will, that’s a big win. Light-based sensors typically have trouble gathering data through darker skin tones or tattoos, and Oura claims it has found a way to adjust for that, resulting in accurate data no matter what.

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3 Expanded sizing with the Oura Ring 4

More inclusive sizing is always better

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The Oura Ring 3 was only available in sizes 6 through 13, and, as a result, those with especially small or large fingers were left out and unable to use the Oura Ring. I was so excited to see that Oura extended the sizing of its ring slightly with this fourth iteration of its smart ring. The new Oura Ring 4 comes in sizes 4 through 15, extending the range at both ends. So, that means even more people can take advantage of the metrics the Oura Ring keeps track of. Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is only available in sizes 5 through 13, so the Oura Ring has a slight advantage over Samsung in that regard.

Oura does say the sizing of the Oura Ring 4 is slightly different from the Oura Ring 3, though. If you currently have an older generation Oura Ring and are looking to upgrade, you won’t necessarily want to order the same size.

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4 Improved Daytime Stress data

Better insight into where and when you experience stress

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Oura has long had a Daytime Stress metric, which helps you see what situations could cause increases in heart rate and how exercise impacts stress levels. That stress information is useful because stress can significantly impact many areas of our lives, including physical health, the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, and other mental health conditions.

However, that data wasn’t collected continuously throughout the day, so it was hard to differentiate between stress related to mental challenges (like stressful situations at work) and stress related to exercise or movement. After all, not all stress is bad. Exercise is a form of stress, as is cold or heat exposure, or mental challenges like crossword puzzles. Having more clarity on different types of stress, then, can help you better use that information.

“Our vision is that our members are able to understand their physiological stress and recovery reactions, identify stress-causing and recovery actions in their life, and find a balance between stress and recovery,” says Mari Karsikas, PhD, Head of Product Science at Oura. “Members will learn to recognize how a meeting, dinner, sports, drinking alcohol, and other life moments affect their body. It’s like the parable of the frog in boiling water: We hope this tool allows members to learn when the water is becoming too warm and then react in time.”

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To provide better stress data, Oura will now measure daytime HRV. That information, along with heart rate, temperature trends, and accelerometer data, will provide near-real-time stress and recovery data. Additionally, an update to the app (which is available for all Oura users, not just Oura Ring 4) will allow you to view your Daytime Stress graph with two new toggles: “Daily Movement” and “Tags and activities.”

These new views will show additional context to see the relationship between activity and stress. You can even add a tag directly from the Daytime Stress screen, making it easier to add context yourself.

5 A new Oura App experience

A redesign to simplify the app

Oura / Pocket-lint

Finally, while not inherent to the Oura Ring 4 itself, Oura is rolling out a new Oura app. Oura has been busy rolling out new features and tools, which is appreciated, especially since you have to pay for a subscription. However, all of those new features were cluttering up the app, making it more difficult to navigate and find what you want.

To address this, Oura is rolling out a new version of the app that is “redesigned to bring your short- and long-term health into focus.” The app will now offer three tabs: Today, Vitals, and My Health. Breaking the content into those three categories will make it easier to navigate to find what you want and make it possible to get information at a glance.

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