With its latest smart ring, Oura says farewell to sensor bumps for improved comfort. I got the Oura Ring 4 around my finger and have some first impressions to share.
Oura is the OG of smart rings, spurring numerous competing clones in recent years, and now it’s back with a new model. Unveiled Thursday, the Oura Ring 4 is available for preorder now for $349, a $50 price increase from the third-generation model. It’s slated to start shipping on Oct. 15, but I got an early look at the new smart ring, and I’m pretty impressed.
Slipping the Oura Ring 4 onto my index finger, the first thing I notice is the lack of sensor bumps jutting from the bottom interior. Those bumps are customary in other smart rings, including the Oura Ring Generation 3, and while they are generally small enough to prevent major discomfort, the Ring 4’s refined interior allows it to sit more flush against my skin, which makes a difference in terms of overall feel and style.
The Ring 4 is available in 12 sizes (4 through 15), an expanded range from the Generation 3, which comes in sizes 6 through 13. You can get a sizing kit when ordering, and Oura recommends one even for users of past models as “sizing may vary from one generation to the next.”
Oura is only offering the Ring 4 in the Horizon shape with a fully rounded exterior, not the Heritage shape with a flattened top from the last generation. Ring 4 buyers get a choice of six colors: brushed silver, gold, rose gold, silver, stealth (dark gray), and black.
Like its predecessor, the Ring 4 has red and green infrared LEDs to measure blood oxygen, heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate. It also has skin temperature sensors and an accelerometer. It’s water resistant to a depth of 328 feet and is suitable for shallow water sports, but not diving.
The biggest hardware change for this generation is the smoothened interior. The sensor bumps on previous models were necessary for accuracy, but Oura says advances in its technology allow for performance gains even with a sleeker design this generation.
Alongside the Ring 4, Oura is rolling out a complete redesign of its app, with new features available for owners of any of its rings. That includes long-term stress management tools, heart rate zone metrics, and more women’s health insights regarding menstrual cycle and fertile windows. No Bumps On the Inside
For this story and my upcoming Ring 4 review, Oura first sent me a sizing kit and then a size 14 model in silver. The Ring 4 ships with a sleek charging stand and a cable.
I’ve already been wearing the Ring 4 for a full day at the time of this writing, and it’s quite comfortable.
