What This Oura Ring 5 Upgrade Comparison Is About
Oura Ring 5 vs Ring 4 is a smart ring comparison focused on whether the fifth‑generation wearable health tech device offers enough practical benefits—like improved comfort, passive blood pressure tracking, and better durability—to justify upgrading from the existing Oura Ring 4, especially when weighed against the higher hardware price and ongoing subscription costs. Both rings track core metrics such as sleep, readiness, and daily activity through sensors in a titanium band and an app, but Oura Ring 5 has been redesigned to be 40% smaller, with slightly longer battery life and upgraded materials. This guide looks at how those changes feel in day‑to‑day use, what you gain from the added health data, and when keeping your current ring makes more sense than paying for a new one.
Design and Comfort: A Slimmer Smart Ring That Disappears on Your Finger
The most obvious change in the Oura Ring 5 upgrade is its size. Oura says the Ring 5 is 40% smaller than the Ring 4, measuring about 6.09mm wide and 2.28mm thick, which puts it close to the profile of a standard wedding band. Weight is down as well, to 2–2.69g depending on ring size, compared with 3.3–5.2g for Ring 4. Reviewers note that this slimmer profile makes the ring less likely to grind against adjacent fingers, snag during workouts, or feel intrusive during sleep. For people with smaller hands, the older Ring 4 can look and feel like a chunky piece of tech rather than jewelry. If you want wearable health tech that blends in and stays out of the way, design alone is a strong reason to consider Ring 5.
Health Features: Passive Blood Pressure Tracking and Sensor Upgrades
On the health side, Oura Ring 5 builds on the Ring 4’s foundation of sleep, readiness, and activity tracking with new and refined sensors. Both devices track temperature trends, heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood oxygen, then present the data in the Oura app as simple charts and scores. The big addition for smart ring comparison purposes is passive blood pressure tracking, which adds another important cardiovascular metric to your daily dashboard without requiring cuffs or manual readings. This extra layer helps you spot patterns between stress, sleep, and blood pressure over time. For many Ring 4 users, the health experience will feel familiar: the core insights are similar, and the upgrade is more about depth and convenience than an entirely new feature set. If you already rely heavily on Oura’s health scores, the new sensors may be appealing; if you skim the app, they may not change your habits.
Durability, Battery Life, and Everyday Wear
Durability is a key area where Oura Ring 5 aims to fix long‑standing complaints. The new ring retains a titanium body but adds a vaporized coating that Oura says is more scratch‑resistant than before, addressing concerns from users who frequently knock their rings against hard surfaces. The Ring 5 also carries an IP68 rating and is water resistant to 100 meters, so you can keep it on for swimming or beach days. Battery life gets a modest bump: Oura rates Ring 5 for six to nine days per charge, compared with five to eight days for Ring 4. According to ZDNET, “Oura extends the Oura Ring 5’s battery life by a day.” There is also a new portable charging case that can keep the ring powered for up to 30 days on a single charge, which is handy for travel or those who dislike frequent charging.
Price, Subscription, and Who Should Upgrade
Cost is where the Oura Ring 5 upgrade becomes a tougher call. The Ring 5 starts at USD 399 (approx. RM1,865), which is USD 50 (approx. RM235) more than the Oura Ring 4’s starting price of USD 349 (approx. RM1,630). Some finishes can cost more, and both generations still rely on a paid subscription for full feature access, so you are not only buying hardware but also committing to ongoing app fees. For Ring 4 owners, the change feels incremental: slimmer design, slightly better battery life, new sensors, and improved durability rather than a transformative leap. If you find Ring 4 bulky, have visible wear on the band, or care about advanced metrics like passive blood pressure tracking, Ring 5 is easier to recommend. If your current ring still looks fine and you value core sleep and readiness scores most, you may be better off saving your money for now.