Oura Ring 4 review: the honest buying verdict
Product image · Source
"The best smart ring on the market, especially for women’s health." — Trusted Reviews
What reviewers loved
- Redesigned sensors maintain more consistent readings as the ring rotates, helping avoid gaps in activity and sleep data.
- The lighter, fully rounded design removes the internal sensor bumps and feels more comfortable than earlier Oura models.
- The well-organized app converts sleep, activity and stress measurements into readiness, activity and sleep scores with personalized guidance.
- Critics report strong sleep and women’s-health tracking, including period prediction based on temperature trends.
- Weeklong battery life and support for both Android and iOS make it easier to live with than a phone-locked wearable.
What held it back
- The $349 / £349 starting price is high, while finishes such as gold rise to $499 / £499.
- A $5.99 / £4.99 monthly membership is required for the high-end tracking features.
- Workout information is less detailed than the data supplied by wrist-based fitness trackers.
- Step counts and calorie estimates can be inflated compared with smartwatches, and The Verge still encountered occasional nighttime heart-rate gaps.
Oura Ring 4 key specs
| Starting price | $349 / £349 |
|---|---|
| Membership | $5.99 / £4.99 per month for high-end tracking |
| Weight | 3.3g |
| Water resistance | 10ATM |
| Sizes | 4 to 15 |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
The short version
Reviewers broadly agree that the Oura Ring 4 is the smart ring to beat. Its lighter, fully rounded design is more comfortable, redesigned sensors reduce data gaps as the ring rotates, and the organized app turns activity, sleep and stress data into useful guidance. The catch is cost: premium finishes are expensive, and most of the worthwhile tracking requires an ongoing membership.
What reviewers say about the Oura Ring 4
WIRED says the fourth-generation ring looks and feels more like jewelry, while its Smart Sensing platform improves accuracy and wearability. Trusted Reviews also found it noticeably lighter and more comfortable than the Gen 3 Heritage, although it noted that the overall dimensions have not shrunk dramatically.
PCMag calls it the best smart ring it has reviewed for accuracy, features and overall user experience, praising its activity, sleep and stress tracking and its informative app. The Verge agrees that Oura remains on top for now, but warns that the subscription is its biggest weakness and says some smart-ring estimates, particularly steps and calories, should still be treated cautiously.
Best settings for the Oura Ring 4
There are no display or performance settings to tune. Correct sizing is the important setup step because the fourth-generation sizing can differ from older Oura rings. Read the full The Verge review.
| Sizing kit | Try the new Oura Ring 4 sizing kit before ordering; The Verge’s reviewer changed from an old size 8 to a new size 9. |
|---|---|
| Available fit range | Choose from sizes 4 through 15, including four options added beyond the previous range. |
Buy it if sleep, recovery, stress and women’s-health insights matter more to you than detailed workout metrics.
Skip it if you dislike subscriptions, want the cheapest smart ring or need smartwatch-level exercise detail.
Also consider
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Trusted Reviews considers it a strong alternative, while The Verge says its premium design is not dramatically different from Oura’s.
RingConn 2
Trusted Reviews identifies it as another strong competitor that has narrowed Oura’s lead.
Should you buy the Oura Ring 4?
Yes, if you want a discreet health tracker focused on sleep, recovery, stress and women’s health. Across the cited reviews, critics agree that the Oura Ring 4 combines comfortable hardware, consistent sensing and the most polished smart-ring app experience. It is harder to justify for workout-focused buyers or anyone opposed to paying a membership after buying expensive hardware.
See our best Gadgets picks.
How we build this review
We read 4 professional reviews from WIRED, Trusted Reviews, PCMag, The Verge. We don’t test units ourselves — we distill what critics agree on. Every claim is cited.
Sources
RightWei aggregates and summarizes independent reviews — we link to the original hands-on tests so you can go deeper. We don’t test units ourselves.
Re-checked July 2026
