1 day Ago By Andrew Romero
In 2025, the wearable market can be easily divided into a couple of categories. The watch or wrist wearable seems to be the most popular option, simply driven by the number of options available to choose from. The ring wearable tracker, however, offers a different set of conveniences, but it isn’t for everyone.
In that second category, the Oura Ring 4 is easily our favorite option. Hardware — What’s different? Fit and finish Oura is no longer a new name in the wearable market in Android or Apple ecosystems. The first-generation smart ring was introduced in 2015, and the company has only improved since.
We originally reviewed the Oura Ring Gen 3 in 2024, though that model had been out for some time. Now, Oura has made the Ring 4 available, and it only builds on what the previous generation offers. The Oura Ring 4 comes in a few different colors and finishes.
I ended up with the Rose Gold version, which comes with a perfect metallic finish that slightly varies from the much more yellow Gold variant. Oura also offers a matte Stealth version for those of us who also like darker bands. When I first put the Oura Ring 4 on, I was genuinely concerned with how well the finish would hold up, as is the case with every wearable.
In truth, I have not been kind to the Oura Ring 4, and the Rose Gold finish has held up much better than expected. It can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet, but it’s not showing nearly as much scratching and scuffing as I thought it would, which leaves me a little shocked. The only reason I would’ve avoided metallic finishes is durability, and I don’t think I can argue that case anymore.
Of course, your results might vary, but all the images in this review were taken around the time of writing, and I’ve been wearing this ring for a couple of months at this point, so infer what you’d like. As for comfort, I also have little to complain about. I thought the previous generation felt good, but Oura made a big change in this version.
Instead of those two nubs sticking out from the inside of the ring to aid in vital measurements, the Oura Ring 4 chooses to keep a flush inner circumference. This means there are no little molded mounds sticking into your finger, and nothing abnormal to get used to. It feels like a normal ring, and well-rounded on the inside.
The thickness of the ring itself also appears slightly thinner, which makes for a more comfortable experience. At no point does it feel like an oversized ring or band, and it’s not immediately obvious that it’s a smart ring. Without the plateau that some of the previous models had, it looks just like any other band, and that’s perfect.
Packed-in sensors Similar to the previous model, the Oura Ring 4 packs in all the necessary sensors into a tiny package. As thin as the ring itself is, sensors capable of reading data beneath the surface of your skin need to live within those walls to measure all of your vitals, including blood oxygen, heart rate, HRV, and respiration levels during sleep. The Oura Ring 4 packs red, green, and infrared LEDs to measure these variables consistently.
Another digital sensor measures temperature variations, which can be useful for tracking menstrual cycles and oncoming sickness. The ring houses an accelerometer for movement tracking for the entire time you’re wearing it. Oura notes that the red and infrared LEDs will measure blood oxygen levels, while the green and infrared LEDs measure heart rate and variability.
That plays into sleep tracking, and all the data collected ends up being aggregated in the app in a way that’s easy to understand. Performance Data is beautiful Where the Oura Ring 4 truly shines is in the app. Yes, it packs some high-end sensors that collect an absurd amount of data throughout the day for days on end, but the way that data is aggregated and presented set Oura apart from every other health software available.
The app is broken down into several pages, ranging from a daily summary to vitals and overall health trends. Having these three separate pages makes for easily understood information, which is absolutely necessary in a health app. The daily section highlights certain scores developed through the company’s algorithms.
For instance, readiness, sleep, and activity scores are all available at the top of the page. That is accompanied by your time stressing out and your average heart rate. These items are set to appear at a glance, and they set the tone for the data appearing below.
Each of those data points can be further explored or glanced at in slightly further detail by scrolling down. The entire Oura app does a great job of breaking down complex data into well-delivered information. If I need to know how well I slept, I can tap my sleep score and dive in.
If I need further information on how my sleep affects my health, the health tab will provide more information on regularity and my history. With the Oura Ring 4, this isn’t my first time using the app. In fact, I’ve been using it for well over a year.
At that time, Oura consistently delivered updates that made the app much more useful, and I think that’s one of my favorite parts of using Oura Ring 4. The constant app support is wonderful and makes for a really good experience, even if it is $6/month. As far as the ring itself, I’ve compared data tracking with my other wearables, and it fills the mold of an accurate tracker.
If you’re looking for something that can give you incredibly detailed workout information, you might find that the workout options are lacking in detail. Still, Oura’s workout list is long, and the important information I need is always presented accurately. Oura has always seemed to be about the bigger picture, and the app reflects that well.
Battery life Oura noted that the Oura Ring 4 comes with a better battery than the previous generation, and I agree to the extent that it’s a marginal difference. I was hoping for an easy week or so on a single charge, but I’ve been getting somewhere around 5 or 6 days. That’s still great, but my mileage has varied from what was expected.
The previous version did get around four days of real-life use, so it is definitely an improvement. On top of that, the new charger is much nicer and seems to sit a little better on a nightstand or desk. I usually see under an hour for a full charge if the ring is fully dead.
Of course, it takes less time if it’s simply a top off, which might be the best method if you’re sitting in bed reading or something and want to get a little more life in the ring. In any case, the Oura Ring 4 charges relatively fast and lasts for days on end. That’s more than can be expected of many smartwatches and even some other rings.
For as thin as the ring is this time around, 5 or 6 days feels like a really good lifespan. One could argue that future versions with something like a silicon-carbon battery might last for weeks, but that’s down the road, and this version fits my needs nicely. Final thoughts The Oura Ring 4 has easily taken the spot of best wearable fitness tracker.
Coincidentally, it took that spot from the Oura Ring 3. The way the app is designed really pulls a lot of weight, even though the Oura Ring 4 brings almost no cons in terms of hardware design or internal performance. It does its job phenomenally well.
Now, that sentiment might be undercut by the fact that the Oura Ring 4 is $349 at the lowest, which feels like a lot for the amount of physical space the ring takes up. That cost comes from the R&D and the cost of sensors in such a small frame. Now, if you wanted to go with a Stealth model, or even Gold, you’re going to be paying much more.
It really comes down to whether or not you value the low-profile approach to fitness trackers. The fact that I can check my heart rate and other vitals while wearing a watch that doesn’t light up is a valuable ability to me, but that isn’t the case for everyone. The minimal approach isn’t for everyone, but I genuinely think Oura does a great job of developing exciting hardware and software.
The Oura Ring has consistently become the one piece of tech I wear every single day, no questions asked. Buy Oura Ring 4.
