Oura Ring 5 review: Breakthrough Smart Ring

Best Prices Today: Oura Ring 5

The Oura Ring 5 is an unexpected update to the leading smart ring. Though it was anticipated for late 2027, Oura released the new model over a year earlier.

With the Ring 5, the goal is straightforward: to refine its hardware by making it even smaller without sacrificing performance or battery life.

I’ve been an Oura Ring user for a long time and have also tried its competitors. Is there more to the Oura Ring 5 than a compact design? I’ve been wearing it for nearly a month to find out.

Design & Build

• 40% reduction in size
• Enhanced scratch resistance
• Available in six colors

The Oura Ring 5 is notably smaller than its predecessor, the Oura Ring 4—40% to be exact, and even more compared to the bulkier Oura Ring 4 Ceramic Edition.

Smaller size also means it’s lighter, reducing from 3.3-5.2g (depending on size) to just 2g for the lightest model. The ring’s width has decreased from 7.9mm to 6.09mm, offering a slimmer profile.

Placing the Ring 5 next to standard and ceramic versions of the Oura Ring 4, as well as other smart rings, its reduced presence on the hand is immediately apparent.

Mike Sawh

Despite the size reduction, my ring size was consistent with previous Oura models, ensuring a secure fit.

The ring is crafted from titanium, offering a lightweight yet durable option. Currently, only a titanium model is available, so those wanting a ceramic version will have to wait for a potential future release.

Oura has applied a tougher PVD coating to enhance scratch resistance. After several weeks of wear, the ring has resisted significant scuffing, though the ceramic Ring 4 remains the best choice for avoiding marks.

Mike Sawh

The Oura Ring 5 comes in six color choices. I tested the brushed silver, which offers a more subdued silver appearance than its predecessor. Other colors include black and silver (more cost-effective) or gold, stealth (matte black), and the new Deep Rose, which has a copper-like hue. Sizes range from 6-13, differing from the Ring 4’s options.

As with earlier models, you can order a free sizing kit to ensure the best fit for tracking.

While Oura introduced a charging case for the Ring 4, the Ring 5 continues with a dock-style charger. The charging case, priced at an additional £99/$99, allows for up to five charges and is compatible with the new model and the correct ring size.

Fitness & Tracking 

• Tracks metrics similar to the Oura Ring 4
• Updated sensors for enhanced tracking accuracy
• Subscription required for full app access

The hardware within the Ring 5 remains largely unchanged. Inside the ring are two photodetector sensors, two sets of triple LEDs, a temperature sensor, and an accelerometer for monitoring movement and sleep.

These components allow the Ring 5 to gather information on steps, exercise, heart rate, sleep, and stress, powering Oura’s key readiness and resilience metrics. The sensors have been redesigned to enhance accuracy over the Ring 4 in certain areas.

Mike Sawh

The Oura companion app remains a leader in presenting data and insights engagingly. While some features are available for free, a monthly or annual subscription is necessary to fully benefit from the device.

Integration with Strava, Headspace, and Clue helps fill gaps in features not offered by the Oura ecosystem.

The main Today screen provides updates on daily readiness scores or bedtime reminders. A dropdown menu offers additional features such as meal logging or symptom radar.

Mike Sawh

New software features like Health Radar are initially available to US users. This feature expands on Oura’s Symptom Radar to identify early signs of illness. Blood pressure signals will be available in certain regions. While you can’t take a blood pressure reading directly, Oura tracks trends in cardiovascular patterns using its optical sensors at night.

These software features will be available to both Oura Ring 5 and Ring 4 users, making the upgrade less urgent for existing owners.

For daily step tracking, the Oura performs well. I’ve compared it with two other trackers, and daily totals were consistently close.

Heart rate tracking improvements are noticeable, especially for exercise heart rate and recovery tracking during sleep. The sleep heart rate ranges matched those from a Garmin and another smart ring, with similar daytime averages.

However, heart rate tracking during exercise can be challenging for smart rings, including Oura, as they tend to move around during activity. To address this, Oura now allows live heart rate data sharing from another wearable device, although it requires owning a second device.

Mike Sawh

In terms of sleep tracking, a strength of Oura, the Ring 5 offers even greater comfort for wearing at night. Along with sleep scores, users receive summaries and detailed breakdowns of sleep stages and duration.

Insights are accurate, particularly in capturing sleep onset and time spent in REM and deep sleep. Oura also tracks sleep debt recovery and alignment with one’s natural body clock.

Many of these metrics support Oura’s key readiness and resilience insights. Readiness indicates if you’re prepared for a demanding day, while resilience evaluates your ability to recover from physical or mental stress.

Additional guidance and prompts are available to help manage stress. I find readiness insights more actionable than resilience ones. If stress management is a priority, this feature could be particularly beneficial.

Battery Life & Charging

• Up to nine days of battery life
• Fully charges in 80 minutes
• Optional charging case is available

Despite its smaller size, Oura claims the Ring 5 maintains its battery life, lasting between six to nine days. This is an improvement over the Ring 4’s five to eight days.

Mike Sawh

Oura has adjusted the design and used software to optimize battery performance. If you’re not using the power-consuming blood oxygen sensor, the ring can last a week.

While not the best among smart rings, with RingConn Gen 2 and Ultrahuman’s rings offering longer battery life, the Ring 5 should be sufficient for most users.

Charging remains the same with a dock-style charger that takes over an hour to reach full battery. For a more convenient charging option, consider the charging case, priced at £99/$99.

Price & Availability

The Oura Ring 5 is priced from £399/$399, increasing to £499/$499 depending on the finish. This is a £50/$50 increase over the Oura Ring 4, along with a subscription cost of £5.99/$5.99 monthly or £69.99/$69.99 annually.

This positions it as one of the pricier smart rings. With alternatives like the £84/$99 Fitbit Air, it might not be an obvious choice if you prefer a non-ring option.

The Oura Ring 5 is available through the official store and retailers like Amazon UK, Currys, and John Lewis. In the US, it can be purchased from BestBuy and Amazon.

It is less expensive compared to the Ultrahuman Ring Pro ($419) and RingConn Gen 2 ($418.60), which do not require subscriptions. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is priced similarly at £399/$399.

The Oura Ring 4 is still available, priced between £349-£399/$349-$399, and may be found on sale during events like Amazon Prime Day, making it a viable option if the Ring 5 is too costly.

Explore our list of the best smart rings for more recommendations.

Should you buy the Oura Ring 5?

If you’re content with the Oura Ring 4’s size, appearance, and performance—whether ceramic or regular—you may not need the Oura Ring 5. The new software features will also be available for the Ring 4.

If you’ve been waiting for a smaller, more discreet Oura, the Ring 5 meets that need, offering the same features and potentially longer battery life if you’re comfortable with the subscription cost.

Oura’s hardware and software combination remains unmatched. While competitors like Ultrahuman and newcomers such as Leep Ring 1 offer impressive software, their hardware lacks Oura’s style.

I’ve enjoyed the Oura Ring 5, and its compact design will likely attract more buyers, despite the subscription requirement. However, I’d also be satisfied returning to my ceramic Oura Ring 4, as both options offer robust features without missing significant software updates.

Specs

• Up to nine-day battery life
• Compatible with Android and iOS
• Requires subscription (monthly or annual)
• 2.28mm thickness
• Weight from 2g
• Tracks blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and temperature
• Water resistant up to 100 meters
• Monitors sleep and daily activity