With a significantly smaller design, the Oura Ring 5 offers everything users have already loved about Oura and makes it easier to wear. It still offers fantastic battery life, reliable sensors, and pairs with a fantastic companion app that now also has proactive health features.
Oura Ring 5: A Smaller, More Comfortable Design
In recent years, it’s been pretty easy to recommend a smart ring. When someone asked me which one I should buy, I almost always referred them to Oura. The only problem was deciding whether the ring’s premium price and ongoing subscription were worth it. In other words, some wearable lines need to be reinvented to stay relevant, but the Oura Ring wasn’t one of them.
Instead of chasing a flashy new health metric or a gimmicky feature, Oura spent this generation refining what already worked, delivering a significantly smaller device without sacrificing accuracy or battery life. The story isn’t just about what the Oura Ring 5 ($399 at Oura) can do (which is a lot), but also about how much easier it is to wear 24/7.
It’s the Little Things
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
The Oura Ring 5’s biggest upgrade is exactly what I’ve wanted for years. Oura has shrunk the Ring 5 by about 40%, and that’s not just a note in the spec sheet. It’s immediately noticeable as soon as you apply it.
The new design feels noticeably less bulky. From typing to carrying groceries to getting dressed for the evening to going to bed, I’ve always appreciated the slimmer design and more comfortable fit. More than once during testing, I found myself checking to see if I had actually remembered to put it on that morning. This has never happened with a previous Oura Ring.
The Oura Ring 5 is the first smart ring that actually feels like a piece of jewelry that I would buy.
Since I also have fairly small hands, previous Oura rings have always felt more noticeable than I would have liked. Ring 5 is the first that actually feels like a piece of jewelry I would buy, rather than the feeling that I’m wearing my husband’s wedding ring.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
However, the redesign has a small catch: the size has changed. Oura also dropped a few sizes this generation, including my usual size 5. That meant switching to a size 6 and wearing the 5 ring on my index finger instead. I expected I would hate the change, but it’s actually very convenient and meant I didn’t have to rearrange my basic jewelry.
The titanium construction still feels as high-quality as previous generations and the workmanship performed well during testing. I even forgot to take it off during a hike that required a bit of scrambling, which says a lot about how comfortable the Ring 5 is and a little overstates how adventurous I actually am. Even though it’s hit more than a few rocks, it still looks surprisingly good.
Oura updated its gold colorway this generation, and I absolutely love the more muted hue. However, the Stealth, Brushed Silver, Gold, and Deep Rose options are considered premium finishes, so the aesthetic upgrade unfortunately costs $100 more compared to the base Black or Silver model.
Battery life is another highlight that helps the Ring 5 fade even more into the background. I charged the Ring 5 about once a week, usually while showering, and never had to think about it otherwise. This gives the device a very effective set-and-forget vibe, which makes sense for the ring form factor.
The only remaining disadvantage is the charging facility. Oura’s portable charging case (introduced in the last generation) is really handy for traveling, but unlike competitors RingConn and Ultrahuman, it’s still not included in the box. Considering the Ring 5 already costs a handful of money and still requires a subscription, it’s hard to accept paying a premium for the accessories.
Likewise, taking up an ongoing subscription is a continued disappointment. The monthly fee is $5.99 per month or $69.99 for an annual membership. While that’s not an exorbitant amount of money, it’s definitely a downside to the Oura platform. Unfortunately, it’s also a growing trend in wearables.
Accuracy in a Smaller Package
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
The smaller hardware does not come at the expense of accuracy. Overnight heart rate tracking was consistently excellent throughout my testing and closely matched my reference devices night after night. HRV trends were equally reliable and both metrics gave me confidence in the Ring 5’s recovery insights.
As usual, Oura still shines with sleep tracking, and not just because it’s the most comfortable and unobtrusive roommate. Compared to trusted reference devices, my sleep phases were among the most accurate I’ve ever tested. Equally important, the app turns all that data into something useful rather than just overwhelming you with graphics.
Oura’s biggest software addition is Health Radar, which brings together several new proactive health features, including blood pressure signals and night breathing. Instead of giving you another number to worry about, Health Radar looks for long-term patterns and gives you a clue when something isn’t right. I really appreciate this approach. Most mornings I don’t need another metric. I just want to know if there is anything I should pay attention to.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
The heart rate measurement was always reliable even during runs, walks, hikes and everyday cardio workouts. If most of your training looks like this, you’ll probably be completely happy with the results. When your hands spend a lot of time grasping something, things start to get a little wonky. If you’ve read my wearable device reviews before, you know that I have an unhealthy habit of using rowing workouts to humiliate optical heart rate sensors. When gripping the rowing handle, the Ring 5’s accuracy decreased, and I would expect similar inconsistencies on outdoor bike rides. This isn’t just the case with Oura, and many wrist-worn wearables struggle with the same issues.
But it’s still a reason I wouldn’t recommend relying on the Ring 5 alone if structured training is a priority for you. Honestly, I’d still be hesitant to recommend the Ring 5 as a primary fitness tracker for athletes. The Ring 5 is primarily a wellness tracker (not a workout tracker) and that’s exactly what it excels at. The ability to start workouts via the app is a nice addition, but it doesn’t make the ring the best form factor for training.
Oura Ring 5 Review: Should You Buy It?
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
The Oura Ring 5 does not reinvent the Oura formula. The significantly smaller design makes a much bigger difference than buyers might expect, and after a few weeks of testing, the return to the Ring 4 Ceramic feels noticeably clunky, even if it’s an eye-catcher.
If you already own the Ring 4 ($399 at Amazon) and are happy with it, I don’t think you need to rush into an upgrade. Aside from the build, the overall experience is very similar and many of Oura’s latest software features are already available on older hardware. However, if you’ve been wanting your smart ring to feel a little less techy, the new design makes a compelling case. Ring 4 was already easy to recommend and Ring 5 gives me even fewer reasons to take it off.
Ring 4 was already easy to recommend and Ring 5 gives me even fewer reasons to take it off
If you’re buying your first smart ring, the recommendation is simple. The Oura Ring 5 is my favorite wellness smart ring. For a subscription-free experience and even better battery life, the RingConn Gen 3 ($349 at Amazon) is another worthwhile purchase. If you’re already committed to the Samsung ecosystem, the Galaxy Ring ($399.99 at Amazon) offers unique integration with the brand’s phones and watches, although it’s overdue for an upgrade at this point, so you might want to wait for a second-generation version.
Oura Ring 5
Significantly smaller, more comfortable design • High-quality, durable titanium construction • Excellent battery life
MSRP: $399.00
The Oura Ring 5 shrinks the company’s design by 40% while adding new proactive health features like blood pressure signals, advanced health radar insights, and live activity tracking.
Positive
- Significantly smaller, more comfortable design
- High quality, durable titanium construction
- Excellent battery life
- Strong overnight heart rate and HRV accuracy
- Excellent sleep tracking
- Advanced proactive health insights
Disadvantages
- Expensive upfront price
- Requires ongoing subscription
- The portable charging case is still not included
- Not a huge upgrade if you already own and like the Ring 4
- Not ideal as a primary fitness tracker for athletes
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