Oura 4 review: is a smart ring subscription worth it?
The most beautiful ring design to date, the best software – the Oura 4 impressed in my test. But it also has one drawback: the tracker only works with an additional subscription.
The biggest question you have to ask yourself when testing the new Oura Ring 4 is how you feel about the subscription model. For many people, investing money in a gadget and then having to pay a monthly fee of six dollars to use it is a hard no. If you’re one of them, this Oura’s definitely not for you.
The Finnish manufacturer launched the first smart ring in 2015, making it one of the technology’s pioneers. In 2021, Oura switched to the subscription model with its third generation and – despite criticism – continues to have a large, wealthy fan base.
However, the competition has got much tougher in the last year or so. Even large manufacturers such as Samsung are entering the market – mostly without a subscription model. Of course, all of this has a bearing on the Oura Ring 4’s rating. But first, let’s look at what the subscription fee’s for.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Costs: nothing makes sense without the app
The fourth generation of the ring is available from 400 francs. Your free month starts when you connect the Oura 4 to the app for the first time. After that, you pay £5.99 per month or £69.99 per year.
Theoretically, you can decide not to continue with a paid subscription after the free month – or cancel it at any time within a month. The ring isn’t completely useless after that, but you’ll only see the three basic values for Sleep, Readiness and Activity. However, this option makes little sense, as you’d be better off choosing a manufacturer without a subscription that provides much more analysis – more on that at the end of this test.
App: the pioneer plays to its strengths
Even visually, the Oura app stands out from the competition. Despite the large amount of information, it’s easy to navigate, and I really like the Nordic design. Every shade, every colour gradient and every arrangement of graphics, numbers and text seem well thought out and harmonious.
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The three key indicators – Readiness, Sleep and Activity – are calculated using the data from the ring’s sensors and are each given as a score. Heart rate and a stress factor can also be called up separately. You can call up further details in each area across several levels.
Under Sleep, you’ll find the various sleep factors, but also an efficiency assessment, blood oxygen at night, regularity of breathing and heart rate variability (HRV). This is an indicator of how well the pulse can adapt to physical and mental demands.
The app highlights exceptional events – for example, if you slept particularly well or had an exemplary recovery time. Here, too, you won’t just find numbers; you’ll also get explanations and tips. Not all competitors offer this in such detail.
It takes some time to really use the app’s capabilities. You can and should tag special events. You can choose from around 100 different keywords to describe your status. The goal: to find out over time why stress symptoms occur or when you’re particularly able to recover, for example.
The Oura also recognises activities quite reliably – unlike other rings that only include them in normal tracking. You have to correct things manually. The activities are recognised, but can’t always be assigned precisely, so you can adjust them with tags and specify the type of sport or exercise.
Source: Lorenz Keller
App: deeper insights take time
The longer you use the app, the more accurate and meaningful the information becomes. Oura itself admits that most tracking only works well after around eight weeks. The more you help yourself with tags, the better the analysis becomes.
However, the options are sometimes confusing. For example, I couldn’t figure out how to correct an incorrectly saved bedtime. I found out using the Oura Help Center, which answers any question you have about the rings and app on the manufacturer’s website.
Unfortunately, corrections are a bit complicated: I have to click on Sleep and scroll down to the details. Then I can click on an inconspicuous symbol in the bedtime graphic and adjust my time in bed using sliders.
The more you work with the app, the more possibilities open up. Oura goes much further than many competitors. Oura Labs enables you to try out and evaluate new functions before they’re permanently included in the app. In Experiments, challenges will be suggested to you – for example, not consuming any caffeine six hours before going to sleep for 14 days and observing the effects on your sleep. I’m guided step by step, given reminders and encouraged to persevere.
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I can have my resilience assessed and observe the change over time – or start measuring my «cardiovascular age» at the touch of a button. I can see a result after a few weeks. After that, I can see how healthy my cardiovascular system is compared to my actual age. Oura can also calculate your endurance performance with a six-minute walking test.
Design: the most beautiful ring, but the charging station’s nothing special
Let’s get to the hardware – the ring itself. It has a special feature, both compared to its predecessor and the competition. The sensors are completely integrated into the housing and no longer protrude. What’s more, both the outside and inside are made of titanium – only punctuated by five small recesses for the sensors.
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Not only does the Oura 4 look much more high-quality without the cast resin interior; it’s also more comfortable to wear and the light from the sensors isn’t visible from the outside the ring’s being worn. This is particularly beneficial at night when you want a completely dark bedroom.
No other ring is available with so many variations. There are six different colours and textures to choose from: I received the silver ring to test, but there’s also a more matte brushed version as well as gold, rose gold, black and stealth – a kind of matte black.
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Rings are available in twelve sizes from 4 to 15. To find your fit, it’s worth ordering the sizing kit beforehand and trying it out. For example, I usually wear size 11, but there have also been models where size 12 has fit better.
The charging station is a bit disappointing in comparison. It doesn't come in the form of a battery-powered case like with other manufacturers – there’s just a dock connected to the power supply. It’s made of aluminium, but the grey ring holder in the middle is made of plastic and looks out of place. It doesn’t really fit with the Oura 4’s elegant design.
The battery in the tracker lasts around seven and a half days. This is now standard for smart rings, but models such as the RingConn 2 run for much longer without recharging.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Tracking: how precise are Oura’s measurements?
The Finnish manufacturer is very well regarded for the accuracy of its measurements. It’s not easy to verify this objectively in a test outside a lab. What I can say is the values in my test seemed conclusive. Activities were automatically recognised and recorded fairly reliably. The sleep values also matched my perception. Oura even recognised the onset of a cold from restless sleep and a slightly elevated temperature – and recommended a restful day.
I measured my sleep several times in parallel with the ring and my Google Pixel Watch 3 – here, for example, on 24th January. The sleep duration is practically identical – there’s just a one-minute difference. The «good» sleep rating’s also identical.
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There are small differences in the details. For example, both trackers detected that I had three restless sleeps or was briefly awake during the night. However, according to the watch, these interruptions only lasted 15 minutes, while recorded 29 minutes. It remains unclear whether one tracker measures more precisely or whether the grey area between half-sleep and being awake is interpreted differently. However, since both come to a similar overall assessment, I don’t think the differences are a big deal.
Another thing I can check is the step measurement. I went for a 1,000-step walk twice and counted them manually with a clicker. Like the other rings, the Oura does a good job. However, it’s around 0.5 per cent too high each time – in contrast to the Pixel Watch 3, which clearly counts too little. The RingConn 2’s a little more accurate, while the Samsung Galaxy Ring fluctuates more.
Is the subscription worth it – or not?
This is a key question when it comes to the Oura 4, but it can ultimately only be answered on a case-by-case basis. In general, one thing’s certain: the Finnish manufacturer offers added value with well-made software that offers impressive functions. You can track your wellness, fitness and sleep in great detail and depth.
I notice the company’s investing a lot and constantly releasing new features – such as calculating fertile days during the menstrual cycle, which was added a few days ago. At the same time, according to Oura, the update predicts periods two to three times more accurately than before.
The further you want to delve into the data and the more interested you are not only in steps, sleep and heart rate, but additional stats on stress, readiness, resilience or heart health, the more likely it is that the Oura Ring and a subscription is for you.
Alternatives include the more compact and less conspicuous RingConn 2, which doesn’t require a subscription and has significantly longer battery life, but offers a less sophisticated app.
In a nutshell
Good, but at a price
The Oura 4 is a stylish smart ring that, for the first time, has a titanium coating on the inside to protect the sensors. However, its great strength is its software, which enables detailed analysis of the data it collects and calculates countless key stats.
The Finnish manufacturer gives tips for the right bedtime for you and points out inconsistencies – not so often that it’s annoying, but enough that I pay closer attention and, ideally, pay better attention to my body.
But all this doesn’t come for free. In addition to the already high price of the ring, there’s also a monthly subscription fee. This is the only major drawback of the Oura 4.
Pro
- Elegant ring design in a number of colourways
- Perfect integration with the app
- Software has a beautiful, clear design
- Detailed analysis with plenty of key stats
Contra
- High base price and additional subscription
- Only average battery life
Header image: Lorenz Keller
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Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
