$399<\/p>\n The GoodThinner, lightweight designMetal finish is more durableLots of software updatesCase now supports wireless chargingBattery life is solidThe BadWe\u2019re approaching data overloadThe smallest and biggest sizes aren\u2019t availableReally wish this came in ceramicThe charging case is sold separately<\/p>\n Still not convinced? Here are more reasons why you don\u2019t need to upgrade. Unless the bigger ring is uncomfortable to wear because your fingers are particularly petite, the difference isn\u2019t that noticeable. If the finish on your ring is blasted to hell, I\u2019d actually recommend the ceramic Oura Ring 4. While my Oura Ring 5 is much more durable than the non-ceramic Ring 4, it still got a few nicks in about a month and a half of wear. (Note: I\u2019m rough on rings, so if you take greater care, this might not apply to you.) That said, should you have the funds in your FSA\/HSA, or are blessed enough to not sweat the price, do what makes you happy. Now that the Oura app supports pairing multiple rings, I can confirm that you can easily swap between multiple rings, so your older Oura doesn\u2019t have to become e-waste.<\/p>\n The Oura Ring 4 in ceramic (top), Oura Ring 5 (center) and the regular Oura Ring 4.<\/p>\n My main hardware gripe with the Oura Ring 5 is sizing. At my initial hands-on<\/a>, Oura told me that the Ring 5 will have a narrower size range than its predecessor. Sizes 4, 5, 14, and 15 aren\u2019t available. I was told this is because Oura is still assessing the demand, given the Oura Ring 4\u2019s expanded range is still relatively new. That\u2019s disappointing for accessibility reasons. However, in my mind, this is also further proof that functionally, there\u2019s not much difference between the 4 and 5 for consumers. (Either that, or Oura found it particularly difficult on the smaller sizes to fit in all the components.) Likewise, I\u2019m disappointed to see that there\u2019s no ceramic option for the 5.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll acknowledge that sizing is tough with smart rings. Fingers swell, and if you lose or gain weight, that can affect sizing as well. For that reason, you should still try out the latest sizing kit. Case in point, I\u2019ve lost a good chunk of weight and while a size 9 fits me perfectly in the Ring 5, my size 9 Ring 4 fits more loosely.<\/p>\n My other quibble is Oura\u2019s decision to make the charging case a $99 accessory instead of the default charger. Cases are just better than docks, especially if you have a naughty cat that likes to knock the dock off your nightstand. Also, it stinks that if you already bought a charging case for the Ring 4, you\u2019ll have to buy another one for the Ring 5 because they\u2019re not forward- or backward-compatible due to the sizing differences between generations.<\/p>\n But enough about hardware. Oura tends to bundle new rings with a bunch of new software updates, and there\u2019s no exception here. This time around, Oura\u2019s launched:<\/p>\n GLP-1 InsightsHealth Radar, which bundles Symptom Radar<\/a> with nighttime breathing patterns and blood pressure signals for a more holistic way to flag significant health changesMedical lab importsThe ability to delete health data from a specific time periodImproved live activity trackingA medical AI chatbot that can connect you with an actual doctor through Counsel Health<\/a><\/p>\n This isn\u2019t gatekept to the Ring 5, and most of these are optional. And while I don\u2019t object to the individual features, they had the overall effect of making the Oura app feel a lot more cluttered.<\/p>\n I first began long-term testing the Oura Ring in 2019. It used to be a relatively simple app experience where I could log in and check three main scores: activity, readiness, and sleep. Several app redesigns and feature launches later, the Oura app is verging on too much data. One new-ish metric, for instance, is nighttime breathing. While Oura has long measured your nighttime breathing disturbances, it now gives insight into your \u201cprevailing pattern\u201d over a 30-day period and associated factors like demographics, weight, activity levels, sleep regularity, and average sleep duration. It\u2019ll tell you which of those factors has room for improvement, and which ones you\u2019re doing well with. That sounds fine in a vacuum, but finding this metric is confusing and is buried in several other screens.<\/p>\n There\u2019s so much more reading in the Oura app.<\/p>\n And metrics.<\/p>\n And AI insights.<\/p>\n More isn\u2019t always better. I miss when Oura was a bit more streamlined.<\/p>\n Health Radar mostly works in the background and only surfaces insights to your Today tab \u2014 which I appreciate. That said, I haven\u2019t had any significant changes to my health in the last six weeks, so I can\u2019t really say if it accurately detects anything yet.<\/p>\n The most useful update for me, personally, has been GLP-1 Insights, though it\u2019ll be more useful if you\u2019re newer to the medication. I get dose reminders every week, and I can specify where I\u2019ve decided to inject (e.g., which arm, which leg, or which part of the abdomen). I can also tag symptoms and an AI summary will provide context as to whether what I\u2019m experiencing is normal. My main gripe is that to get the best experience, you\u2019ve got to track and tag symptoms daily. That\u2019s not as helpful seven months into my journey. It\u2019s also less useful if you have some more unusual side effects from the drug. (For example, Oura\u2019s AI insights had no advice for my ear popping \u2014 which is not a direct side effect of a GLP-1 but one that many users experience<\/a>.)<\/p>\n I\u2019ve spilled a ton of ink on my feelings about AI chatbots in fitness tracking apps. My skepticism and less-than-impressed feelings haven\u2019t changed. However, I appreciate that connecting to an actual doctor is a bit easier in the Oura app. (Note: The medical AI chatbot is included in your subscription, but any consultations or resulting prescriptions will cost you extra.) That said, I found this mostly appropriate for quick questions that didn\u2019t warrant a doctor visit but need better reliability than Dr. Google. For more serious care, I still recommend finding a primary care physician you actually like.<\/p>\n Truly wish the charging case wasn\u2019t sold separately for $99.<\/p>\n Ultimately, I keep thinking \u201cless is more\u201d with Oura. This was already the best smart ring, and it still is. Especially in terms of hardware. But the main reason people flock to smart rings over smartwatches is they offer a simpler experience. Zero notifications, basic metrics, and a more streamlined health tracking approach. Many of the new features are optional, but the clutter isn\u2019t. I can appreciate that Oura might be trying to deliver more value to its subscribers by loading the ring up with health tracking features. I simply question if that\u2019s necessary. People flocked to Oura because it wasn\u2019t a maximalist device. But as it stands right now? I\u2019m starting to get data fatigue from the wearable I used to turn to feel less overwhelmed.<\/p>\n Agree to Continue: Oura Ring 5<\/p>\n Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it \u2014 contracts that no one actually reads. It\u2019s impossible for us to read and analyze every single one of these agreements. But we started counting exactly how many times you have to hit \u201cagree\u201d to use devices when we review them since these are agreements most people don\u2019t read and definitely can\u2019t negotiate.<\/p>\n To use an Oura Ring, you must pair it with an iOS \/ Android smartphone. That includes the phone\u2019s terms of service, privacy policy, and any other permissions you grant. You may also be asked to share permissions for location data, Bluetooth, etc.<\/p>\n By using the Oura Ring 5, you\u2019re agreeing to these mandatory agreements:<\/p>\n There are several optional agreements for health sharing:<\/p>\n If you integrate with Apple Health \/ Google Fit or third-party apps like Strava, you agree to their terms.You can select which metrics are shared to or read from Apple Health \/ Google Fit.You can agree to import workouts from other apps. If you do, you agree to that app\u2019s terms as well as Apple Health \/ Google Fit.If you choose to use the Oura Ring for digital birth control with Natural Cycles, you will also have to agree to their terms, conditions, and privacy policies.If you choose to import medical labs, or use the Counsel AI medical chatbot, you also agree to their terms, conditions, and privacy policies.Choosing to partake in any research studies within the Oura Labs features also means you consent to share your data with Oura for further research.<\/p>\n Final tally: whatever your phone requires, three mandatory Oura policies, and at least four optional agreements for health sharing.<\/p>\n Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Victoria SongClose Victoria Song<\/p>\n Senior Reviewer, Wearable Tech<\/p>\n Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All by Victoria Song<\/a><\/p>\n FitnessClose<\/p>\n Fitness<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Fitness<\/a><\/p>\n Fitness Tracker ReviewsClose<\/p>\n Fitness Tracker Reviews<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Fitness Tracker Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n GadgetsClose<\/p>\n Gadgets<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Gadgets<\/a><\/p>\n HealthClose<\/p>\n Health<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Health<\/a><\/p>\n ReviewsClose<\/p>\n Reviews<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n ScienceClose<\/p>\n Science<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Science<\/a><\/p>\n TechClose<\/p>\n Tech<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/268600_oura_ring_5_AKrales_0056.jpg\"\/)
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