[ HEAD-TO-HEAD ]

Oura Ring 5 vs Oura Ring 4 (2026)

The Oura Ring 5 (June 2026) is slimmer and has redesigned sensors — but the headline new software features are also coming to the Ring 4. So the real question is not "which is better on paper" (the Ring 5 is), it is "should you pay for it" — and the answer is different for a new buyer than for a Ring 4 owner.

VERDICT: TIE

If you are buying fresh, the Oura Ring 5 is the one to get — slimmer, better sensors, longer battery. If you already own a Ring 4, hold: the new app features roll out to your ring too, so you would be paying for sensors and fit, not new capability. The mandatory subscription applies to both.

Oura8.1 / 10

Oura Ring 5

Smart ring

The 2026 flagship — 40% slimmer with genuinely upgraded sensors, and still the most accurate overnight HRV and sleep tracker. The mandatory subscription remains the only real catch.

Oura7.9 / 10

Oura Ring 4

Smart ring

Still an excellent overnight HRV and sleep tracker — now one step below the slimmer, upgraded-sensor Oura Ring 5, but sharing the same new software and often the better value discounted. Mandatory subscription remains.

Head-to-head breakdown

Sensors & accuracy
Ring 5 has redesigned sensors — stronger LEDs, low-profile domes, 12 signal pathways — for more consistent contact across skin tones and finger types. The Ring 4 was already the accuracy leader; the Ring 5 nudges ahead on hardware.
Oura Ring 5
Size & comfort
The Ring 5 is ~40% slimmer and lighter (6.09mm × 2.28mm) than the Ring 4 — the clearest, most felt improvement. Note the narrower size range (6–13 vs 4–15).
Oura Ring 5
Battery
Ring 5: 6–9 days. Ring 4: 5–8 days. A modest but real gain.
Oura Ring 5
New software features
A tie by design: live workout tracking, women’s-health additions, the lost-ring finder and lab/bloodwork import are rolling out to the Ring 4 (and Gen3) too, not exclusive to the Ring 5. This is the crux of the upgrade question.
Tie
Price
Ring 4: $349. Ring 5: $399 ($499 premium finishes). Both add the mandatory ~$6/month membership. The Ring 4 is $50 cheaper and now often discounted.
Oura Ring 4
Upgrade value for existing owners
For someone already on a Ring 4, the Ring 5 adds sensors and slimness but no new app capability — a weak upgrade case. The Ring 4 wins on "do not spend money you do not need to".
Oura Ring 4

Choose Oura Ring 5

Choose the Oura Ring 5 if you are buying your first Oura (or replacing an older Gen3): the ~40% slimmer body, upgraded sensors and 6–9 day battery make it the best ring to start on.

Choose Oura Ring 4

Stay on (or buy) the Oura Ring 4 if you already own one, or if you can find it discounted now that the Ring 5 has shipped — it gets the same new software and costs $50 less.

The short version

On paper the Oura Ring 5 wins — slimmer, upgraded sensors, longer battery. But because Oura is rolling the new software features out to the Ring 4 too, the upgrade question splits by who you are.

If you are a new buyer

Get the Ring 5. The 40% slimmer body, redesigned sensors and 6–9 day battery make it the best ring to start on, and the price gap over the Ring 4 is small.

If you already own a Ring 4

Hold. You are getting the same new app features, so upgrading pays for sensors and fit, not capability — a weak case unless comfort or contact consistency genuinely bother you. And with the Ring 5 out, the Ring 4 is the value buy.

Either way

The mandatory membership applies to both, and remains the main mark against Oura. For subscription-free alternatives, see the Ultrahuman Ring Pro or Samsung Galaxy Ring, or the full best HRV trackers.

Common questions

Should I upgrade from the Oura Ring 4 to the Ring 5?

Probably not, on features alone. The new software (workout tracking, women’s health, bloodwork import) is coming to the Ring 4 as well, so upgrading buys you redesigned sensors and a ~40% slimmer body — worth it only if accuracy consistency or comfort genuinely bother you. For a new buyer, the Ring 5 is the better starting point.

What actually changed on the Oura Ring 5?

Two real things: redesigned sensors (stronger LEDs, low-profile domes, 12 signal pathways for better contact across skin tones/finger types) and a ~40% slimmer, lighter body with a 6–9 day battery. The app changes are shared with the Ring 4.

Is the Oura Ring 4 still worth buying in 2026?

Yes — especially discounted. It shares the new software with the Ring 5, keeps best-in-class overnight HRV and sleep, and costs $50 less. The Ring 5’s edge is sensors and fit, not capability.

See the full ranking

Best HRV Trackers (2026)

ONDA ranks the best HRV trackers of 2026 — rings, bands, smartwatches and chest straps — scored on measurement accuracy, sleep, data access and value.

→