Oura Ring 5 shrinks fast, targets comfort and style

Oura Ring – Oura’s latest smart ring, the Ring 5, is a major physical rethink: it’s 40% smaller than Ring 4, weighs as little as 2 grams, and is designed to blend in as everyday jewelry. It also improves battery life, adds new finishes, and launches with software features

When I opened the box for the Oura Ring 5, my first thought was blunt: “Wow, that’s tiny.” The second was more telling—after wearing the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic for a long stretch, the Ring 5 doesn’t just feel like an update. It feels like a response to everything people complained about.

Oura bills the Ring 5 as the world’s smallest smart ring, and the measurements back that up. It’s 40% smaller than the Ring 4. coming in at 6.09 mm wide versus Ring 4’s 7.90 mm. and 2.28 mm thick compared with Ring 4’s 2.88 mm. Weight shifts too: depending on ring size, Ring 5 lands between 2 grams and 2.69 grams, while Ring 4 weighs between 3.3 grams and 5.2 grams.

In day-to-day wear, those numbers translate into something simple—comfort. The Ring 5 no longer feels like a wearable tech device you can’t ignore. Instead of standing out, it blends into the rest of your jewelry. Oura says it’s designed to look and feel like any other ring. and after swapping from Ring 4. it’s hard to argue with that.

The Ring 5 starts at $399.

That price sits inside a bigger debate Oura has been forced to face for years. Smart rings are either life-changing. for the people who love the data. or they’re too bulky to ever feel worth it. The Ring 5 aims squarely at the middle ground—those who liked the idea. but didn’t want a noticeable piece of tech on their hands. Oura was aware of that demand for a thinner. more compact design. and told me users had been asking for exactly that.

It’s also not happening in a vacuum. Oura has had to update its lineup as subscription-free rivals like RingConn and Ultrahuman pushed into the same space, both selling rings lighter than the Ring 4.

Even if Ring 4 wasn’t overtly uncomfortable, the difference is obvious once you live with the new model. With the Ring 4, I was always aware I had it on. With the Ring 5, I often forget it’s there. That matters to anyone who doesn’t automatically wear jewelry.

The smaller design helps at night too. I found it more comfortable to wear while tracking sleep and health metrics. A smart ring is already easier to tolerate than a smartwatch for nighttime wear, and the Ring 5 takes that step further by being even less noticeable at bedtime.

Battery life is part of the same “less fuss” equation. The Ring 5 lasts between six and nine days, compared with the Ring 4’s five to eight day range. In my experience, the improvement holds up. The ring arrived 50% charged. After about 30 minutes on the charger following the setup process, it reached 75%. After five days of continuous wear. I still hadn’t needed to charge it. and I was down to about 25% battery.

Oura also made a trade-off on sizing. The Ring 5 comes in fewer sizes—sizes 6 to 13—while the Ring 4 ranges from sizes 4 to 15. Oura told me the fewer options are due to the challenges of manufacturing smaller rings in the new form factor. The company said it chose to focus on the most popular sizes and is monitoring demand for the discontinued sizes.

The ring’s look is another major shift. The Ring 5 comes in six finishes: a redesigned Gold with a truer gold tone, an updated Deep Rose with a copper-like look, plus Silver, Brushed Silver, Black, and Stealth.

Oura sent me the Gold version. It’s the kind of change you can see instantly: unlike previous gold Oura rings, this one doesn’t have a yellow tinge. The tone is subtler, closer to actual gold jewelry.

There’s also a clear pricing split here. The Gold finish, along with the Stealth and Deep Rose finishes, is priced at $499—$100 more than the standard finishes.

Durability is the one area I can’t fully judge yet. since I’ve only had the Ring 5 for five days. Still, Oura says it’s more scratch-resistant than previous generations thanks to a new finishing technique. I did have a small scare early on: while grabbing a rusty swing chain. I thought I might have scratched the ring’s alignment guide line. It turned out rust had rubbed on to the ring instead. and I was able to clean it off with a cloth.

Oura says the Ring 5 uses a new physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating process designed to help the ring keep its premium “out-of-the-box” look for longer. It’s a promise that will be tested over time.

The Ring 5 arrives with software moving too. Oura is launching it alongside new software features coming to the Oura Ring Gen3 and later products, including Blood Pressure Signals and Nighttime Breathing. I can’t speak to those features yet because they’re set to launch later this month.

After a few days, the takeaway is hard to ignore. The Oura Ring 5 is a notable upgrade over the Ring 4—especially in comfort and aesthetics. For anyone who hasn’t bought a smart ring yet. it’s an easier sell now that it doesn’t feel like bulky tech. For current Ring 4 owners. the decision comes down to budget and how much you care about appearance. particularly since Ring 4 will receive the new software updates.

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