Oura sells both rings. The Ring 5 is 40 percent smaller, lasts a little longer and costs $50 more. The Ring 4 gets every 2026 software feature anyway and fits more fingers. Here is what is actually different in metal, what is identical in the app, and whether an owner should upgrade or a new buyer should save the money.
Disclosure: Fitcoin is our product. We are not affiliated with Whoop, Oura, Google, Fitbit, Garmin, Polar, Amazfit, Xiaomi, Samsung, Ultrahuman, RingConn, Hume Health, Bionny, Apple or any other hardware brand named here. We do not sell trackers and we take no affiliate commission. Where Fitcoin appears, it is as the rewards and insights app that reads the data these devices write to Apple Health or Health Connect. Everything below is a wellness estimate for general fitness, not medical advice.
The decision
If you own a Ring 4, keep it. Every software feature Oura has launched in 2026, including Health Radar and the GLP-1 insights, ships to Gen3 and Ring 4 as well, and the only Ring 5 exclusive is nighttime blood pressure signals. If you are buying your first Oura, the Ring 5 is worth the extra $50 for most people: it is 40 percent smaller, a day or so longer on battery, and it looks like a ring rather than a device. Buy the Ring 4 instead if you need a size below 6 or above 13, or if $349 against $399 is the difference between buying and not.
Oura still sells both. The Ring 5 arrived on 4 June 2026 and the Ring 4, launched in October 2024, dropped to $349 for Silver and Stealth. This page is the practical comparison: what is physically different, what is not, what the membership does to the real price, and which one to order.
Side by side
| Oura Ring 4 | Oura Ring 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | October 2024 | Announced 28 May 2026, shipping 4 June 2026 |
| Price today | $349 Silver and Stealth. $399 Ceramic and Gold | $399 Black and Silver. $499 Gold, Deep Rose, Stealth, Brushed Silver |
| Membership | $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year | Same |
| Width | About 7.9mm | 6.09mm |
| Thickness | About 2.88mm | 2.28mm |
| Volume | Baseline | 40 percent less |
| Weight | 3.3 to 5.2g by size | About 2g by size |
| Sizes | 4 to 15 | 6 to 13 |
| Material | Titanium, recessed sensors | Titanium inside and out, hardened PVD coating |
| Battery | Up to 8 days, typically 5 to 8 | 6 to 9 days, size dependent |
| Charging | About 80 minutes on the dock | About 80 minutes. $99 charging case optional |
| Water | 100 metres | 100 metres |
| Sensors | Red and infrared PPG, NTC temperature, 3D accelerometer | Same stack, re-engineered. Oura calls it its most accurate generation |
| Ring 5 exclusive | Nighttime blood pressure signals, a wellness signal rather than a reading | |
| 2026 software | Health Radar, GLP-1 insights, Cardiovascular Age, Resilience, all included | Same |
What the 40 percent actually means
On paper 1.8mm of width and 0.6mm of thickness sounds trivial. On a finger it is the difference between a smart ring and a ring. The Ring 4 was the first Oura that looked finished, and it was still visibly a gadget: a thick band that caught on gloves and sat awkwardly next to a wedding ring. The Ring 5 sits flush. Reviewers who wore both describe forgetting the 5 in a way they never did with the 4, and for a device whose entire value is being on your hand at 3am every night, that is the feature.
The cost of the shrink is at the edges of the size range. The Ring 4 runs from size 4 to 15; the Ring 5 covers 6 to 13. If your sizing kit says 5 or 14, the decision has been made for you. Oura sends free sizing kits for both, and the kits are ring-specific, because the two generations fit slightly differently.
Battery: better, not transformed
Oura rebuilt the battery system for the Ring 5 and quotes 6 to 9 days, against the Ring 4's up to 8, which in daily use meant 5 to 8 depending on size and how many features were on. In practice expect roughly one extra day from the 5, more on larger sizes. Both charge in about 80 minutes. The Ring 5 adds an optional $99 charging case that gives a day of use in about ten minutes and holds charges for travel, which is the first time Oura has sold anything like it. If you travel often, price that in; if you charge in the shower each morning, ignore it.
Accuracy and the blood pressure signal
Oura describes the Ring 5 as its most accurate generation, with re-engineered sensors in a smaller body. Independent testing since June puts both rings at the top of the consumer market for sleep staging and overnight heart rate, with the gap between them small enough that no reviewer has called it a reason to upgrade. The Ring 4 was already the benchmark. The 5 keeps it.
Nighttime blood pressure signals are the one Ring 5 exclusive. Oura is deliberate about the word signals: it is a trend indicator derived from pulse wave characteristics, surfaced as a wellness insight, not a number you would show a doctor. It is interesting if cardiovascular trends are why you wear a ring. It is not a diagnostic and Oura does not sell it as one. Everything else in the 2026 software release, including Health Radar, the Counsel Health partnership, GLP-1 Insights and the expanded Cardiovascular Age work, runs on Gen3 and Ring 4 too.
The real price over three years
| Ring | Membership, 3 years | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring 4, Silver or Stealth | $349 | About $216 | About $565 |
| Ring 5, Black or Silver | $399 | About $216 | About $615 |
| Ring 5, premium finish | $499 | About $216 | About $715 |
| Ring 5 plus charging case | $498 | About $216 | About $714 |
The membership is $5.99 a month, or $69.99 a year, and it is effectively required: without it the app shows three scores and little else. It is identical across generations and tied to your account, so a Ring 4 owner who upgrades keeps their history and pays nothing extra. The $50 difference between base rings is 8 percent of the three-year cost. Is the Oura Ring worth it takes the membership question on directly.
Upgrade, buy new, or neither
Ring 4 owner
Do not upgrade for features; there is one, and it is a trend signal. Upgrade only if the size and comfort of the 4 has been stopping you wearing it to bed, because a ring in the drawer collects no data. Oura runs trade-in offers on the 4 periodically, which is the time to do it if comfort is the reason.
First-time buyer
Ring 5 in a base finish, unless you fall outside sizes 6 to 13 or the $50 matters. The premium finishes are $100 for colour; the sensing is identical. Skip the charging case unless you travel most weeks.
Considering something else entirely
If the membership is the obstacle, Oura Ring 5 vs RingConn Gen 3 and the Ultrahuman Ring AIR are the no-fee rings, Garmin's unannounced Cirqa ring is the one to watch, and best Oura Ring alternatives ranks the field.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oura Ring 4 and Oura Ring 5?
The Ring 5 is 40 percent smaller at 6.09mm wide and 2.28mm thick, weighs about 2 grams, runs 6 to 9 days instead of up to 8, and adds nighttime blood pressure signals. It covers sizes 6 to 13 against the Ring 4's 4 to 15 and costs $50 more at the base finish. The sensors, scores, app and membership are otherwise the same.
Should I upgrade from Oura Ring 4 to Ring 5?
Not for features. All of Oura's 2026 software, including Health Radar and GLP-1 insights, runs on the Ring 4. Upgrade only if the Ring 4's size has been stopping you wearing it every night, since the smaller 5 is the one people forget they have on.
Is the Oura Ring 4 still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, at $349 for Silver or Stealth. It gets the same app and the same features, with a wider size range. You give up the smaller body, about a day of battery and the blood pressure signal.
Does the Oura Ring 5 have a different membership?
No. The membership is $5.99 a month or $69.99 a year for every generation and is tied to your account, not the ring. Upgrading carries your data and subscription across.
Which Oura Ring sizes are available?
Ring 4: sizes 4 to 15. Ring 5: sizes 6 to 13. Oura sends a free sizing kit specific to each generation, because the two fit slightly differently.
Does the Oura Ring 5 track blood pressure?
It provides nighttime blood pressure signals, which Oura presents as a wellness trend rather than a measurement. It is not available on the Ring 4 and it is not a substitute for a cuff reading.
Method: Checked October 17, 2026 against manufacturer product pages, published help documentation and independent reviews. Prices are US list at publication unless noted. Fitcoin has no commercial relationship with the hardware brands named here. Wellness estimates only, not medical advice.
Related reading: Oura Ring 5 review, Is the Oura Ring worth it, Oura Ring 5 vs RingConn Gen 3, Best Oura Ring alternatives, Does the Oura Ring track steps
About the author: Harris Khan is the co-founder and CTO of Fitcoin, a UK fitness-rewards and health-insights app that reads Apple Health and Health Connect.