The Oura Ring 4 (left) has receded sensors that make it more comfortable compared to Oura Ring 3 (right).
Nina Raemont/ZDNET
The smart ring market has exploded over the last few years, with more and more brands entering the ecosystem with devices of their own. But out of all the different smart rings out there, the Oura Ring 3 has remained on top.
Also: Oura Ring 4 rolls out with smarter sensors, a thinner design, and a longer battery
So when Oura released its newest generation, the only smart ring it was aiming to beat was its older sibling. The Oura Ring 4 is an impressive and well-designed smart ring that blows its competitors (and even the Ring 3) out of the water. But does that mean you should buy the Ring 4 over the Ring 3? It all depends on what features you prioritize in a smart ring. Let’s break down the differences.
Specifications
| Oura Ring 3 | Oura Ring 4 | |
| Battery life | Up to seven days | Up to eight days |
| Charging time | Between 20-80 minutes | Between 20-80 minutes |
| Sizes | 6-13 | 4-15 |
| Material | Titanium exterior and epoxy interior | Fully titanium |
| Finishes | Black, brushed titanium, gold, silver, rose gold | Black, brushed silver, gold, silver, rose gold |
| Starting price | $300 | $350 |
You should buy the Oura Ring 4 if…
1. You prioritize comfort
One of the highlights of the new Oura Ring 4 is its smart sensors. Oura Ring 4’s smart sensing technology uses 18 signal pathways, compared to the Oura Ring 3’s eight, to capture more accurate data with fewer gaps.
So what does that have to do with comfort? These smart sensors allow the raised sensor domes that stick out on the Oura Ring 3’s interior to flatten and recede on the Oura Ring 4 for a more comfortable and less constrictive wear. I wore the Oura Ring 3 for around eight months, and one of the few gripes I had with it was that the three domes would cling to the inside of my finger, resulting in dents that remained on my skin for days after.
Also: I tested the Oura Ring 4 for weeks. Here’s why it’s the best health tracker right now
The Oura Ring 4 is far more comfortable than the Oura Ring 3 thanks to the receded smart sensing technology. It’s noticeably slimmer, both on the interior of the ring and the exterior, which results in a lighter feel. If you are more sensitive to health trackers around your wrist or finger and get easily annoyed with jewelry, I’d suggest the Oura Ring 4.
2. You want a smaller or larger ring size
Expanded sizing is one of the major hardware upgrades that came with the Oura Ring 4. Where the Oura Ring 3 offers sizes six through 13, the Oura Ring 4 offers sizes four through 15. That’s four more sizes on the larger and smaller ends of the spectrum. If you couldn’t buy the Oura Ring 3 because the available sizes didn’t fit your finger, the Oura Ring 4 might fit you better.
3. You want a longer battery life
The Oura Ring 3 boasts a battery life of up to seven days, though I normally got around four. The newer Oura Ring 4 boasts a battery life of up to eight days, but during my testing I got around 5 and a half.
If you forget to charge your tech constantly and want a smart ring that you can put on for a few days and not worry about, then I’d recommend the Oura Ring 4. If you are adamant about daily charging, however, I’d recommend the Oura Ring 3.
You should buy the Oura Ring 3 if…
1. You just want the newest software
Most of the software updates that came to the Oura Ring 4 also are available on the Oura Ring 3. That includes automatic heart rate monitoring during workouts, the Oura app redesign, upgraded daytime stress features that help contextualize your physiological stress, and many new Oura Labs features you can test out, like meal logging.
Automatic heart rate monitoring continues Oura’s mission of autonomously logging health data with little assistance from the ring wearer. This means that, on top of the automatic workout detection feature, the Oura Ring now can monitor and record your heart rate during these activities without you clicking on the Record workout HR button.
Also: I tested the Oura Ring 3 — and it totally beat my Apple Watch
Oura upgraded its daytime stress feature by implementing the daily tags people use to document their meals, workouts, illnesses, and moods onto the daytime stress timeline. Let’s say you just had an argument with a coworker and find that your heart rate is elevated. If you log that in the app, it will include that tag into the daytime stress timeline.
Lastly, there are a few experimental features Oura Ring 3 users can take advantage of through Oura Labs, which is also available on both rings. One of my favorite features I tested was the meal-logging feature that uses your camera and AI to document what you’re eating (and when).
The AI was able to detect that I was eating yogurt with berries and bananas one morning, despite the yogurt being fully picked over and mixed with the other ingredients.
2. You don’t want to spend more money
The Oura Ring 3 starts at $300 and will more regularly go on sale now that the brand unveiled a newer generation. If a starting price of $350 (plus that $6 monthly subscription to access all your data) is a little too much for you, the Oura Ring 3 is $50 cheaper and, depending on when you buy one, could go for less.
3. Comfort isn’t a concern
If you own an Oura Ring 3 and aren’t disturbed by the raised sensors or the chunkier build, I don’t see a need for you to upgrade to the Oura Ring 4. If you don’t own either ring and are trying to make a buying decision, I’d recommend the Oura Ring 3 if you are unbothered by a tight and raised dome around your finger.
