Oura Ring 5 Is Here. Should Ring 4 Owners Upgrade?

Oura has officially launched the Oura Ring 5, and we've had a lot of customers asking the same question:

"Do I need to upgrade?"

After digging into the announcement and comparing the details, our answer for most existing Oura Ring 4 owners is surprisingly simple:

Probably not.

What's Actually New?

The biggest headline features announced with Oura Ring 5 include:

• Blood Pressure Signals

• Sleep Apnea Detection

• GLP-1 Medication Tracking

• Health Records Integration

The interesting part is that these are primarily software features rather than entirely new hardware capabilities.

Many of these features are being delivered through Oura's platform and algorithms, which means Ring 4 owners will continue benefiting from ongoing software improvements and ecosystem updates.

The Hardware Story Is More Nuanced

One of the biggest talking points is that Oura Ring 5 is significantly smaller than previous generations.

For some users, that's a huge win.

For others, it may not be.

Oura Ring 4 features 18 optical light paths, while Ring 5 uses 12. Oura states that advances in LED performance allow Ring 5 to maintain or improve accuracy despite the reduction.

At this stage, those performance claims come directly from Oura. Independent long-term validation simply doesn't exist yet because the product is brand new.

By comparison, Ring 4 has years of real-world usage and proven reliability behind it.

Smaller Isn't Automatically Better

One thing that hasn't received much attention is who actually benefits from a smaller ring.

For users with smaller hands and fingers, particularly women, the reduced size may be a meaningful improvement in comfort and wearability.

For many men, however, an ultra-thin ring isn't necessarily the goal.

A slightly wider ring often feels more substantial and more like a traditional piece of jewellery. Many users actually prefer the look and feel of Ring 4 because it presents as a proper ring rather than a minimalist band.

Ultimately, this comes down to personal preference.

What Does This Mean for Protecting Your Ring?

Whether you choose Ring 4 or Ring 5, one thing hasn't changed:

Smart rings are still an investment.

Daily activities like weightlifting, yard work, manual tasks, travel, sports, and general wear can all leave scratches and scuffs on titanium surfaces.

If you're already happy with your Ring 4, the arrival of Ring 5 doesn't suddenly make your current ring less valuable.

In fact, many Ring 4 owners are likely to keep their rings for years while continuing to receive new software features from Oura.

Our Take

If you're considering Oura Ring 5 because you want the newest software features, it's worth checking whether those features will also become available to your current ring.

If you're considering it because you want a smaller and lighter form factor, then Ring 5 may be worth a closer look.

But if you're a happy Ring 4 owner, there's no obvious reason to rush into an upgrade.

Ring 4 remains a highly capable smart ring with proven performance, strong real-world validation, and access to the same Oura ecosystem that made the platform successful in the first place.

For now, our advice is simple:

Protect the ring you already love, and upgrade when there's a compelling reason for you, not just because a new model exists.