Oura Ring 5

Where reviewers disagree

• ±Comfort and fit · 7 positive, 1 negative, 2 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • PCMag (AU edition) — positive: The Oura Ring 5 feels unobtrusive even when my hand is clenched in a fist. I noticed it when lifting weights, but that's a disadvantage of all smart rings.
  • TechRadar (Swedish edition) — positive: The most discreet and most comfortable smart ring the team has tested, light enough that it barely registers on the finger.
  • TechCrunch — positive: With the Ring 4, I was always aware that I was wearing it, but with this latest model, I often forget it's there.
  • Android Police — negative: Because it's worn so much closer to the pad where my finger meets my palm, I've developed a slight callous, not something I've had with previous Oura Ring models.
  • Cosmopolitan UK — mixed: I forget I'm wearing it after twelve weeks of 24/7 wear, but in the 6-13 range on her hand there is exactly one finger it fits.
  • DC Rainmaker — positive: The new Oura Ring 5 is a genuinely and significantly smaller ring than the previous Oura Ring 4 that was on my finger. That part isn't really debatable.
  • Engadget — positive: The 5 still isn't likely to pass for a regular ring, but it's far less obviously a smart ring than the 4, and I doubt people will notice it on your hand.
  • The Guardian — positive: It is so much easier to live with: it won't catch on pockets, dig in when you put your fingers together or hurt when you carry shopping bags or lift weights.
  • The Verge — mixed: Sizes 4, 5, 14 and 15 aren't available, which she calls disappointing for accessibility reasons; the Ring 4 still spans sizes 4-15.
  • WIRED — positive: Sometimes I forget I'm wearing the Oura Ring 5; I found it way more comfortable than previous generations, though the Ring 5 fits more snugly than the same Ring 4 size.

• ±Health sensors · 1 positive, 4 negative, 3 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • PCMag (AU edition) — negative: Its maximum heart rate values were often 10 to 15bpm lower than those from the other devices, indicating it didn't always keep up during intense moments.
  • TechRadar (Swedish edition) — positive: Measured average heart rate of 115 bpm on the Ring 5 against 112 bpm on a Polar H10, within 3 bpm of the ECG reference.
  • TechCrunch — mixed: Oura claims 12% better overnight HRV, 24% better workout HR signal and 19% better auto activity detection; no reviewer reproduced the figures.
  • Android Police — negative: After four weeks wearing the Oura Ring 5, I have not noticed any change in the data it presents; it's all broadly consistent, indicating it's as accurate as it was before.
  • Cosmopolitan UK — mixed: The sensors are the part most coverage gets wrong: the Ring 5 runs 12 signal pathways where the Gen 4 ran 18, with the sensor domes sitting closer to the skin.
  • DC Rainmaker — negative: The app reported a VO2 Max of 38 against his tested value near 58 - hilariously wrong/low - and workout heart rate falls apart on running descents.
  • The Verge — mixed: On Health Radar: I haven't had any significant changes to my health in the last six weeks, so I can't really say if it accurately detects anything yet.
  • WIRED — negative: I didn't notice dramatic differences in the data itself. My overnight resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and activity tracking closely match what I was already seeing on the Ring 4.

• ±App and software · 2 positive, 2 negative, 2 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • TechCrunch — mixed: The new Blood Pressure Signals and Nighttime Breathing features are also coming to the Oura Ring Gen3 and later products, so nothing is gated to the Ring 5.
  • Android Police — positive: Everything is beautifully presented, and Oura has managed to keep the app logical and lightweight, despite the many features it hides.
  • DC Rainmaker — negative: I find it dilutes the information too much. 80% of the app is basically just recycled trending charts of other parts of the app.
  • Engadget — mixed: The app is proactive about advising you to rest or keep your stress down, but its con list reads App hides the depth of its data.
  • The Verge — negative: The Oura app is verging on too much data; the writer reports data fatigue from the wearable used to feel less overwhelmed, and the con list reads We're approaching data overload.
  • WIRED — positive: Oura Advisor, the Counsel Health doctor link and Live Activity are the headline additions, and automatic activity detection consistently recognized her walks and even caught Pilates sessions.

• ±Design and build · 1 positive, 2 negative, 1 mixed
  Which sources said this

  • Engadget — mixed: The design is more or less the same ring reviewed a year ago in a vastly smaller package, and the box holds only the ring plus a size-specific wireless charging plate.
  • The Guardian — negative: The Oura Ring 5 is not repairable and the battery is not replaceable, ultimately making it disposable once the battery wears out, losing it a star.
  • The Verge — negative: Really wish this came in ceramic is on the con list - there is no ceramic Ring 5 - and her unit still got a few nicks in about a month and a half of wear.
  • WIRED — positive: The titanium exterior now has a tougher physical vapor deposition coating; after three weeks a few hairline marks, far subtler than the scratches her Ring 4 picked up within its first week.