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The rumors are true—Oura has come out with a fourth generation of their smart ring, and it officially launched today. The new ring starts at $349 and now comes in a wider range of sizes, from 4 through 15. You can pre-order the ring starting today, and Oura says the rings will start shipping on Oct. 15.
What’s new in the Oura Gen 4?
The shape is “sleeker,” as the company puts it. Where previous generations’ sensors were encased in small bumps on the inside of the ring, the Gen 4 has recessed sensors for a smooth interior. There is a small indent on the inside of the ring to help you align it with the charger, and a small decorative indent on the outside.
The Gen 4 also has more sensors and an updated algorithm, which the company says makes it more accurate. They cite a study, but the full details have not been published; the algorithm is proprietary and the study results are presented as a brief article and video.
Oura is also rolling out a new version of its app, with just three tabs along the bottom (instead of five). It includes an improved version of the daytime stress algorithm, identifies a fertile window if you’re using the ring for menstrual cycle tracking, and brings the Oura Labs collection of experimental features (previously iOS-only) to Android.
How much does the Oura Gen 4 cost, compared to previous versions?
The current prices on the Oura website for the Gen 4 ring are $349 for silver or black, $399 for brushed silver or “stealth” (matte black), and $499 for gold or rose gold.
Oura’s Gen 3 ring previously sold for those same prices in the smooth “Horizon” shape, and $50 less in the flat-topped “Heritage” shape, but today on Amazon I’m seeing discounts on Gen 3 rings. For example, here’s a silver Horizon for $299.
The Oura ring still requires a subscription to enjoy most of its features. (You can still get readiness and sleep scores without it, but you won’t have access to the more useful data like HRV or the newer features like resilience.) The subscription is $5.99 per month, or $69.99 per year.
Oura points out that the ring and the subscription are considered eligible expenditures for FSA and HSA accounts.
How does the Gen 4 sizing compare to Gen 3?
The previous generations came in sizes 6 to 13, but the new Gen 4 rings feature two larger and two smaller sizes, with the full range now encompassing sizes 4 through 15.
The interior shape of the ring has also changed (no more bumps), so there is now a new sizing kit. The sizing kit contains plastic rings in all of the available sizes, and Oura recommends that you try them on and wear your chosen size for 24 hours to test it out. Your fingers may swell during exercise, in hot weather, and during sleep, so this test run ensures that you’ve chosen a size that will work for you 24/7.
You can order a free sizing kit directly from Oura, or buy one for around $10 from Amazon or Best Buy. If you go with one of those retailers, the kit comes with a $10 credit that you can use toward your purchase of the actual ring.
How does the battery life compare between Gen 4 and Gen 3?
Oura says that the Gen 4 rings last eight days on a charge, compared to seven days for Gen 3. The exact time you get per charge will depend on the size of the ring and the features you have enabled in your settings.
Over the long term, battery life has notoriously been an issue as the rings age. My own Gen 2 lost any useful battery life just short of two years after I bought it; its replacement, a Gen 3, seems to by dying on the same schedule (I’ve had it 22 months and it only lasts 1-2 days on a charge). Will the Gen 4 last longer? Only time will tell.
Is there an upgrade or trade-in deal for Gen 3 users?
No. When the Gen 3 launched, the company offered a trade-in credit, and gifted early adopters a lifetime subscription to the app. There are no such deals available for Gen 3 users who wish to upgrade to Gen 4.
