I’ve Worn the Oura Ring 3 and 4, and This Is Why Buying the Oura Ring 4 is a No-Brainer

When the Oura Ring 4 (starting at $349, amazon.com) came out recently, I immediately felt like I do whenever a new iPhone is announced: I must get my hands on it right away. It has to be better because it's new, right? 

I’ve been wearing my Oura Ring 3 ($299, amazon.com) for more than a year, and I can truly say that I love it and its insights into my health, especially with sleep patterns and cycle tracking. As a registered dietitian, I have worked in hospital settings for many years, and I have seen how important sleep is to overall health and wellness. Countless studies show that lack of quality sleep puts you at a much higher risk of developing serious health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Other studies show that getting enough sleep significantly impacts gut health and can even improve gut bacteria.

One of the best things about the Oura Ring is how it addresses sleep as a useful tool to improve overall health, even more than wrist-worn fitness trackers, which mainly track how much activity you’re doing versus sleep and recovery. Friends and family with the Oura Ring feel the same way. 

Oura Ring 4

$349 at Amazon $349 at Best Buy View on Ouraring.com

Oura Gen3 Heritage Ring

$304 at Amazon $249 at Target $299 $249 at Best Buy

My Favorite Things About the Oura Ring

Sleep tracking: I have always felt I needed more sleep than most people to feel my best, more than 8 hours. According to my Oura Ring, I consistently get less sleep than I thought, and my best days are when I sleep 7 to 7.5 hours. This helps me plan my day and early evening. 

The Oura Ring gives you a daily sleep score ranging from 0-100, measuring how well you sleep. The score is based on data gathered during the previous night's sleep and several “sleep contributors,” including: Efficiency (length of uninterrupted sleep time), Restfulness (tracks interrupted sleep), REM sleep, Deep sleep (the most restorative sleep stage), Latency (amount of time it takes you to fall asleep), and Timing (how in sync you are with your circadian clock). If there is a contributor that you fall short in during your sleep, it’s highlighted in red and gives you more information on how you can make improvements. It also provides information on your oxygen saturation levels (important for people with sinus or breathing issues), your heart rate during sleep, and your HRV (heart rate variability). 

All of these factors can provide a snapshot of your overall sleep status. For example, the other night, I was stressed before bed. Subsequently, I only slept 5 hours 38 minutes, and my sleep score the next morning was 68, which is considered fair. That day, I felt like I was dragging, and even my workout suffered. I made adjustments that night, and the next morning, I woke up with an “optimal” score of 89. The information I receive from my ring educates me on making changes to get more quality sleep overall. 

It also helps me not ignore my sleeping issues. If this information weren't tracked or readily available, it would be easy to have the same sleep problems night after night and wonder why I’m cranky or not performing my best during the day. I truly believe that sleep affects everything I do and every interaction I make. It is the key to my success in life and achieving better health. 

Menstrual cycle and perimenopause tracking: I also love how accurate the Oura Ring is in predicting my cycle. The Oura Ring 4 has an improved temperature sensor that helps you track your body temperature during your menstrual cycle, which can help you know when you’re ovulating. However, it is not a basal thermometer and does not read your core temperature; rather, it reads your body temperature, which is important if you are trying to become pregnant. It also syncs with the app Natural Cycles for an additional fee, which many people I know with the Oura Ring find useful.

For women going through perimenopause, the Oura Ring can be useful for tracking symptoms, such as sleep disturbances and changes in body temperature—information you can share with your doctor. Oura is partnering with UC Berkeley and the app Clue to conduct a study to better understand this understudied life transition.

Stress and well-being tracking: My dad, an engineer and business school professor who is not one to fall prey to trends, has worn an Oura Ring for the past three years and continues to prefer it over any fitness tracker on the market. He finds it useful for the sleep and recovery data it provides, including temperature fluctuations that can indicate the onset of a cold and how stress affects his daily performance. 

Excellent customer service: When my dad’s ring inexplicably stopped charging, customer service exchanged it for a new one.

Subtle notifications: In talking with friends who have Oura Rings, I’m struck by how many people appreciate the gentleness of the Oura Ring’s notifications; both models share this feature. The Oura Ring is less “in your face.” Instead of an abrupt message that other trackers send you alerting that it’s “Time to stand!” you receive more gentle notifications encouraging you to stretch your legs or in the evening, “If you want to prepare yourself for good quality sleep, now’s the time to start winding down your body and mind.” It feels more like a friendly nudge over an aggressive shove.

Better data: The Oura Ring 4 has more and different sensors, which are more sensitive to temperature, heart rate, HRV, and respiration rate. If you already have an Oura Ring 3, this might not be enough to cause you to buy a 4, but if you’re new to the Oura Ring, the differences here may help you determine whether the 3 or the 4 is right for you. 

My Biggest Pain Points

Gen 4 ring sizing: The ring sizing differs from the 3 and 4 models. If you’ve had a 3, it takes some time to get used to the feel of the new model. The 4 sits closer to your skin because of the recessed sensors. I noticed with the 4 when my hands swell, it feels more snug and when it’s cold outside the ring can sometimes feel almost too loose. While the 4 is overall more comfortable because it doesn’t have sensor bumps, I didn’t have these fluctuating size issues with the 3. 

Fitness data: The app has been updated for all models, although it remains more difficult to interpret fitness trends than other fitness trackers. For example, daily steps are noted, although if you want to look at your weekly steps and compare them day-to-day, it arranges the information in a graph and by an average, not by the exact number of steps taken each day. Also, I find that the intensity of the workouts is often inaccurate. I recently took an intense cardio class that I definitely could not have held a conversation during, and the app recorded it as a “medium” activity similar to a brisk walk. Additionally, if you lift weight, Oura does not recommend wearing the ring during heavy lifting because it can become scratched.  

Oura Ring 3 vs. Oura Ring 4

Sleeker design with more sizes: The Oura Ring 4 is available in one style similar to the 3’s Horizon style (the 3 comes in two styles, Horizon and Heritage). It comes in more sizes (4-15 versus 6-13) and six colors (same as the 3, with one difference being there is now a more attractive Brushed Silver option instead of Brushed Titanium). The 4 also feels sleeker in its overall design. 

The Gen 4 is made entirely of non-allergenic titanium, without the epoxy material that can be found on the inside of the 3 where the sensor bumps sit. The 4 is slightly thinner than the Horizon style of the Oura 3 (2.88 mm vs 2.9 mm), and while the 3 is not heavy, the 4 is lighter in overall weight. The main difference is the sizing. The 4 feels looser or tighter on my finger with the temperature fluctuates. 

Less noticeable sensors: The 4 has recessed sensor bumps inside the ring, which you can’t feel, while the Oura 3 contains three small, unobtrusive bumps in the inner ring. The sensor bumps on the 3 have never bothered me, but without them, the 4 seems to rest flatter against my skin, so that when the sensor lights are on (they glow red when you’re sleeping to measure blood oxygen levels and green to measure heart rate, HRV, and respiration rate), they’re much less noticeable. 

Newer sizing options: The ring sizing has also changed; there are more options now, and it can be tricky. I ordered the same size for the Oura 4 that I was wearing with the Oura 3, and this resulted in a slightly looser fit. The company recommends using their ring sizing kit before selecting your size, especially if you’re upgrading from a 3 to a 4. They also explained that the new ring fits differently and that you should not rely on your previous size.

Longer battery life: The battery life on both rings is impressive. The main difference between the two models is that the Oura 4 can go an extra day longer on a single charge, up to eight days. 

Initial cost: The purchase price is also $50 more across all Gen 4 models (compared to Gen 3 models), but the annual or monthly subscription price for both models is the same.

Similar charging docks with new cables: The charging docks are similar in overall size, with the biggest difference being that the 3 comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable, while the 4 has a USB-C to USB-C. 

Fitness Tracking

If you’re a hardcore fitness tracker, you may want more precision than the Oura Ring provides, but for most people, the Oura Ring more than meets their needs. It detects movement such as walking and provides the time of day, length of time, how many calories burned, steps, and your BPM or heart rate. All you have to do is confirm that the activity description is accurate. 

I find that it’s most accurate with walking, but when I wear it during spin classes, it’s unsure of what activity I am engaged in. It detects that I did something, but I have to confirm the activity. Then, it provides more in-depth information, such as which heart rate zone I was in. A medical student and family friend that I spoke with for this story reports that she prefers the Oura Ring to her Apple watch because Oura’s new feature of “heart rate zones” interprets the activities that burn calories in a more useful fashion.

I prefer to wear my Oura Ring over any wrist-tracking device during workouts. I find wristwatches distracting and stressful when you receive notifications during a class. They can also be very bright during low-light group classes and distract people around you. Personally, while there is room for improvement, I feel both the Oura 3 and 4 provide an adequate level of fitness tracking for the average active person who wants to improve their health.

Readiness Score and HRV (heart rate variability) 

The readiness score is one of the most popular functions of Oura Rings and indicates your body’s preparedness for the day ahead based on your sleep, stress levels, and activity levels. HRV is a key component of the readiness score. It tells you when your body is stressed and gives you insight into your body’s response to these stress levels throughout the day. HRV measures the fluctuations in the time between heartbeats. This can provide information on your health and fitness status. Your HRV can also be affected by age, alcohol and drug usage, and stress levels as well as sleep patterns. I preferred the Oura Ring 4’s performance on these features because it provides more accurate tracking (thanks to having double the sensors) than the Oura 3. 

The App 

The Oura Rings 3 and 4 share the same app. It has been updated in an easier-to-read format. All of the Oura Ring data appears solely on the app, unlike many other trackers where data can be read directly off the device. The app is part of the membership fee, so you can’t access the information if you don't subscribe. 

Subscription Fee

There is no price difference for the subscription between the Oura 3 and 4. Both rings require a $70 annual fee, or you can pay $6 monthly.

Oura Ring vs Apple Watch

Many people wear the Apple Watch because it offers multiple functionalities; I also wear one, and I have a love-hate relationship with it. I love that it helps keep me on time with constant notifications, especially if you connect it to your calendar. If I have a meeting or someone texts me, I know immediately. It provides an added layer of protection if my phone is running low on battery or is not near me. I also find a sense of relief knowing that family members can track my location, especially since I live in New York City. 

I prefer the Apple Watch’s step count data versus the Oura Ring because it’s challenging to interpret daily step counts on the Oura app. I like to take the Apple Watch off at the end of the work day because the notifications become stressful. I also don’t wear it when working out in group fitness classes anymore because it can be distracting. I do think it’s a nice compliment to the Oura Ring, although if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the Oura Ring because I think it’s a better indicator of overall health. 

Final Verdict: Should You Get the Oura Ring 3 or the Oura Ring 4?

With any technology, when price is not an issue, it’s always better to go with the new generation; the Oura Ring 4 is no exception, especially given the price difference is only $50.