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IF YOU’RE TIRED of bulky fitness trackers, constant charging, and bright screens lighting up your wrist at night, it might be worth looking into the Oura Ring 4. We got to test the latest generation of the popular smart ring, which promises upgraded sensors, real-time stress tracking, and deeper recovery insights—but does it live up to the hype? The short answer: yes.
In a sea of fitness trackers and smartwatches, the Oura Ring 4 stands out for its minimalist design and science-backed wellness features. But we’re going to dig past the chic outward appearance in this review, and dive deeper into its sleep tracking, stress monitoring, sport modes, and every dirty detail we noticed in six months of testing.
We started this research while putting together our list of the best fitness trackers in 2025. (Spoiler alert: the Oura Ring 4 earned a spot in that list.)
ProsLightweight, screen-free designDetailed sleep and recovery tracking8-day battery life and fast chargingRemoved sensors from last modelConsWhile the app shows ample stats, there’s no display screen to view them; you have to use your phoneRequires a small monthly subscription for full accessSizes4-15MaterialsTitanium (with PVD or DLC coating)Battery Life8 daysCompatibilityiPhone, AndroidWater ResistanceUp to 100 metersSubscription$5.99 per month for full access to featuresHow We Tested the Oura Ring 4 For the past eight years, our fitness and gear editors have been testing all the top fitness trackers as they release. Experts, including our Fitness and Commerce Editor Charles Thorp, NASM, put countless smart rings through the gauntlet and evaluated models on accuracy, design, durability, and price. Oura Ring has consistently impressed our team, and after six months of testing, we can confidently say the Oura Ring 4 is no exception.
How Does the Oura Ring 4 Work?The Oura Ring 4 doesn’t have any palpable sensors (the previous model had three nodes) in its sleek titanium band, but it still collects health data just as well as the previous model even with the recessed sensors. A perk for smart rings like this: Blood flow tends to be more stable on your finger, lending to greater accuracy for stats like body temperature, blood oxygen and heart rate.
The key daily scores it provides you with its around-the-clock tracking are:
Sleep Score: A daily number that reflects how well you slept, based on metrics like REM, deep sleep, restfulness, and total time asleep.Readiness Score: A composite number telling you how prepared your body is for activity, using HRV, resting heart rate, and previous night’s sleep quality.Activity Score: A summary of your daily movement patterns, based on duration, intensity, and recovery time.Stress Monitor: This feature shows when your body is calm, active, or under strain throughout the day. It can even predict when an illness may be coming on.You can find all of these metrics on the Oura app, which offers clear charts and personalized details/recommendations like “Take it easy today” or “Your body is primed for performance.”
How Accurate is the Oura Ring 4’s Health and Fitness Tracking?
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SleepThe Oura Ring 4 has consistently nailed my sleep cycles. This sleep tracker tracks stats like your REM sleep, light sleep, deep sleep, latency, restfulness, and resting heart rate. When I know I haven’t slept well, Oura accurately reflects that with a sleep score around 50 percent (an F, in school terms). I typically sleep horribly the first night of any trip, and Oura has always caught that and given me a “take it easy today” warning the next day. Oura can also tell when I’ve had a drink the night before. My resting heart rate is higher than normal and my sleep is restless. It even likes to call me out and ask if alcohol was involved.
RecoveryThe recovery tracking is typically spot on. I recently moved into a new house, staying up until midnight unpacking enough so my fiance and I could reach our bed to go to sleep—and my readiness score dropped accordingly the next morning, suggesting I focus on rest. This score typically compares your activity to rest, as well as HRV and lets you know if you’re “ready” to take on the day. I typically sit somewhere in the 80 range, which is pretty good. The highest score I’ve received is 92, and when I hit 95, I’m signing up for a marathon.
Fitness TrackingHere’s where Oura comes up a little short in my opinion. While Oura tracks up to 40 different kinds of workouts, including both cardio and strength, the accuracy isn’t always there. I’ll wear both my Apple Watch and Oura Ring to compare calories burned, and Oura always lists around half the calories burned as my Apple Watch.
For example, I went on a 4-mile run the other day and my Oura Ring said I only burned around 200 calories, while my Apple Watch was much closer to the mark around 350 calories. This is likely because of rapid heart rate fluctuations the ring didn’t fully detect during exercise. You can log sessions manually, but the Oura Ring lacks the seamless start/stop controls of a smartwatch—you have to start and stop from the app on your phone.
StressThe stress feature is one of Oura’s greatest standouts. On a high-pressure deadline day, I saw longer periods of high stress responses in the app—mirrored by an elevated resting heart rate and lower HRV. I’ll also notice Oura calling out a form of stress affecting my body right before I get sick. To detect this type of stress, Oura looks at your heart rate and basal body temperature throughout the day and overnight. Your stress levels will also affect your readiness score, which I have noticed is always lower after I have a particularly stressful day prior.
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How Does the Oura Ring 4 Compare to Other Fitness Trackers?If you’re looking for a wellness-focused tracker that clocks more than just movement, the Oura Ring 4 is a strong contender. It outperforms the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in sleep tracking and readiness insights, though Apple wins for in-the-moment performance metrics and smartwatch features.
Compared to the Garmin Instinct 3, which offers GPS, heart rate zones, and dozens of activity modes, Oura is far less effective. But that’s the point: It’s designed for the person who wants to understand their health and recovery without obsessing over every stat mid-workout.
Up against Whoop 4.0, Oura is slightly less focused on athletes and more accessible to general wellness users. Whoop offers robust workout strain analysis and coaching tools. Oura offers a more lifestyle-oriented lens: Are you sleeping enough? Is your body ready for stress today?
Men’s Health Fitness Editor Charles Thorp gives the Oura Ring (and especially the Oura Ring 4) a ton of praise. “I have found most updates in the fitness device space to be unimpressive and unconvincing,” he says. “More often than not, they are slight technology upgrades or small, inconsequential changes to the product’s design. That is not the case with the Oura Ring 4. I’ve been wearing the Oura Ring since it was first released, and I’ve seen impressive advancements by the brand every time a new product is introduced. The Oura Ring Gen3 was a great piece of technology, and still is, but there are a few improvements in this latest edition that really sweeten the deal.”
Oura Ring Gen3 vs. Oura Ring 4The biggest differences between the Oura Ring 4 and its predecessor the Gen3 are under the hood. 4 offers real-time stress tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring (instead of intermittent readings), and more accurate temperature sensing. These updates mean the ring now delivers more nuanced and responsive feedback throughout your day.
For instance, if you’re traveling across time zones, Oura Ring 4 better captures the impact of jet lag on your readiness and sleep. The stress monitor can also help you identify stress patterns that Gen3 simply can’t. Speaking of traveling, this Oura Ring 4 comes with a dock that allows you to charge your ring without needing a direct power source nearby. I found this to be a great improvement to the Gen3 and allows me to power up my tracker wherever I want.
Though Oura Ring Gen3 still gets all the same tech updates as Oura Ring 4, the sensor upgrades on Oura 4 cannot be replicated on the Gen3—particularly the fact that the 4 ditched the three sensor nodes you’ll find on the 3. “While those [three] nodes weren’t massively uncomfortable, they were noticeable,” says Thorp, who used to wear the Gen3 but now wears the 4. “I didn’t realize how much they bothered me until I tested an Oura Ring competitor without the nodes. So being a fan of the brand, I’m glad to see them go. Oura says that they can track as effectively without those little bumps, and so far, I haven’t seen any changes to my tracking results.”
The material used to make the ring has also changed, from its epoxy interior in the previous model to a fully titanium construction. Thorp noticed the change made the ring noticeably lighter. And though Oura claims it’s also more durable, Thorp didn’t notice much of a difference there, noting, “I never had an issue with my Oura Ring 3 regarding wear and tear.”
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Using the Oura Ring 4Fitness TrackingI’ve been wearing the Oura Ring for over 9 months now through a variety of workouts: three strength training sessions, one 5-mile run, a yoga class, and a HIIT session. It correctly logged my yoga and strength training compared to my Apple Watch metrics, but the higher intensity work was off in accuracy.
For fitness buffs who love data, this ring won’t replace your running watch or strength-tracking app. But it’s an excellent recovery companion, letting you know when you can push harder and when to back off.
Health TrackingDuring a week when I felt a small cold coming on, the Oura Ring flagged elevated body temperature, disrupted sleep, and decreased HRV—before I even recognized symptoms. It prompted me to take a rest day, hydrate more, and shift my focus to sleep. I haven’t been sick often enough for it to have a chance to flag this to me again, but if we’re taking that one time as Bible, the Oura Ring nailed it.
One downside to the sleep/readiness score and stress monitoring is that it can affect how you feel. Let me explain: Let’s say I got 5.5 hours of sleep, but I didn’t exercise a ton the day before. My body may not need that much sleep to fully recover from my lazy day, but because my sleep was not ideal, Oura will give me a low sleep and readiness score, which may prompt me to feel more tired than I am. It’s like your mom telling you to take a nap as a kid when you feel fine and just want to go outside and play with your friends.
Design and ComfortThe Oura Ring 4 looks more like a premium accessory than a chunky fitness tracker—however, it’s still not going to be quite as sleek as, say, a wedding ring (it’s a bit thicker). Good news though: You can wear it to the gym in the morning and transition into a formal event at night without having to worry about removing it after your workout like you would a Whoop or tech-heavy Garmin. It looks great with both suits and sweats.
At just 4 to 6 grams, it’s lighter than most rings and doesn’t interfere with grip strength during lifts. It’s also water-resistant up to 100 meters, so you don’t have to worry about removing it for showers, swimming, or washing dishes. Just note that using it during lifting (or frankly any activity you’re grabbing metal objects, including cooking) can cause scratches. Though it’s more aesthetic than a wrist watch, it’s still meant to be functional, not forever shiny. I’ve had my ring for about 9 months now, and if you look closely, you can definitely see little scratches across the gold coating.
ValueStarting at $349 for the ring with a $5.99/month subscription, the Oura Ring 4 is an investment piece. But if you’re focused on sleep optimization, stress management, and holistic wellness, it’s a great value. However, it’s not a replacement for a high-performance fitness tracker—it’s a complement to one.
You should look at it as a wearable accessory built for longevity: better sleep, balanced recovery, and improved awareness of how your habits impact your health. And while some other smart rings don’t require a subscription fee, we think the small fee here is worth it considering the superior tracking capabilities Oura provides compared to its competitors.
WarrantyThe Oura Ring 4 comes with a one-year limited warranty against manufacturing defects and includes a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. This means if you hate it, you can return the ring for a full refund. The company also offers customer support through live chat and a robust Help Center within the app.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Oura Ring 4?The Oura Ring 4 is arguably one of the best wellness wearables on the market today for men who care about optimizing health outside the gym. It’s not for everyone—especially if you crave real-time workout data or smartwatch-style notifications. But if you want a smarter way to monitor your sleep, stress, and overall recovery without a screen glued to your wrist, this ring is worth the investment.
For guys juggling workouts, work deadlines, and the desire to feel better day to day, the Oura Ring 4 delivers powerful insights, ones you cannot find on a Garmin or Apple Watch. It helps you train smarter, recover better, and frankly, just be more in tune with your body day to day.
Oura Ring 4
ProsLightweight, screen-free designDetailed sleep and recovery tracking8-day battery life and fast chargingRemoved sensors from last modelConsWhile the app shows ample stats, there’s no display screen to view them; you have to use your phoneRequires a small monthly subscription for full accessSizes4-15MaterialsTitanium (with PVD or DLC coating)Battery Life8 daysCompatibilityiPhone, AndroidWater ResistanceUp to 100 metersSubscription$5.99 per month for full access to featuresShop More Of Our Favorite Fitness TechBest Fitness Trackers | Best Fitness Apps | Best Compression Boots | Normatec Elite Compression Boots Review | Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED | Hyperice Hypervolt 2 Go | Best Massage Guns
Lauren Keary is a NASM-certified nutrition coach and fitness/nutrition writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an ex-collegiate rower, and received her M.A. in magazine journalism and B.A. in literary journalism. She has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and has covered topics all across the wellness and lifestyles spaces.
Her bylines include Fortune, BarBend, Outside Magazine, Evening Standard, BuzzFeed, Modern Luxury, Women’s Running Magazine, TripSavvy, San Diego Magazine, Orange Coast Magazine, Fitt and FoodBeast.
When she’s not writing or editing, you can catch her walking with her dog and an iced vanilla latte (half sweet) beachside or catching a flight.
Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world.
Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he’s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.
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