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There\u2019s always been something a bit counterintuitive about the idea of a smart ring. If I wanted proper health tracking, I\u2019d usually reach for a smartwatch that comes with more sensors, more features, and basically more of everything. A ring feels like it should be a step down. But I\u2019ve tried on or used a couple now \u2013 including the Ultrahuman Ring Air and Samsung Galaxy Ring \u2013 and that assumption doesn\u2019t quite hold up anymore. If anything, they\u2019ve shown me that consistency matters more than capability in this space. Which, I guess, is where the Oura Ring 4<\/b> (aka Oura Ring Gen 4) comes in.<\/p>\n
Because after a while, what I started to notice wasn\u2019t what these rings couldn\u2019t do, but how easy they were to just live with. Forget about distracting notifications and screens lighting up, there\u2019s no real need to think about them beyond the occasional charge. I\u2019d put one on and more or less forget it was there. That\u2019s pretty much the space Oura has been sitting in for a while now, which makes the Gen 4 a bit interesting for me \u2013 because this is my first time properly living with an Oura ring.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nArticle jumplist<\/p>\n
<\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. I am titanium<\/li>\n 2. The Experience<\/li>\n 3. Final thoughts \u2013 There\u2019s always a catch<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\nI am titanium<\/h2>\n\nThe Oura Ring 4 used in my review is a Silver in size 9.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Coming into the Oura Ring after using a couple of other smart rings, I expected it to feel a bit more\u2026distinct, I guess. But the first thing that struck me was actually the opposite. It\u2019s not a stretch to say the Oura (I went for the Silver<\/b> colour) felt normal. And I mean that in a good way. It doesn\u2019t really try to look like a piece of tech, and after a while, you stop thinking of it as one. It\u2019s just a ring you happen to be wearing all the time.<\/p>\n
That also means it doesn\u2019t draw much attention. I\u2019ve worn it out to meet friends, during meetings, and I\u2019m happy to say it blends in the same way any other ring would. Compared to something like the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which can come across a bit more polished and \u201cdesigned\u201d depending on the finish, or the Ultrahuman Ring Air, which leans slightly towards the sporty side, I thought the Oura sits somewhere in between.<\/p>\n\nIt\u2019s important to get the right fitting for the smart ring.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The bigger thing, though \u2013 and this is something I only really appreciated after a couple of nights \u2013 is how it feels when worn. The inner surface is completely smooth, with no raised bits or bumps, which sounds minor until you\u2019ve worn rings that do have them. With those, you\u2019re always just a little bit aware of them, especially when you\u2019re trying to sleep and your hand ends up tucked under a pillow or pressed against your face. Here, that feeling just isn\u2019t there. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s also surprisingly light. Oura says the Gen 4 ring is anywhere between 3.3-5.2g<\/b>, depending on the size. The titanium build<\/b> gives it a bit of that solid, well-made feel, but it never comes across as heavy or bulky. I wore it while cycling, while typing, just going about the usual day, and most of the time I forgot it was even there \u2013 which is probably what you want from a smart ring.<\/p>\n
Fit still matters quite a bit, though. Oura does provide a sizing kit, that you can buy for $15 at Weareready.sg. Alternatively, you can also drop by Ante<\/b> at Takashimaya Department Store to get a proper fitting, and I\u2019d say it\u2019s worth the extra step. With the Oura, or any smart ring actually, you really do want it to be a good fit \u2013 it should not be too right or loose.<\/p>\nThe Experience<\/h2>\n
Using the Oura Ring daily didn\u2019t feel all that different at first, at least coming from other smart rings. The magic where everything happens is of course, the Oura app.<\/p>\n\nEverything you see on the Oura app\u2019s screen is easy to interpret and understand.<\/p>\n
Image: Oura<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
On my iPhone 17 Pro, the Oura app is pretty clean, maybe even a bit restrained compared to some of the other smart rings\u2019 apps \u2013 and I\u2019m assuming the Android version of the app is more or less the same. Compared to the Ultrahuman\u2019s app, for example, the difference is quite noticeable. The Ultrahuman app tends to throw a lot more data \u2013 such as graphs and metrics \u2013 at you upfront, which can feel useful but also a bit overwhelming at times. There\u2019s a fair bit of learning curve required. Oura\u2019s app, on the other hand, is a lot more simplified with its user-friendlier interface, and everything you see on the screen is easy to interpret and understand. <\/p>\n
If you\u2019re coming off the back of the Ultraman app like me, this can take a little while to adjust to because it does feel like you\u2019re seeing less at first glance. But after a while, I started to appreciate how it gives an immediate snapshot of my three main scores (Readiness, Sleep and Activity) and current health metics like temperature and heart rate.<\/p>\n
Sleep tracking is still very much the centrepiece here, and it\u2019s also where the ring started to make the most sense to me. You get the usual breakdown of sleep stages, along with heart rate, heart rate variability, and body temperature trends, but it\u2019s the way it all comes together that stands out more than any one metric. Mornings usually start with a quick check of the sleep score, followed by a bit of scrolling to see what actually happened overnight \u2013 and more often than not, it lines up quite well with how I felt.<\/p>\n
What did stand out over time was how consistent the data felt. One of the issues I\u2019ve had with the Ultrahuman Ring Air is the occasional odd reading when the ring shifts slightly, especially during sleep. The Oura Ring seems a bit more forgiving in that sense, and I never find myself second-guessing the data as much.<\/p>\n\nCharging is done through a dock. A USB-C cable is provided too.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
It also does a decent job picking up naps and shorter rest periods, which I didn\u2019t think much of at first, but ended up noticing more over time. There were a few afternoons while working from home where I just lay down and snooze for a bit (sorry, boss) and didn\u2019t log anything, only to see it show up later in the app. It\u2019s a small thing, but it adds to that feeling that the ring is actually paying attention, even when you\u2019re not.<\/p>\n
Activity tracking, on the other hand, still feels a bit more secondary. It covers the basics \u2013 steps, general movement, estimated calories \u2013 but it\u2019s not something I found myself relying on for workouts. I did wear it on a few cycling sessions, but I wasn\u2019t really looking at it for performance data. If anything, it feels like the activity side exists more to feed into your overall readiness rather than to break down what you did in detail.<\/p>\n
Battery life will vary depending on how often you track your workouts with it, but from my time with it, the Oura Ring is comparable to the Ultrahuman Ring Air \u2013 lasting between 5-6 days<\/b> for me consistently. Charging is straightforward too, using the included charging dock.<\/p>\n
Perhaps my only peeve, and a pretty big one at that, about the whole experience with the Oura Ring is that once your complimentary first-month trial expires, you lose a big chunk of the app\u2019s features (and by extension, the ring\u2019s too). You\u2019re then made to decide if you want to continue having access to the following features for a monthly subscription of US$5.99<\/b>.<\/p>\n\nDetail insights<\/b>: Access in-depth analysis of your sleep stages (deep REM, light), readiness and activity, rather than just a daily score<\/li>\nRound-the-clock Heart Rate monitoring<\/b>: Includes detailed heart rate tracking 24\/7, as well as bloody oxygen (Sp02) sensing<\/li>\nThird-party integration<\/b>: Data sharing with Apple Health, Strava, etc<\/li>\nLong-term data trends<\/b>: Weekly, monthly and annual reports, rather than just the day\u2019s data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n That\u2019s quite a chockful of key features to miss out on, as without a subscription the Oura Ring becomes basically a limited tracker \u2013 only being able to view Readiness, Sleep and Activity scores only.<\/p>\n