Oura Ring 5 Reviews Are In: Is the Thinner, Lighter $399 Smart Ring Worth It?
The Oura Ring 5 started shipping on June 4, and the first full reviews are in from TechCrunch, Android Central, Tech Advisor, and Lord of the Smart Rings. The consensus is clear: the Ring 5 is a genuine leap in comfort, accuracy, and health tracking depth — but its business model remains the most divisive aspect of the smart ring market.
Price
$399-$499 + $99 charging case + $5.99/month membership. First-year total: ~$570-$670.
Standout Feature
40% smaller design at 6.09mm wide — reviewers say they forget they're wearing it. Blood pressure trend monitoring is a category first.
Battery Life
6-9 days real-world use, up slightly from Ring 4's 5-8 days. Shorter than RingConn Gen 3 (14 days).
What Makes the Oura Ring 5 Different From Ring 4?
The headline improvement is physical: the Ring 5 is 40% smallerthan its predecessor. At 6.09mm wide and 2.28mm thick, it's dramatically thinner than the Ring 4's 7.90mm width and 2.88mm thickness. The weight drops to 2-2.69 grams from 3.3-5.2 grams. Every reviewer noted this makes a real difference — Android Central's tester said they "kept forgetting it was there," and Tech Advisor called it a "watershed moment for smart rings."
Beyond comfort, the Ring 5 packs genuine health tracking upgrades. Blood pressure trend monitoring tracks your patterns overnight when your cardiovascular system is most stable, providing an early warning system for hypertension. The new Nighttime Breathing feature, built in partnership with sleep-tech giant ResMed, tracks sleep-related breathing disturbances over a 30-day rolling window — meaningful for anyone at risk of sleep apnea.
Heart rate accuracy sees a 24% improvement in signal quality, translating to 19% better accuracy during running, cycling, and walking. Oura also added GLP-1 Insights for users taking weight-management medication — a niche but increasingly relevant feature as GLP-1 drug usage surges.
What Do Reviewers Criticize About the Oura Ring 5?
The biggest criticism across all reviews is the subscription model. At $5.99/month or $69.99/year, Oura charges for full access to health insights — something both RingConn Gen 3 and Ultrahuman Ring Proinclude for free. Over three years of ownership, you'll pay roughly $215 in subscription fees on top of the ring itself.
The $99 charging casesold separately is another pain point. Previous Oura rings included a charger in the box — making the Ring 5's effective entry price $498 before you even open the app. TechCrunch specifically called this out as "nickel-and-diming loyal customers."
And unlike the RingConn Gen 3's haptic motor, the Ring 5 has no vibration alerts. You can't get heart rate notifications or a silent alarm on your finger — a feature RingConn offers at a lower price point.
How Does Oura Ring 5 Compare to RingConn Gen 3 and Ultrahuman Ring Pro?
With three major smart rings all available in June 2026, the comparison is more relevant than ever:
- Oura Ring 5 ($399 + $5.99/mo): Most advanced health tracking, blood pressure monitoring, best sleep analytics, smallest/thinnest design. But the most expensive to own long-term with the subscription.
- RingConn Gen 3 ($299, no sub): Best value with haptic alerts, vascular health tracking, 14-day battery. Sleep tracking and app polish trail Oura. No blood pressure.
- Ultrahuman Ring Pro ($349, no sub): Longest battery (15 days), on-device AI, 250-day offline storage. Newest to market with the smallest app ecosystem.
- Samsung Galaxy Ring ($399): Samsung ecosystem integration, but aging hardware. Galaxy Ring 2 delayed to 2027 — increasingly hard to recommend.
For a detailed head-to-head comparison, see our RingConn Gen 3 vs Oura Ring 5 comparison and browse all options in the smart ring guide.
Should You Buy the Oura Ring 5 Right Now?
Buy the Oura Ring 5 ifyou want the most advanced smart ring on the market. Blood pressure monitoring, the ResMed partnership for sleep apnea screening, and Oura's mature app ecosystem make it the health tracking gold standard. The 40% size reduction alone is a compelling upgrade for Ring 3 or Ring 4 owners who found previous models too bulky.
Skip it if the subscription model bothers you. Paying $399-$499 upfront, $99 for the charger, and $5.99/month is a lot to ask when competitors offer everything subscription-free. The RingConn Gen 3 at $299 delivers 80% of the experience at less than half the long-term cost.
Wait if you're on the fence about smart rings entirely. With three strong options competing in June 2026, prices may drop as summer progresses — especially on the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which is already seeing aggressive discounts. The comparison tool can help you weigh all options side by side.
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Smart Ring FAQ
Common questions about the Oura Ring 5
Quick answers to help you decide if the Oura Ring 5 is the right smart ring for you.
Is the Oura Ring 5 worth the upgrade from Ring 4?
Yes, if comfort and accuracy matter to you. The Ring 5 is 40% smaller and significantly lighter, with 24% better heart rate signal quality. Blood pressure trend monitoring and Nighttime Breathing with ResMed are genuine new health features. However, if your Ring 4 is working well, the core sleep and readiness tracking remains similar.
How much does the Oura Ring 5 cost with subscription?
The Ring 5 starts at $399 for Black and Silver, or $499 for premium finishes. The charging case is $99 (sold separately). Full health insights require the Oura Membership at $5.99/month or $69.99/year. First-year total cost of ownership is roughly $570-$670 depending on finish.
Does the Oura Ring 5 monitor blood pressure?
Yes, the Oura Ring 5 includes blood pressure trend monitoring that tracks your blood pressure patterns overnight while your cardiovascular system is most stable. It detects trends rather than providing exact systolic/diastolic readings, functioning as an early warning system for hypertension.
Should I buy Oura Ring 5 or RingConn Gen 3?
Buy the Oura Ring 5 if you want the most advanced health tracking, blood pressure monitoring, and best-in-class sleep analytics. Buy the RingConn Gen 3 ($299) if you want no subscription fees, longer battery life (14 days vs 6-9 days), and haptic vibration alerts. RingConn is better value; Oura is more capable.
How long does the Oura Ring 5 battery last?
The Oura Ring 5 lasts 6-9 days on a single charge in real-world use, a slight improvement over the Ring 4's 5-8 days. This is shorter than the RingConn Gen 3 (14 days) and Ultrahuman Ring Pro (15 days), but adequate for most users who charge weekly.