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Oura Ring 3 vs Oura Ring 4 — comparison table
Summary from hands-on comparison in this review. Specs and street prices change—confirm on Oura’s site before you buy.
| Feature | Oura Ring 3 | Oura Ring 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Build / skin contact | Titanium shell with epoxy inner band and raised sensor domes | Full titanium inside and out; sensors recessed (flush, no bumps) |
| Comfort / gym grip | Domes can leave marks; may catch when gripping weights | Jewelry-like feel; spins freely without catching as easily |
| Sensing approach | Fewer pathways; accuracy depends more on palm-side alignment | “Smart Sensing” with more LEDs and ~18 signal pathways that hunt for a clear reading |
| SpO2 / overnight gaps | Solid when fit is good; more gaps if restless or misaligned | Maker claims large SpO2 signal gains; fewer overnight gaps in testing |
| Daytime activity / HR | Good at rest; automatic activity detection more miss-prone on walks | Cleaner daytime HR graphs; stronger automatic activity detection in side-by-side tests |
| Battery (marketing) | Up to ~7 days (often less with SpO2 on; older units degrade further) | Up to ~8 days; ~6 days observed with SpO2 + daytime stress on |
| Charger | Plastic puck with finicky pogo placement | Heavier metal dock; more forgiving drop-on charge (not cross-compatible with Gen 3) |
| Size range | Sizes 6–13 | Sizes 4–15 (new sizing kit required—do not assume Gen 3 size) |
| App & subscription | Same Oura app; membership needed for full history/drill-downs | Same app/membership; better raw signal can feed stress/resilience metrics more cleanly |
| Typical price band | Often ~$299 or less on sale (varies) | Starts around ~$349 for base finishes; higher for gold tones (varies) |
Who should buy which?
If you are new to Oura, Gen 4 is the clearer long-term pick: flush titanium, better daytime signal, and a less fussy charger. If your Gen 3 battery is still healthy and you mainly care about overnight sleep scores, staying put is reasonable—the core sleep story is not night-and-day different.
- New buyers: lean Ring 4 for comfort and future-proofing
- Happy Gen 3 owners: upgrade mainly for comfort/daytime accuracy, not sleep magic
- Re-size with the new kit—flush titanium changes how the ring sits