They finally made the Oura ring smaller and lighter

Everywhere I go, no matter what I do, people point to my finger and ask, “Is that our Oura ring?” Many people found they liked the design, and told me why they were considering switching to a smart ring from a smart watch. But people who wipe their noses? They usually say something along the lines of, “Okay. Maybe when it’s lighter or smaller.”

Good news. The newly announced $399 Oura Ring 5 is both. It is 40 percent smaller than Oura ring 4It is 6.09mm wide (down from 7.9mm) and 2.29mm thick (down from 2.88mm). Depending on the size, it weighs from 2 to 2.69 grams. You might think it might be hard to notice much of a difference between the Oura Ring 4 and Oura Ring 5, which are two very small wearables. But can the Oura Ring 5 fit from the ring holder into the palm of my hand? It is immediately noticeable. And on my finger, it’s thinner too.

The design doesn’t look all that different, though Oura told me at a press conference that it has been redesigned to include stronger LEDs and improved battery life that can last for six to nine days. (Alas, friends with little fingers: larger rings almost always have longer battery life.) The ring itself is titanium weather-resistant and IP68-rated, and the coating is said to be less likely to scratch than previous models. (Though I’ll judge that in testing. I’ll never forget how burned I got by the rose gold Oura Ring Gen 3.) The optional charging case now also holds five full charges and works with wireless chargers. There’s also a new “deep pink” shade, which is more of a coppery rose gold than pink.

There are some disappointments. As with the Oura Ring 4, the company recommends people looking to upgrade to double-check their size using a new size group. Because of the redesigned components, people can get stuck on a “middle” ring size, which may require it to be enlarged or reduced to be more comfortable. Also, while the Oura Ring 4 was available in sizes 4 to 15, the Oura Ring 5 will only come in sizes 6 to 13. At my briefing, I was told that’s because the Oura Ring 4 isn’t that old yet (it launched at the end of 2024) and the company is still figuring out how much demand there is for the newer sizes. Another problem: There’s no ceramic option yet.

Along with the devices, Oura also announces Tons New software updates today. Based on Symptom radarwhich detects early health changes, the company is launching something called Health Radar. This feature set includes nighttime blood pressure and breathing trends, the ability to import medical records, and a partnership with Council AI to create a medical chatbot. (The latter two features require you to participate in Oura Labs’ beta testing feature.) The idea is that Health Radar will report when there’s a big change in your health without you having to look at each individual metric every day.

For people interested in metabolic health, Oura also adds GLP-1 insights and lab loads. In my brief, I was told that GLP-1 Insights is intended to help users track their doses, monitor changes and side effects, and recognize what is normal in terms of how the drug affects their metrics. For example, GLP-1 can cause a slight increase in resting heart rate. Lab Uploads will allow Oura users to import test results directly into the app and chat with Oura’s chatbot about the results. (As always, obligatory reminder that most… Artificial intelligence health Features They have the ability to hallucinate and get bad advice, so it is bad to think that this can replace your doctor.)

On the fitness front, live activity tracking in the Oura app is also getting improved. You’ll now be able to pair your third-party heart rate monitor with the Oura app, as well as view several metrics in real time. Like other big-name health tech companies, Oura is launching a new research study called the Brain Health Study. Users can opt-in to share their data as Oura studies how metrics relate to cognitive performance.

All of this information is very sensitive, considering the controversy Ora sparked last year Its partnership with PalantirThe company says it will now give users expanded options to delete their data. A new feature called Time-Based Data Deletion will allow users to clear their information from a specific time window if they wish.

Oura 5 ring is available for pre order Today, the price starts at $399 for black and silver, and $499 for the rest of the colors. It is expected to ship on June 4. Brain Health Study Goes Live Today. The rest of the software updates will be rolled out in June.

Photography by Victoria Song/The Verge