Oura Ring 4.
Courtesy: Oura
After two weeks of wearing Oura Ring 4The smart ring has made me more aware of how my sleep, stress, and exercise affect how I feel on a daily basis.
The Oura Ring 4 begins shipping to customers and is available in retail stores on Tuesday, and is an impressive addition to those looking for a stylish and comfortable way to learn more about their bodies and make healthier choices. choice.
Compared with its predecessor, this smart ring offers a more accurate photosensitive element, a more comfortable design and longer battery life. The gadget is available in 12 sizes and six colors, including a new black finish, and costs $349, although users must pay a $5.99 monthly or $69.99 annual subscription to use all of the accompanying app. Function.
Overall, the Oura Ring 4 is comfortable to wear and its app is easy to navigate. The ring is a little bulkier than I’d like and scratches more easily, but after two weeks of testing, the Oura Ring 4 did provide me with useful information about my health.
Setting up
Ashley Capoot wears Oura Ring 4.
Ashley Kaput
I had never worn an Oura ring before, so the whole experience was new to me.
The first task was to choose a color and size the ring, which I did using the company’s sizing kit. Oura recommends that both new and existing customers take measurements, as sizes can change from generation to generation. The kit is available online or in-store sizing at retailers such as Target and best buythe company said.
Silver decoration has always been my preferred style, so I chose the silver Oura Ring 4 to match my accessories.
Determining size proved more difficult. I personally determined the sizing with the Oura team, but I slightly misjudged it. The ring I wear is a bit large so there is sometimes a gap between my finger and the hardware. I never felt like my ring was going to fall off, but if I had it done again I would choose to downsize.
The ring arrived at my apartment in a small box with a charger and some basic instructions on how to clean and wear the ring.
I charged the ring while downloading the Oura app and filled in personal information such as my birthday, height and weight. Pairing the ring to my iPhone was easy, and once the battery was full, I was ready to put the ring on.
What’s good
Redesigned Oura app.
Courtesy: Oura
As someone who has never liked the look of smartwatches, I was excited to try the Oura Ring 4 and use it to track my sleep. This wearable is so comfortable that I often forget I’m wearing it.
That’s at least partly thanks to the device’s new sensors, which are much smaller than those on its predecessor. The third-generation Oura’s sensor is raised and feels like a small bump, whereas the sensor on the Ring 4 is essentially flat, making its interior as smooth as other rings.
I purposely put the ring on my right index finger. I still write a lot of my stories by hand (old school, I know), so I wanted to see if holding a pen or pencil would bother me. This is not the case. The ring is also designed to be worn 24/7 and is waterproof, which didn’t give me any trouble when I was washing my hands or taking a shower.
Another highlight is the Oura app. The company started redesigning the app to all users earlier this month, and I think the layout of the app is very intuitive. Data from the smart ring is displayed in three tabs, namely “Today”, “Vital Signs” and “My Health”.
The Today tab highlights messages based on the time of day and includes shortcuts where I can quickly see the latest readings like sleep, activity, heart rate, stress, or preparation for the day. These at-a-glance metrics are easy to understand and helpful to review when I have brief moments throughout the day.
I also like to see my readings in more detail in the Vital Signs tab. There is a lot to learn and decipher. Oura shows you nearly 20 different data points about your sleep. Even so, the company does a good job of breaking down all these concepts in simple language. For example, I’m not familiar with the term “delay,” but the app tells me that delay is the time it takes to fall asleep.
The My Health tab enables users to gain long-term insights such as heart health, sleep health, and resilience, which is a measure of your ability to recover from stress over time. These metrics were calibrated after Oura recorded several weeks of data, so I wasn’t able to explore this feature in depth in this review.
Before the review, I was concerned whether Oura’s indicators would negatively affect my mood. For example, if Oura tells me that I didn’t sleep well, will I feel like I’m not ready for the day?
I’m amazed at how the company handled this framework. I never felt like I was being reprimanded for not sleeping well at night, feeling stressed, or missing exercise. Instead, Dala gave me tips on small changes I could make to feel better throughout the day, such as taking a few minutes to rest or meditate.
I also like that the workout goals in the app change based on what I’m reading. If I have a particularly tired or stressed day, Oura will lower my activity goals. Even though I wasn’t at my best, it gave me a sense of accomplishment.
What’s wrong
A user who wears the Oura ring.
Courtesy: Oura
My ring got scratched after just two weeks of wearing it. It’s not obvious from a distance, but I can definitely see it.
Just its websiteUsers can put the ring on their non-dominant hand, separate it from other rings and remove it to prevent scratches during high-friction scenarios like lifting weights, Ola said.
Despite this warning, I was surprised at how quickly the Ring 4 showed signs of wear, especially considering its price tag. No, scratches are not covered by Oura’s warranty.
Another disappointment is the ring’s battery life. It didn’t last as long as Oura said.
The company claims eight days of battery life, but I’m usually prompted to charge the ring after about five or six days. this company says Battery life depends on the user’s ring size, functional configuration, application settings, usage and other factors, and therefore varies from person to person.
Five to six days is still better than the Apple Watch, which typically needs to be charged every day, but I definitely didn’t get the eight days I expected.
My last complaint is purely cosmetic. I have small hands, so I thought the Ring 4 looked a little bulky compared to the jewelry I usually wear. My friends said they didn’t notice it, but the Ring 4 isn’t a style I’d normally choose, although admittedly I’ve gotten used to it over time.
Should you buy it?
It’s worth noting that getting the full functionality of Oura doesn’t come cheap.
According to Oura’s website, you don’t have to pay the company’s monthly subscription fee if you don’t want to, but without it you’ll only have access to your daily sleep, preparation, and activity scores. I really like being able to track my stress levels, so I’d get a membership for that feature alone. If you want this kind of information, be prepared to pay $5 per month before buying the Oura Ring 4.
Overall, the new Oura smart ring is easy to wear and use, making it a good choice if you’re looking for a low-maintenance way to track your health. I’ve been recommending it to family and friends and I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up buying one for myself one day.
