When a self-confessed subscription skeptic endorses a device that costs several hundred dollars and then demands an annual fee, you know it must be exceptional. That's precisely the case with the Oura Ring 5, the latest iteration of the smart ring that has quietly become one of the most compelling wearables on the market.
After nine years of daily Apple Watch use, the author made a radical switch in 2024: abandon the smartwatch in favor of traditional analogue timepieces and adopt the third-generation Oura Ring for health and activity tracking. Now, with the fifth-gen model, the experience has been elevated to an entirely new level.
The App Is the Real Star
While the hardware has seen significant improvements, the true magic lies in the Oura app. Despite requiring a subscription, it has won over even the most reluctant users. The app distills vast amounts of biometric data into four simple numerical scores: Readiness, Sleep, Resilience, and Stress.
The Readiness score is the standout. It combines nine data points—resting heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, recovery index, sleep quality, sleep balance, sleep regularity, yesterday's activity level, and activity balance—into a single percentage. The author reports that this number aligns remarkably well with how they actually feel each day.
More astonishing is the app's ability to detect illness before any symptoms appear. Every time a cold was coming, the Oura ring flagged elevated body temperature and strain markers a day or two in advance. Zero false positives, zero false negatives. On one occasion, it identified an infection following surgery—12 hours before doctors noticed, and before the user felt unwell.
During a period of prolonged stress, the Resilience score accurately mirrored the user's subjective experience. The app also offered proactive advice: after studying sleep patterns, it recommended optimal wind-down times and a one-hour bedtime window. Following that guidance measurably improved sleep quality.
Hardware That Disappears
Moving from an Apple Watch to a smart ring brings immediate advantages. The first is battery life. When new, the Gen 3 ring needed charging only once a week; after two years, it was every four to five days. That's a massive convenience upgrade over a daily-charged watch.
The second is unobtrusiveness. The Gen 3 ring already looked like a normal ring unless inspected closely. But the Oura Ring 5 takes this to a new extreme. It is now the world's smallest smart ring: just 6.09mm wide and 2.28mm thick. Made from lightweight, non-allergenic titanium, it weighs between 2 and 2.7 grams depending on size.
The sensors, once protruding, are now nearly flush. The ring is so comfortable that the user forgets they're wearing it. Only the weekly removal for charging reminds them. Six finishes are available; the author chose the matte black Stealth model for its understated look.
If you need notifications or Apple Pay, a smart ring can't replace a watch. But for pure health and fitness tracking from the most compact hardware paired with exceptionally intelligent software, the Oura Ring 5 is a standout recommendation.
The Oura Ring 5 is priced between $399 and $499 depending on finish. Standard ring sizes generally apply, but Oura strongly recommends purchasing the $10 sizing kit and wearing the dummy ring for 24 hours before ordering. That cost is refundable with any ring purchase.
Source: 9to5Mac News