Oura Ring 5 Launches as World's Smallest Smart Ring
Oura Health Oy announced the Oura Ring 5 on May 28, 2026, introducing a unique (redesigned) smart ring that the company describes as the smallest in the world.
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| Credit: Oura |
The new model measures 6.09 millimeters wide and 2.28 millimeters thick, representing a 40% reduction in overall volume compared to the Oura Ring 4, which measured 7.99 millimeters wide and 2.88 millimeters thick.
The redesign addresses longstanding user feedback about the bulkiness of previous Oura generations.
Crafted from lightweight, non-allergenic titanium, the Ring 5 features a more jewelry-like profile that sits closer to a traditional wedding band.
It includes a new scratch-resistant coating and achieves water resistance up to 100 meters, an improvement over prior models.
Oura states that the smaller form factor improves comfort for daily wear, including during high-grip activities such as golf or tennis.
Despite the reduced size, the company claims the Ring 5 maintains or improves battery performance.
Battery life reaches up to six to nine days depending on ring size, with larger sizes offering slightly longer endurance.
Oura re-engineered the battery architecture to fit the compact design without major trade-offs.
A separate portable charging case, sold for $99, provides up to one month of additional charges.
Re-engineered Sensing and Accuracy Improvements
Oura reconfigured the internal sensing architecture for the Ring 5.
The device incorporates lower-profile sensor domes for better skin contact, more powerful LEDs, and additional signal pathways.
These changes aim to deliver more consistent readings across different finger shapes and skin tones.
The company reports heart rate accuracy improvements of up to 19% in certain conditions, particularly during nighttime measurements and workouts.
Core sensors remain focused on photoplethysmography (PPG) for heart rate and blood oxygen, temperature trends, and an accelerometer for movement.
The ring continues to track over 50 health metrics when paired with the required Oura membership.
New hardware refinements support enhanced data quality for existing features such as sleep staging, readiness scoring, activity tracking, and recovery insights.
New Software Features and Health Insights
Alongside the hardware, Oura introduced several software updates under the Health Radar platform, an evolution of its earlier Symptom Radar tool.
Health Radar provides proactive monitoring for potential blood pressure signals and nighttime breathing patterns.
It analyzes shifts in blood oxygen levels during sleep that could indicate breathing disturbances, such as those associated with sleep apnea, though the system flags changes for professional medical follow-up rather than providing diagnoses.
Additional software capabilities include GLP-1 Insights for users taking weight-loss medications, allowing longitudinal tracking of metrics alongside biometric data.
Lab Uploads let members import blood biomarker results directly into the Oura app for combined views of metabolic health.
Health Records integrates clinical history with real-time biometrics in a privacy-focused system.
New connected care options link to services for sleep support, birth control consultations, and AI-enabled physician partnerships.
Many of these software experiences will also roll out to compatible earlier models, including the Oura Ring 3 and Ring 4.
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| Credit: Oura |
Pricing, Availability, and Subscription Model
The Oura Ring 5 starts at $399 for base Silver and Black finishes.
Premium options, including Gold, Deep Rose, Brushed Silver, and Stealth, cost $499. This represents a $50 increase for base models compared to the Ring 4 launch pricing.
A monthly membership at $5.99 or annual at $69.99 remains required for full access to metrics and insights beyond basic tracking. The first month is free for new members.
Pre-orders opened immediately on May 28 via ouraring.com and select retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Target, and Walmart.
Shipments begin on June 4.
The ring is available in sizes 6 through 13.
Sizing kits are also offered to ensure proper fit before purchase.
Future Plans
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| Credit: Oura |
Oura, a Finnish-US company, continues to expand its position in the wearable health market while preparing for a potential initial public offering later in 2026.
The Ring 5 represents the latest iteration in a product line that began with earlier generations focused primarily on sleep and recovery.
In an official statement, Holly Shelton, chief product officer at Oura, said:
“Oura Ring 5 is the most significant leap in smart ring history. To make something 40% smaller without sacrificing an ounce of accuracy, we had to rethink every assumption — the sensors, the battery, the architecture, the geometry of the ring itself.”
CEO Tom Hale highlighted that the design strikes a balance between technological functionality and everyday comfort, addressing user demands that have persisted for years.
The Oura Ring 5 enters an expanding smart ring market, where competitors provide different levels of battery life, sensor accuracy, and subscription models.
Oura markets its latest model as offering clinical-grade insights, all while maintaining a discreet form factor that prioritizes long-term comfort.
