Oura Cuts Gen 5 Oura Ring Volume 40% From Ring 4
Oura launched the gen 5 oura ring as its smallest smart ring yet, cutting volume by 40% versus Oura Ring 4. The company says the redesign keeps health sensing in a lighter, smaller package. The trade-off is engineering pressure: Oura had to compress battery, optics, and sensor hardware into a much thinner form factor.
Tom Hale on the redesign
Tom Hale said Oura “rebuilt Oura Ring from the inside out to deliver more accurate, continuous insights in a smaller, lighter, more comfortable ring—so people can focus on living their lives, not tracking them.”
That line is the main claim, and the hardware details show how Oura tried to support it. The ring uses precision-engineered, low-profile sensor domes, more efficient LEDs, and 12 stronger, more accurate signal pathways.
Oura Ring 5 sensors
Oura also rotated the LEDs 180 degrees to shorten the optical paths for red, infrared, and green light. J-T Mäkinen said the reduced size gave the ring shorter light paths, and he said the design balances signal strength and quality with lower current draw, which means less power consumption.
The company says Oura Ring 5 reaches parity with, or slight improvement over, Oura Ring 4 by using shorter measurement paths, efficient light recycling, and a larger photodiode component. Oura also says this is its most accurate generation ever made.
6mm width and comfort
Mikko Aarras said the goal was to make the “perfect size that people find comfortable and visually appealing.” Oura’s research found that about 6mm was the most preferred width for style and comfort, and the team found that going smaller felt too “dainty.”
That preference helps explain why the company chose to shrink volume while holding onto a familiar width. The redesigned sensors are slightly larger than those in Oura Ring 4, and Mäkinen said the team had to push the LEDs and PDs closer to the skin’s surface and through the metallic layer because the ring is so thin.
The unresolved question is pricing and availability for buyers who want the smaller ring, because Oura gave the hardware details but did not pair them with a release or price in the facts provided.
