Oura Ring 5 is 40% thinner — and costs more, with a subscription still attached
Oura's new Ring 5 launches on 4 June 2026, and the headline number is real: at 2.28 mm thick, it's 40% thinner than Ring 4. The base price is £399 in the UK and $399 in the US — a £50/$50 jump from the previous model. A mandatory subscription of £5.99/month (or £69.99/year) still applies on top of that hardware cost.
The design
The Ring 5 measures 6.09 mm wide and 2.28 mm thick, making it one of the slimmest wearables on the market. Despite the size reduction, Oura claims battery life has stayed at six to nine days. The titanium body carries a 100-metre water resistance rating, so pool use isn't a problem. Oura puts heart rate accuracy at 99% and sleep tracking at 95% — both company-claimed figures, not independent lab results.
Available finishes for the Oura Ring 5. Image: Oura Ring
The ring automatically detects workouts, counts active calories, tracks sleep stages, and monitors skin temperature. That temperature sensor feeds estimates of stress levels, cycle shifts, and what Oura calls "cardiovascular age." A new Health Radar feature — focused on sleep and blood pressure signals — is rolling out in June, but only in the US, India, and the UAE. UK buyers get the hardware; that specific feature may follow later.
The Oura Ring 5 in titanium. Image: Oura Ring
The price problem
Premium finishes — gold, stealth, brushed silver, deep rose — push the price to £499/$499. As Tech Advisor notes, the software features on Ring 5 are largely the same ones already available to Ring 3 and Ring 4 owners, which means the design itself is the primary reason to upgrade.
That's a harder sell in a market that has changed. Samsung's Galaxy Ring costs £349 with no subscription at all. RingConn's Gen 2 Air sits at £199, also subscription-free. Both compete directly on the features most buyers actually use daily. The smart ring segment grew 170% between 2022 and 2024, and much of that growth came from brands pitching zero-subscription alternatives, per Wareable.
Oura Ring 5 alongside its app analytics. Image: Oura Ring
Oura's locked-in model means the real five-year cost of Ring 5 is closer to £750–£800 once subscription fees stack up. For users who value Oura's health analytics and sleep data — and many do — the platform remains the most polished option. For everyone else, the subscription question is the first one worth answering before buying.
Pre-orders open 28 May 2026 via Oura's website and Amazon.
