The Size Reduction Is Immediately Noticeable
Owners upgrading from the Ring 4 describe the roughly 40 percent smaller footprint as an immediate, obvious improvement, particularly for anyone who found the previous generation bulky against a keyboard or gym equipment. Several reviewers specifically call it the first Oura ring that genuinely disappears on the finger during the day.
Sleep Tracking Remains the Category Benchmark
Sleep staging and readiness scoring continue to be the feature Oura is most trusted for, with owners across fitness levels consistently rating it more accurate than wrist-based alternatives for detecting actual sleep stages versus simple movement. This reputation, built over several generations, carries through unchanged here.
A Sync Bug That's Frustrating Early Adopters
A documented issue with third-party app syncing, particularly Strava, has owners reporting heart rate data dropping out or failing to transfer correctly during and after workouts. Oura has acknowledged similar sync issues in past generations, and while it doesn't affect the ring's own in-app tracking, anyone relying on Strava as their primary training log should know about it before buying.
The Subscription Question Hasn't Changed
Oura's monthly membership fee remains required to access most meaningful data beyond raw sleep and activity numbers, and this continues to be the most common criticism in reviews, particularly from owners comparing it to subscription-free competitors. The hardware improvements here don't address this long-standing point of friction.
Who Should Buy the Ring 5
If best-in-class sleep tracking and a genuinely more comfortable, smaller ring matter most to you, and you're comfortable with an ongoing subscription, this is currently the strongest option in the category. If the Strava sync issue affects your training workflow, it's worth waiting for a firmware fix before committing.
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