Hardware

Published on November 27th, 2025 | by Dean Yamak

Oura Ring 4 Ceramic review

The Oura Ring 4 ‘Ceramic Midnight’ is such a smooth and easy wearable tech experience that it almost undersells itself. Forgive the crude analogy, but it’s like ‘a 10’ that tricks you into thinking it’s an 8 so that you’re not intimidated. In the past I have barely managed to commit to health tech features bundled in my smartwatches or fitness trackers… but the way Oura have leaned into a ‘less is more’ elegant design in their Ceramic Ring 4 range, paired with a calm yet direct feedback experience from the health tracking app, suits my personal style perfectly. If you’re unfamiliar with the Oura – it’s a smart ring, focused on continuous health tracking (think sleep, stress, activity, meals, etc.). The Oura app leverages the surprisingly accurate tracking with analysis aimed at improving the health goals you told the app to focus on.

The new ceramic range is available in four colours — Midnight, Petal, Cloud, and Tide — and twelve sizes ranging from 4 to 15. Most people should find a ring that fits with comfort and a style that suits them, particularly since the newer ceramic range expands upon the usual metallic coating and finish styles you would expect (silver, gold, black, etc.). I had the chance to compare the Oura Ring 4 in the ‘Midnight’ ceramic finish with the Oura Ring 3 thanks to my wife – the Ring 4 is deceptively heavy in comparison, but goddamn it looks better. Oura will send you a ring sizing kit beforehand, along with instructions which I definitely recommend you follow – even though I was confident with the ring kit, it still surprises me how loose it gets with soap and water. It’s bulky compared to my wedding band, and if I concentrate on the ring I notice the slight pressure on the surrounding fingers in the same way I would with a Cheezel on my finger. But even whilst writing this review, the moment I stop trying to examine the feel of the ring, I forget it is even there as soon as I start attending to day-to-day life

For the price point and the tech inside it, it’s not the kind of product you want to try and catch as it bounces on your bathroom tiles – unfortunately I can attest that it has a great rebound on it, and that I was pleasantly surprised by the durability of the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic finish given how often I’ve dropped it. I’ve been wearing the ring for heavy yard work; whilst playing with my toddler; whilst working; and whilst exercising – and there is not a superficial blemish, let alone a scratch, in sight. Oura also included a beautifully soft cleaning cloth and claimed the ceramic colour will remain rich and vibrant without fading due to its mineral composition.

One of the new advertised functions by Oura is the ability to pair and switch between multiple Oura Rings under a single account without losing any health data tracking. I don’t think I’m the target market for this feature. At $799 AUD the Oura Ring 4 is certainly not a budget device. It is so light, so durable, so unobtrusive, and so comprehensive and accurate in tracking and suggested health assistance… the Oura Ring 4 is clearly a premium health tracking device, and the price reflects that premium (and possible niche) function – and that’s not even including the app subscription at $9.99 AUD a month.

With that context and price point, it’s hard to suggest people should buy multiple Oura Ring 4s to better suit their style and fashion and seamlessly switch between them in the app… I can appreciate that whilst this extra function isn’t for me, for someone who needs to match their bags with their shoes, with their sunglasses, and with their activewear… then matching Midnight with their suit and Tide with their Pilates gear is probably important despite the cost. But I’ve always been someone who generally prioritises function over form.

I mentioned the app subscription just above, so let’s dive into the Oura app and membership. The app experience also undersells the work that has gone into the Oura consumer experience. Given Oura’s strong reputation I was very satisfied with how consistent and accurate the Oura Ring 4 was for tracking my heart data compared with my other devices (a smartwatch and two different pulse oximeters), let alone their advertised claims compared to an ECG standard. Again the Oura Ring 4 is subtle – the only time I noticed the sensor monitoring me was when I was petting my little six-month-old to sleep in a pitch-black room… and no, Oura, I was not “rollerblading” as you suggested – but a small green flash that is only noticeable in the void of our nursery is a huge improvement compared to my smartwatch’s sensor.

When I considered how seamlessly the Oura app notifies me at the exact right time each morning and night about my sleep and my bedtime, how quietly enthusiastic the tone of its reports is without being too optimistic nor chastising, I realised how much work has gone into the user experience. I usually react with volatility to any technology telling me what to do, or with ridicule and pessimism to suggestions I should stop and take a deep breath – but the Oura app managed to thread the needle with me. The twice-daily feedback I receive from the app is smoothly targeted at my goals, and provides me with a couple of practical suggestions on behaviour change without shaming me or nagging me. Even when I am up four times a night with terrible sleep, the Oura app simply points out that I’m probably not as ‘ready’ for the day as I could be and moves on to strategies that might help, rather than dwell on how tired I must feel. The fact that I didn’t recognise how well it is intentionally communicating with me at first is an indication of how brilliantly tailored and fine-tuned the app and the Oura Ring 4 are for a subtle yet sophisticated user experience.

But the cost of the app when considered with the ring is not insignificant. At $799 AUD for the ring, with the addition of $9.99 a month for the subscription, that’s a total cost of around $1160 AUD over three years of use. I have found the membership offers great value when I consider both the detailed analysis of my data, the tracking and trends it has already revealed, but more importantly the way it offers subtle tips and prompts on how to improve my health with accessible behaviour changes that don’t leave me feeling shamed or cajoled. However I’m not tracking my cycle as a method of assisting with fertility – and I agree with my wife; it’s pretty tough to see the value in paying both an Oura subscription and the Natural Cycles subscription to access cycle tracking. These subscriptions were one of the first things my wife cancelled after the birth of our first son as a way of saving a little bit of money when under unusual and temporary financial pressure. This start-stop pattern for the Oura membership subscription has been her approach for more than the last three years. So I guess what I’m trying to communicate is that the premium technology and premium analysis that the Oura Ring 4 offers will always be incredibly useful – but for anyone under enough pressure that challenges their capacity to meet the financial demand, even if the Oura Ring 4 is the ‘best’ product it might literally be a luxury that cannot be sustained for a time, or compete with cheaper alternatives.

Final Thoughts

Overall I was impressed by the Oura Ring 4; somehow it exceeded my expectations despite my previous second-hand experience of the Ring 3 via my wife, and despite my higher than usual expectations due to the price point. I think the new Ceramic range speaks directly to my style, my Midnight Blue ring is light, subtle and I actually want to wear it. The most powerful moment for me was when I realised that I was actually open to considering the advice the app was providing me after it analysed my trends. As a healthcare professional with an ego who hates being told what to do and when to do it, I think it’s testament to the research work underlying the health tips and how they are communicated, let alone the fine-tuning to individual communication styles. At $799 AUD and with a monthly subscription the Oura Ring 4 seems the definition of a curated premium product. It will almost certainly do exactly what you are looking for – so long as you are comfortable with paying the premium price tag for it.

About the Author

Dean Yamak

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