Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: which one is more worth it?

Smart rings have revolutionized the way we track health, sleep, and daily activity. In 2024, the market for these products was valued at $348.56 million and is on track to grow. With competition heating up, two models stand out as the clear leaders – Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring.

Oura has been perfecting smart rings for years, while Samsung is the bold newcomer. Yet, when it comes to design and functionality, they seem neck and neck. To compare them properly, my colleagues and I at Cybernews spent days researching their features, analyzing the benefits, and digging through user reviews.

This Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Ring comparison piece breaks down everything we found so that you can decide which ring suits you best.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Ring overview

Before I delve into a detailed review of each, let’s consider the Samsung Ring vs. Oura 4 in a comparison table. I’ve filled it with all the key features, covering design, functionality, value, and pricing. Check it out so you can go into the side-by-side analysis with a better grasp of both options.

Key features	Oura Ring 4	Samsung Galaxy Ring
Rating	4.8	4.6
Dimensions	Width: 7.9mm Thickness: 2.88mm	Width: 7mm Thickness: 2.6mm
Weight	~3.3-5.2 grams (varies with ring size)	~3 grams (varies with ring size)
Colors	Black, gold, silver, brushed silver, and rose gold	Titanium black, titanium gold, and titanium silver
Health tracking features	Cardio capacity, sleep score, readiness score, heart rate, average HRV, cardiovascular age, activity rating, and menstrual cycle monitoring	Sleep quality score, energy score, heart rate, high and low HR, inactivity alerts, wellness insights, and menstrual cycle monitoring
Compatibility	Apple iPhone and Android	Android
Battery life	Up to 8 days	Up to 7 days
Price	$349-$499 (depending on the color)	$399.99
Subscription cost	$5.99/month	$16.67/month (for 24 months)

What is a smart ring?

Smart rings are electronic gadgets you wear on your finger. At first glance, they look like chunkier pieces of jewelry but are packed with advanced microtechnology – sensors, Bluetooth, and Near-Field Communication (NFC). These features allow them to track your vitals, analyze the data, and send it straight to your connected device.

As you’d expect, most smart rings keep tabs on your heart rate, steps, and sleep patterns. But depending on the brand, they can do much more. The best ones measure blood oxygen levels, track changes in body temperature, and monitor movement and body orientation.

On top of that, they also offer non-wellness-related features, like contactless payments, smart home and phone locks, notification alerts, and even a music player. So, while their main job is to help you keep tabs on your health and activity with minimal effort, they’re also meant to add a layer of convenience to everyday life.

Now, if you’re thinking they sound a lot like smartwatches, you’re not wrong. These gadgets track similar metrics, have a screen that offers access to many additional capabilities, and boast a proven track record.

Still, smart rings have their own advantages. They’re lighter, less noticeable, and don’t get in the way when you’re wearing them all day. Users find they offer more detailed sleep and activity statistics and tend to have a longer battery life, which is a major plus.

Personally, I find them to be the more convenient option, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to what matters most to you.

How we test smart rings

My team of tech experts and I take a deeply analytical approach to reviewing and testing health devices. Comparing the Oura 4 vs. Samsung Ring wasn't any different. Instead of giving you a subjective take, we focus on hard facts, scientific analysis, and real-world user experiences to bring you an unbiased, data-driven comparison.

That means assessing each smart ring across key performance areas, including:

• Battery life (20%). It shows the potential for constant tracking throughout the day and night.
• Sensor accuracy for heart rate, sleep, and activity tracking (20%). These are essential for reliable health and fitness insights based on which you can improve your life quality.
• Comfort during long-term wear (10%). The ring must not disrupt your daily activities regardless of your job, hobbies, or workout regime.
• Compatibility with different operating systems (10%). The more operating systems these gadgets are compatible with, the more users will be able to take advantage of them.
• Third-party app integrations (20%). The best smart rings integrate with the apps you already use to optimize your experience.
• Durability and water resistance (20%). A high-quality ring must withstand daily wear and tear and handle exposure to elements without damage.

This level of detail makes our research exhaustive, but it also ensures you get reliable insights and objective recommendations. After all, my main goal is to help you cut through the noise and make an informed choice with confidence.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: cost and value

Smart rings are a pricey investment, so one of the biggest factors to consider is the price-to-value ratio. That’s why I started my Samsung Ring vs. Oura Ring 4 research with a close look at their cost and what you get for it.

At first glance, Oura seems like the cheaper option, with a base price of $349 compared to Samsung’s $399.99. However, this brand charges more for finishes like brushed silver or rose gold ($399-$499). It also requires you to sign up for a membership to access all its features, which comes at an additional fee of $5.99 per month or £69.99 per year.

Samsung Galaxy Ring, on the other hand, retails for the same price regardless of its color and involves no membership fees.

It doesn’t offer a 10% discount for new members through its referral program or third-party app free trials like Oura. Yet it caters to budget-conscious users with a $250 trade-in credit promotion and offers a subscription pricing model for those who can’t or don’t want to pay the full amount upfront.

These benefits make Samsung the more budget-friendly choice in the long run and, thus, the winner of this category.

Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura Ring: design and battery life

Samsung Galaxy and Oura 4 are fairly similar design-wise, I’ve found. They’re both titanium-based and waterproof up to about 100 meters (330 feet) depth, which makes them quite durable. This means you should be able to shower, swim, and work out wearing either without any issues.

Battery life is another close call. Oura claims it lasts up to 8 days, while Samsung promises 7 when fully charged, which takes up to 80 to 90 minutes for both. The Galaxy Ring does offer a potential 30% battery extension if paired with a Galaxy smartwatch, but that benefit only applies if you already own one.

In reality, all these numbers seem optimistic. Most users report getting around 5 days of active use from either device, meaning there’s not much of a difference between them when it comes to real-world performance.

However, looks-wise, Oura has the edge. It offers more colors and finishes, making it not just a functional item but also a fashionable accessory. Samsung sticks to plain titanium, which users seem to find scratch-resistant but less stylish.

Oura also gives you more flexibility in sizing, offering 12 sizes (4-15) compared to Samsung’s nine (5-13), something that could make a huge difference if you tend to struggle with the right fit. That said, Samsung’s concave design and lightweight 3g build make it slightly more comfortable to wear than Oura’s flatter, heavier design (3.3g-5.2g).

Taking everything into account, it’s hard to say that either has an advantage at this stage of the Samsung Galaxy Ring vs. Oura 4 comparison.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: fitness and tracking

Both the Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring 4 do a solid job with basic fitness tracking. User reviews confirm that they accurately measure heart rate, steps, calorie burn, and general activity levels. Plus, they sync with third-party apps that support more specific health-related data collection and analysis, like fertility and menstrual cycle monitoring.

Samsung Ring features more comprehensive workout and sleep metrics, which connect to Galaxy Watch and AI to offer in-depth analytics. However, it seems less flexible in fitness tracking than Oura.

Samsung requires manual logins for all activities except walking and running, while Oura 4 auto-detects most of it on its own, simply asking you to confirm by choosing an item from a list. According to user feedback, Oura also provides more meaningful health insights.

Oura captures 20 biometrics based on the signals the sensors pick up, including heart rate, blood oxygen levels (SpO2), body temperature fluctuations, and movement. These fuel features like the Readiness score, Symptoms Radar, and Resilience analytics, which may help gauge your energy levels and cope with everyday strain and stress.

The ring keeps evolving, too. It seems to have eliminated data gaps and signal dropouts, which I’ve seen mentioned in user testimonies for previous ring generations. It also added new features like Cardiovascular Age and Cardio Capacity and the in-app platform, Oura Lab, where you can test fresh capabilities before their official launch.

Overall, I have to give it to Oura Ring 4 in this one. It seems to provide more value in day-to-day tracking as a standalone health monitoring device, while the fitness-geared Samsung Galaxy Ring relies more on integration with other Galaxy products.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy Ring: compatibility

Since smart rings don’t have screens, their ability to sync with other devices is crucial. This is where the Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring 4 differ most significantly. Oura supports iOS and Android, while Samsung sticks exclusively to Android’s operating system.

That instantly rules out a large chunk of potential users for Samsung, but it’s a calculated move. As I mentioned, its Galaxy Ring isn’t meant to be a standalone gadget – instead, it’s supposed to work alongside the Galaxy smartwatch and smartphone lineup. They’re all designed to fit into a larger ecosystem to deliver a more holistic perspective on health and fitness.

With this in mind, it’s not strange Samsung doesn’t support too many third-party integrations, either. It syncs with usual suspects like Google Fit, Strava, and MyFitnessPal through Health Connect by Android. However, its focus stays on Samsung Health, its native app with AI-driven analytics.

Oura Ring 4 is far more open-ended, supporting over 600 third-party apps through Apple HealthKit and Health Connect by Android. Beyond basic fitness tracking, it syncs mental wellness apps like Apollo and TalkSpace and sleep monitoring tools like Zero and Cronometer, as well as with FDA-cleared fertility and contraception trackers like Natural Cycles and Clue.

So, unless you’re deeply invested in the Galaxy ecosystem, you’ll agree that Oura is in the lead once again.

Oura Ring 4 vs. Samsung Ring: final verdict

With its compact design, comprehensive fitness analytics, and AI-driven insights, the Samsung Galaxy Ring has plenty to offer. It’s at its best when synced with other Galaxy devices and apps, making it an ideal choice for Samsung users, especially those who want to skip membership fees.

However, Oura still comes out on top. Its Gen 4 ring is a beautifully designed wearable solution perfect for casual users looking for a durable wellness companion. It boasts sensors users praise for accuracy, piles of day-to-day health-tracking features, and the potential for hundreds of third-party integrations.

For those who want a high-quality smart ring that stands on its own, Oura Ring 4 is the obvious choice.

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