Practical: Oura’s Ceramic Ring 4 is more than a pop of color

Instead of launching another generation of its successful health monitoring ring, Oura has created a new variant without a metallic finish simply called “Oura Ring 4 Ceramic”. As simple as the change is, it’s almost as exciting as a completely new ring.

Oura Rings have taken off in the last couple of years. As competition from companies like Samsung and RingConn increases, Oura’s strengths become clear.

The Oura Ring 4 has a fantastic battery and a great app, to put it simply. It’s one of the few pieces of tech I wear consistently because it doesn’t feel like a burden or I need to compromise.

The only significant difference between Oura Ring 4 and Oura 4 Ceramic Ring it is, as one might imagine, material. Ceramic replaces the titanium used in the outer face of the wearable device. It is a well-known, naturally resistant material, often used not only in ceramics or tableware. For example, knife blades may be ceramic due to extreme edge retention, although somewhat fragile in a thin construction.

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I’ve been using the new health tracker since launch, and the seemingly small switch from titanium to ceramic has made a huge difference. It almost feels like a completely new product.

To be clear, a new product from Oura should feature longer battery life and be available in thinner builds so it doesn’t look like a fitness wearable. The Oura Ring 4 ceramic still has minor drawbacks, but is still at the top of its class.

But the material and color add a lot.

I’m using the Midnight variant and my wife has the Petal Oura Ring 4 Ceramic. I fell in love with the blue version, especially because the darker tone suits my skin a little better. There are four options in total: Tide, Petal, Cloud and Midnight. Tide and Cloud are a teal and white colorway respectively. The rings have a somewhat shiny finish, like a piece of glazed ceramic.

One thing Oura promises with ceramic models is scratch resistance. My rose gold titanium Oura Ring 4 held up well, but it didn’t stand up to daily wear and tear like the ceramic version does. I wasn’t careful and I can’t find a single scratch on the ring.

Oura also says that ceramic models take on the colors of other materials more easily, as is normal for natural material. This can be removed with a cleaning cloth, although I haven’t experienced this at all yet.

The rings are also much more resistant to fingerprints than the metal versions. I always felt the need to erase fingerprints from the previous ring, but the new version doesn’t allow them to become as obvious. It’s a small improvement, but it’s not insignificant.

Overall, I really liked the new color options and material choices. It’s not as shiny as polished titanium and allows users to express themselves a little more. The company has also added the ability to pair multiple rings, though I’m not sure many users will switch rings every day. They still cost up to $499, which is as high as the Rose Gold and Titanium Gold colorways. With greater durability and more vibrant colors, the ceramic model looks more premium in almost every way.

However, I believe Oura is one of the best wearable brands. The user experience is superior to other health trackers. This makes it a great option for anyone and also a good gift for others, as long as you know your ring size.

For a more extensive review of the Oura Ring 4, check out our initial analysis.

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