The Oura Ring 4 is $100 off, selling for as little as $249 instead of $349 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. It is the first big discount on the ring since July.
Prices shift a little by size and color. Most silver and black models sit at the lowest price between sizes 8 and 13. Best Buy also carries an exclusive deep blue "midnight" finish for $279. Anyone unsure of their size can buy a sizing kit for $10 at Amazon or Target, and the kit includes $10 in store credit toward a Ring 4.
The discount is about 29 percent, and the reason it matters is the Ring 5. The newer ring is lighter and thinner, but it includes the same sensors and software features as the Ring 4. The older ring is a little thicker and comes in a wider range of sizes. So the trade is some bulk for $100, with no loss of tracking features. A six-ring comparison test found Oura beat every rival, and the Ring 4 earned that spot with more accurate sensors than its predecessor and a slimmer build than the competition.
The sticker price is only part of the cost. Full access to the features requires a subscription at $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year. At the sale price, the first year costs $318.99 and two years come to $388.98, so the subscription adds back roughly the amount the sale takes off every 17 months or so.
That is worth weighing against the alternative. A smart ring's real price is a recurring one, and a $100 hardware cut shrinks the total bill less than it first appears. For someone who already wants an Oura, though, the Ring 5's main advantages are comfort and weight, and the Ring 4 gives up neither sensors nor software to get there.