Oura Ring 5 vs Garmin Venu 4: Which Tracker Should You Buy?
Oura and Garmin both promise better sleep, smarter recovery and a clearer picture of your health, but they are very different devices. The Oura Ring 5 (launched June 2026) is a 2-gram titanium ring with no screen and no GPS. The Garmin Venu 4 is a full AMOLED smartwatch with multi-band GPS, ECG and a flashlight. Here is how they compare on price, subscription cost, battery, tracking accuracy and everyday walking, with the older Oura Ring 4 and Venu 3 as cheaper alternatives.
Quick Answer
Choose the Garmin Venu 4 if you walk, hike or train and want GPS, live heart rate and workout data on your wrist with no required subscription. Choose the Oura Ring 5 if sleep, recovery and all-day comfort matter most and you would never wear a watch to bed.
- Price: the Oura Ring 5 has the lower sticker price but needs a $5.99/month membership; the Garmin Venu 4 costs more upfront with no required subscription.
- Two-year cost: once the membership is added, the Ring 5 (Silver or Black) and the Venu 4 come out almost even at list price; check current prices on Amazon.
- GPS: the ring has none and borrows your phone’s GPS; the Venu 4 has built-in multi-band GPS.
- Battery: Ring 5 6–9 days; Venu 4 up to 12 days (45 mm) in smartwatch mode and 20 hours with GPS.
- Nordic walking: Oura lists Nordic walking as an activity type (using phone GPS); the Venu 4 has no Nordic walking profile, so you log it as Walk or Hike.
Our Picks
Garmin Venu 4 (45 mm)
1.4″ AMOLED · multi-band GPS · ECG · flashlight · up to 12 days battery · no required subscription
Buy on AmazonOpens the product page on Amazon, where you can see the current price and delivery options.
Oura Ring 5
From 2 g · titanium · 6–9 days battery · waterproof to 100 m · membership required for most features
Buy on AmazonOpens the product page on Amazon, where you can see the current price and delivery options.
Garmin Venu 4 (41 mm)
1.2″ AMOLED · same features in a smaller, lighter case · up to 10 days battery
Buy on AmazonOpens the product page on Amazon, where you can see the current price and delivery options.
Oura Ring 4 / Garmin Venu 3
Previous generation, still sold and often discounted. The Venu 3 even has longer battery life than the Venu 4.
Buy on AmazonOpens the product page on Amazon, where you can see the current price and delivery options.
Specs Compared
| Spec | Oura Ring 5 | Garmin Venu 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | Announced May 28, 2026; shipping June 4, 2026 | Announced September 17, 2025 |
| Price (US) | Silver and Black cost less than Gold, Deep Rose, Brushed Silver and Stealth | 41 and 45 mm cost the same; a bundle with an extra leather band costs more |
| Subscription | Required for most features: $5.99/month or $69.99/year | Optional Connect+: $6.99/month or $69.99/year |
| Size and weight | 6.09 mm wide, 2.28 mm thick, from 2 g; ring sizes 6–13 | 45 mm: 38 g case, 56 g with band. 41 mm: 33 g, 46 g with band |
| Display | None | AMOLED, 1.4″ (45 mm) or 1.2″ (41 mm) |
| Battery | 6–9 days | Up to 12 days (45 mm) / 10 days (41 mm) in smartwatch mode |
| GPS | No; uses your phone’s GPS for live activities | Built-in multi-band GNSS: 20 h (45 mm) / 15 h (41 mm) GPS-only |
| Heart sensors | Red, green and infrared LEDs; temperature sensor | Garmin Elevate optical HR, Pulse Ox, ECG app |
| Water | Waterproof to 100 m (IP68) | 5 ATM (swim-proof) |
| Extras | Health Radar, GLP-1 Insights, optional paid physician access | LED flashlight, speaker and mic, music storage, Garmin Pay, fall detection (added September 2026) |
The Real Cost Over Two Years
Oura’s lower sticker price is balanced by its membership. Without it, the app only shows your three daily scores (Readiness, Sleep and Activity); detailed sleep stages, 24/7 heart rate, temperature trends and activity tracking all need a paid plan. Garmin’s Connect+ subscription is optional: health metrics, sleep data and Body Battery stay free, and Connect+ adds AI insights and extra dashboards.
| Device | Required subscription? | Subscription cost, 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Oura Ring 5 (any finish) | Yes, for most features | $139.98 (2 × $69.99) |
| Garmin Venu 4 | No | None |
| Garmin Venu 3 | No | None |
Subscription prices from ouraring.com and garmin.com, checked September 24, 2026. Oura’s first month of membership is free for new members. Device prices change often, so check the current price on Amazon.
Head-to-Head: Who Wins Where
Sleep tracking → Oura, for comfort
Both measure sleep stages, sleep score and overnight heart rate variability (HRV). The ring’s advantage is practical: at around 2 grams, most people forget they are wearing it, so you get complete nights of data. The Venu 4 adds new sleep tools (sleep alignment, sleep consistency and a smart wake alarm), but you have to be willing to sleep in a watch.
Recovery scores → tie, different styles
Oura’s Readiness score (0–100) blends resting heart rate, temperature, HRV, sleep and recent activity. Garmin gives you Body Battery (5–100) through the day, plus a separate Training Readiness score on the Venu 4 for deciding how hard to train. Garmin’s HRV Status needs about three weeks of consistent sleep data before it shows a baseline.
Walking, hiking and workouts → Garmin, clearly
This is where the two part ways. The Venu 4 has built-in multi-band GPS, live heart rate on your wrist, pace and distance at a glance, and a full training-load suite. The Oura ring has no GPS: its live activity tracking borrows your phone’s GPS, needs the membership, and needs a separate chest strap if you want to see live heart rate and zones. In his Ring 5 review, DC Rainmaker called Oura’s sports tracking well behind basic wearables.
Battery → Garmin
Up to 12 days (45 mm) against 6–9 days for the Ring 5. Tip: the Ring 5 stores up to 3 days of data, so a missed phone sync does not lose your nights.
Health features → Garmin for ECG, Oura for trends
The Venu 4 has an ECG app (for adults 22 and over), Pulse Ox and fall detection. The Oura Ring 5 launched alongside Health Radar, which looks at blood pressure signals and nighttime breathing, and body temperature trends are a long-standing Oura strength. Note that Oura’s new software features also come to the Ring 4 and Gen3, so they are not a reason on their own to buy the Ring 5.
Comfort and style → Oura
The Ring 5 is 40% smaller than the Ring 4 and comes in six finishes. The Venu 4 is comfortable for a smartwatch, but at 38–56 g it is still a watch on your wrist.
For Nordic Walkers: Which Tracks It Better?
Nordic walking is where GaitLab readers usually start, so we looked at what each platform officially supports:
- Oura lists Nordic walking as an activity type, with route, distance, pace and splits taken from your phone’s GPS. Your phone has to come with you and the Oura app must be running before you start.
- Garmin Venu 4 has Walking, Indoor Walking, Hiking and Rucking profiles, but no Nordic walking profile. Most Nordic walkers use the Walk or Hike profile and rename the activity in Garmin Connect afterwards.
- Poles change your arm swing, which can affect step counting on a wrist device. Ring-based step counts are affected by hand movement too, so compare trends over weeks rather than single sessions.
If you care about pace, distance and heart rate zones during the walk itself, the Venu 4 is the better tool. If you mainly want to see how walking improves your sleep and recovery, the ring does that with less fuss. To plan sessions, try our Nordic walking calorie calculator and walking pace calculator.
Oura Ring 5 vs Ring 4, and Venu 4 vs Venu 3
Should you buy the Oura Ring 4 instead?
Possibly. The Ring 4 (launched October 2024) is larger (7.9 mm wide, 3.3–5.2 g) with 5–8 days of battery, and it gets the same new software features as the Ring 5. It comes in more sizes (4–15). The Ring 5’s advantages are the much slimmer design, longer battery and sensor changes that Oura says improve accuracy. If you do not mind a slightly bulkier ring, a discounted Ring 4 is good value.
Should you buy the Garmin Venu 3 instead?
For many walkers, yes. The Venu 3 actually has longer battery life than the Venu 4 (45 mm: up to 14 days and 26 hours of GPS, against 12 days and 20 hours) and also has ECG. The Venu 4 adds multi-band GPS, a flashlight, a brighter display, Training Readiness and Health Status. Buy the Venu 4 if you train seriously; buy the Venu 3 if you mostly walk and want to save money.
Buy This One
| Your priority | Buy |
|---|---|
| GPS, pace and heart rate during walks and hikes | Garmin Venu 4 (45 mm) |
| Same, smaller wrist | Garmin Venu 4 (41 mm) |
| Sleep and recovery, nothing on the wrist | Oura Ring 5 |
| Lowest cost, still great for walking | Garmin Venu 3 |
| Ring on a budget | Oura Ring 4 |
Ring sizing tip: Oura rings are sold one size per listing, and Oura says Ring 5 sizing differs slightly from Ring 4. Order Oura’s sizing kit first, or check the size chart on the listing, before buying the ring itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Oura Ring 5 better than the Garmin Venu 4?
For sleep and recovery tracking with maximum comfort, the Oura Ring 5 is the better choice. For walking, hiking and workouts, the Garmin Venu 4 is better because it has built-in GPS, live heart rate on the wrist and a much fuller training toolset.
Does the Oura ring need a subscription?
Yes, for most features. Oura Membership costs $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Without it you only see the three daily scores: Readiness, Sleep and Activity.
Does the Garmin Venu 4 need a subscription?
No. Health tracking, sleep, Body Battery and workouts work without paying. Garmin Connect+ ($6.99 per month or $69.99 per year) is optional and adds AI insights and extra dashboards.
Can you wear an Oura ring and a Garmin watch together?
Yes, and some people do: the ring for sleep and recovery, the watch for workouts. Expect the two apps’ sleep and recovery scores to differ, because each uses its own sensors and formulas.
Does the Garmin Venu 4 track Nordic walking?
There is no dedicated Nordic walking profile on the Venu 4. Use the Walk or Hike profile to record GPS route, pace and heart rate, then rename the activity in Garmin Connect.
Is there a Garmin Venu 5?
Not as of September 2026. The Venu 4 (September 2025) is Garmin’s current Venu model, and it received fall detection in a September 2026 software update.
Sources
- Oura: Introducing Oura Ring 5, Ring 5 store page, Oura Membership, activity types with phone GPS.
- Garmin: Venu 4 specifications, Venu 3 specifications, Venu 4 announcement.
- Reviews: DC Rainmaker, Oura Ring 5 in-depth review, DC Rainmaker, Venu 4 hands-on.
More comparisons: Oura Ring vs WHOOP
