Esquire praises Oura Ring 5 as best wearable

Esquire added to this week’s burst of Oura Ring 5 coverage on July 9, publishing a review that called the device “the best wearable on the market.” The piece framed the ring’s appeal around two things that have shown up repeatedly in recent hands-on writeups: a smaller design and the sense that users are giving up little or nothing in tracking capability to get it. (esquire.com) (blog.bestbuy.ca) Best Buy’s blog reached a similar conclusion a day earlier, saying the Ring 5 is “noticeably thinner and lighter” than the prior model while still handling the same core health tracking and adding longer battery life and improved tracking. (ouraring.com) Yahoo Tech and Women’s Health also emphasized the physical redesign, with both pointing to a roughly 40% reduction in size versus the predecessor. That makes this less a single-review story than a broader product narrative taking shape across lifestyle, retail and tech outlets: Oura’s newest ring is being judged first on comfort and wearability, then on sensors and software. (esquire.com) ### Why did Esquire’s review stand out? Esquire’s July 9 review stood out because it used the clearest superlative, calling the Oura Ring 5 “the best wearable on the market,” and tied that judgment to both design and day-to-day usefulness. The reviewer wrote that the ring was so good-looking and so useful that it could pass as jewelry rather than obvious tech. (blog.bestbuy.ca) That matters because Esquire is not a specialist wearables outlet. When a mainstream lifestyle publication centers aesthetics, comfort and habitual use, it broadens the frame beyond athletes or quantified-self enthusiasts and toward buyers deciding whether a health tracker can fit into normal daily life. (esquire.com) That framing comes from the review itself and from the details it chose to emphasize. ### What are reviewers actually saying changed in Ring 5? Yahoo Tech reported that Oura describes the Ring 5 as the world’s smallest smart ring and said it is 40% smaller than its predecessor, listing a width of 6.09 mm and thickness of 2.28 mm. (esquire.com) Women’s Health echoed that comparison and said the size change had a major effect on comfort and wearability. Best Buy’s reviewer put the practical version more simply: the slimmer profile does not force compromises. The post said the ring still delivers the features Oura is known for, while improving tracking and extending battery life. (esquire.com) ### Why does fit keep coming up in these reviews? Women’s Health said the difference is “immediately noticeable” and described the Ring 5 as easy to forget about because of its lower weight and thinner body. Yahoo Tech made a similar point after comparing it with the previous ceramic model, saying the smaller form factor was obvious in hand and on finger. (tech.yahoo.com) That repeated emphasis suggests reviewers see comfort as the main product story. Smart rings live or die on whether people will wear them continuously, including during sleep, and several early reviews are treating improved fit as the upgrade that makes the rest of the tracking more usable in practice. (blog.bestbuy.ca) ### Is this just media hype, or is Oura pushing the same message? Oura’s own blog used nearly the same language as outside reviewers, describing Ring 5 as “thinner, lighter, more durable, and more powerful than ever before.” The company said the post would explain how its industrial design and optical sensing teams built the new model. (womenshealthmag.com) Best Buy’s broader smart-ring guide also shows how the market is being positioned at retail. The guide said Oura Ring 4 launched in 2024 and that the Ring 5 was introduced in 2026, while also noting that Oura remains the category’s dominant brand even as alternatives expand. (blog.bestbuy.ca) ### What should readers watch next? Oura’s product pages and partner retail listings are the next places to watch for the practical details buyers usually care about most: pricing, finishes, sizing and battery claims. Current reviews cite a starting price of £399 in the U.K. and describe multiple finishes and sizes, while U.S.-facing retail coverage is continuing to compare Ring 5 against Ring 4 and other smart rings. (ouraring.com) (esquire.com) (blog.bestbuy.ca)