Oura launches Ring 4 Ceramic collection, new charging case, and a ‘health panel’ feature | TechCrunch

Oura announced on Wednesday that it’s launching Oura Ring 4 Ceramic, its first collection of smart rings that doesn’t feature metallic finishes. The company also announced its first-ever charging case, a new Health Panels feature that lets members schedule blood work directly in the Oura app, multi-ring support, and more.

The new Oura Ring 4 Ceramic is made from zirconia ceramic, which the company says allows for durability and lightweight comfort. Oura describes its new ceramic collection as combining “style and comfort.”

Oura says that, unlike painted or coated finishes, the color on the rings comes from natural minerals in the ceramic itself, so it stays vibrant and doesn’t fade over time.

Oura Ring 4 Ceramic comes with a Polishing Pad that can wipe off scuffs that may be caused by softer metals, like those found in cookware or dumbbells. To avoid scuffing, Oura suggests wearing the ring on your nondominant hand to avoid unnecessary impact.

The ring comes in four colors: Tide, Cloud, Petal, and Midnight. The collection is priced at $499, with membership pricing at $5.99 per month or $69.99 per year. The rings are available in sizes 4-15.

“We want to give people even more reasons to wear an Oura ring, and we’re doing that with the Oura Ring 4 Ceramic collection,” Oura VP of Consumer Software Product, Jason Russell, told TechCrunch in an interview. “They are made from this ceramic zirconia material that’s very unique. It’s traditionally more what you’d see in watchmaking or jewelry. And you can see the colors are youthful, they’re expressive, but also neutral enough for everyday wear.”

“And you know, this is really a product that’s not just a tech product,” Russell continued. “It’s something that you wear on your body visibly. And we think a lot about how do we give people new ways to express themselves? Find a ring that really suits their vibe and how they want to communicate that vibe to the world, and Oura Ring 4 Ceramic is a new way to do that.”

As for the new Oura Ring 4 Charging Case, the company says it was created in response to members asking for a way to charge their ring while on the go.

The case stores up to five full ring charges and works with a USB-C cord. Both the case and the Oura Ring fully charge in 90 minutes. Oura says the case can also serve as a secure way to store your ring when you’re not wearing it.

The charging case costs $99 and will be available to order later this year.

Oura also introduced Health Panels in its app, enabling members to track 50 biomarkers alongside their daily sleep, readiness, and activity data. With Health Panels, members use the Oura app to book a blood test at one of over 2,000 Quest Diagnostics labs across the U.S. for $99.

“You will be able to walk in and get that blood work done,” Russell said. “And then those results are going to actually come straight to you in the Oura app. We will alert you when they’re ready, and you’ll see an overview. Oura Advisor, as always, will be here to interpret all this data for you and really isolate what are the meaningful takeaways,” he continued.

“We will show you what’s in range, what’s out of range. You’ll be able to see the full comprehensive set, of course, as well. And then we’ll really do more to actually help you understand, ‘What can I do directly myself to impact some of these metrics?’” Russell added.

Members can ask questions in the app like, “What does my A1C of 5.7% mean?” or “How can I improve my cholesterol profile?”

The blood biomarkers and Oura Ring data can reveal patterns and connections among lifestyle, behaviors, and underlying health trends that Oura says might otherwise go unnoticed.

Russell explained that the idea behind Health Panels is to provide users with affordable access to comprehensive blood work. He notes that when you visit a doctor for a specific issue, they often order lab tests and only focus on that concern when the results come through.

This means that other valuable data in the results is often overlooked or hard to interpret. That broader data can offer important insights into your overall health and potential underlying conditions, he noted.

While services that allow you to get blood tests on your own already exist, Russell said they can be expensive and cost hundreds of dollars, which is why Oura is launching Health Panels at $99.

Last, Oura announced that members can now pair and switch between different Oura Ring 4 colors under a single account. The company says this functionality allows members to match their Oura Ring to their day, whether it’s switching them out for a workout or an outfit.