Oura Users Report Smoking, Overheating Rings - What We Know

3 days ago

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Two Oura users reported their rings smoking and overheating.
Smart rings are built pinch lithium-ion batteries.
They whitethorn overheat if damaged aliases improperly charged.

Smart rings person had immoderate bad property recently. Earlier this year, a Samsung Galaxy Ring began swelling connected a user's digit arsenic he was astir to committee a flight. And past week, 2 Oura Ring users reported their rings were overheating and smoking.

A personification connected nan Oura Ring Reddit reported that their ringing began smoking and burning their digit connected a greeting walk. The personification felt a pain connected their finger, attempted to get nan ringing disconnected quickly, and developed a blister upon removal.

Also: This caller $75 smart ringing helps you retrieve nan things you'd apt forget

"My manus smells for illustration physics fire," nan personification wrote. They said they'd worn nan smart ringing for 4 to 5 months erstwhile they knowledgeable nan smoking ring. Another user, successful a now-deleted thread, said nan smart ringing was defective upon purchase.

"We return immoderate safety-related study earnestly and are actively reviewing nan caller posts connected a case-by-case basis. While Reddit chat threads tin create nan belief of scale, nan 2 reported cases look to beryllium isolated incidents alternatively than a wider pattern, and we're conducting thorough investigations -- including third‑party study -- to understand precisely what happened and support nan members involved," an Oura spokesperson said successful an email to ZDNET. For context, Oura has sold complete 5.5 cardinal rings since September this year.

Lithium-ion batteries powerfulness smart rings. These mini and compact batteries are prone to thermal runaway, which tin consequence successful a artillery occurrence if damaged, overheated, overcharged, aliases defective. However, caller advancements and "stringent information standards" lessen nan risks lithium batteries airs to consumers, Relion wrote in a 2024 blog post.

In September, YouTuber Daniel Rotar posted connected X that his Galaxy Ring had swollen astir his digit earlier his flight. The artillery connected nan smart ringing had expanded, rupturing nan soul build of nan ringing astir Rotar's finger.

Also: An influencer's Samsung smart ringing had a swollen artillery - here's why

Rotar said nan smart ringing had been incapable to clasp a complaint for complete a time and had been malfunctioning for a fewer months. If your devices statesman malfunctioning, it's champion to return them off, ZDNET's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes advised successful an article.

Despite these scary and salient stories, rechargeable batteries are incredibly safe, Kingsley-Hughes wrote.

Oura users person besides flocked to Reddit this twelvemonth to study issues pinch depleting artillery life. Customers who purchased an Oura Ring 4 little than a twelvemonth agone are already reporting shortened artillery life, notwithstanding nan advertised claims that nan ringing tin past up to 8 days.

The bully news is that Oura has been responsive to and generous pinch warranties and replacement requests.

Also: Why your Oura Ring artillery is dying quicker - and what Oura is doing astir it

"We are continuing to make improvements successful our package and features to thief trim artillery aging. Most members proceed to acquisition betwixt 5-8 days of artillery life, arsenic expected. We promote members to interaction customer support, wherever we grip issues connected a case-by-case basis, troubleshooting, and replacing rings arsenic needed," an Oura spokesperson wrote to ZDNET.