Honorary mention
We have tested several other contestants in this freshman category, some are good and some are in between. This is the low point for some smart ring alternatives.
Photos: Adrienne so; Getty Images
Movano Evie Ring, priced at $269: When it first came out, Movano Evie Ring (4/10, wired review) was touted as the world’s first fitness tracker designed specifically for women. I’m very excited! It has recently been updated to integrate with Apple Health (in the iOS version of the app), and now you can view cycle dates on the home page, manually record basal body temperature and manually add workouts. However, these new features are underbaked compared to the new features offered by competitors. Now that Ula and Galaxy Ring can track cycles so accurately, time may have passed. But it’s relatively affordable, has no subscription fee, and has a blood oxygen sensor, so that’s fine. – Adrienne
Ringconn Gen 2 costs $359: Despite the price increase for the Gen 1 below, this is still a relatively affordable subscription-free smart ring. Ringconn retains a unique square design, but this second-generation ring brings significant improvements to sleep tracking, including sleep apnea detection, with higher battery life and slightly thinner and lighter. I found basic sleep and health monitoring solids (sleep is more accurate than the first generation), but exercise tracking is still a major weakness. Although there are more types of exercise available, you have to trigger the exercise tracking manually, and it struggles accurately with a higher heart rate.
Ringconn Smart Ring, $179: Very discounted now, the original Lincoln (6/10, wired review) is worth considering. The slightly squared design has beveled edges, giving it a unique look, health and sleep tracking works well, and lasts four to five days between charges. It also comes with a convenient battery case (enough for multiple charges on the go). However, I’m having trouble with data synchronization, the app lacks proper exercise tracking, and the data is sometimes inaccurate, although the app seems to be steadily improving with updates.
Luna Smart Ring, priced at $300: The Luna Smart Ring is a new titanium smart ring with five days of battery life, and in addition to standard-by-standard blood oxygen and cycle-tracking skin temperature measurements, it also offers many new AI features such as menstrual health coaching and nutrition advice. However, it won’t keep in touch with the app and – how stupid it sounds, I have a bad attitude to the charger, so I’ve been finding it inadequate, which is very annoying. – Adrienne
Amazfit Helio Ring, priced at $200: Provider of affordable fitness trackers like Amazfit Active 2, I hope there is a competitive smart ring from Amazfit, but the Helio (4/10, wired review) is not in a good shape. I love the clever textured bronze finish, but this is the only color you get. The sizes are also limited to 8, 10 or 12 (sizes 7 to 13). Despite its similar features to the smart ring above, Helio is sometimes hopelessly inaccurate, and the measurement of heart rate is very different from other trackers compared to other trackers. It lacks automatic workout tracking, battery life is an average of three days for me, and Helio is often disconnected from the busy and confusing ZEPP app. You haven’t need Subscribe, but there is Aura AI ($70 a year) for sleep insights, content, or fitness ($30 a year), which includes AI coaching. They are expensive and confusing. (Why are there two separate subscriptions?) Helio is used in conjunction with a smartwatch (I tried it with Amazfit Cheetah Pro) because it can combine data, but as a standalone device, it is impossible to recommend a standalone device.
How to choose the right smart ring size?
Some smart rings come in standard sizes, but there are variations, and half sizes are rare, so it’s worth taking some time to make sure you get the right ring size. Most manufacturers will send you a free size kit that will allow you to wear a virtual ring for 24 hours. (You may have to buy the ring directly from the manufacturer to get this kit for free.) You should definitely do this. Remember that your fingers swell and contract throughout the day. Your smart ring should fit so that the sensor can measure accurately, but you have to remove it regularly to charge, so you don’t want it to fit too much.
Which finger should I wear?
You can wear a smart ring on any finger, but most manufacturers recommend wearing it on your index finger, although the middle or loop fingers can work as well. All three fingers have large blood vessels for more accurate pulse monitoring. What really matters is that the ring is tightly attached to the bottom of the selected finger, so this can be tricky if your knuckles and the bottom of the narrower fingers (more often found in middle or loop fingers). I recommend wearing it on the index finger of your less dominant hand because I wear it on the right finger, as a right hand person, can cause more damage on the ring and scratch on something I touch.
Which smart ring is the best finish or color?
All the smart rings we tested combine hard titanium with an internal sensor array, but the paint and color vary. If your ring is hard, a silver or gold finish may be best for you as there is a smaller risk of damage. A few months later, my Ula and Superman rings were visible with a black finish. The OURA and AMPAMFIT rings have small dimples that can help you align the sensors. While I prefer the smooth finish of Ultrahuman, I suspect the correct placement helps with precision.
How do I take care of my smart ring?
Most smart rings are durable, but if you want to avoid damage, you should remove the ring when using tools, lifting, washing pots and pots or even cleaning the sink. If your ring is likely to rub against the surface, remove it. I found this to be a problem with wearing a ring on my index finger, not with middle fingers or looping my fingers. I shave Ula and Superman’s rings while gardening, moving boxes and using dumbbells. Titanium is also hard enough to damage the surface in your home. I dug the sink’s porcelain and marked the inside of the cup with the corner bells. All the smart rings we tested are waterproof so you can swim or shower without taking them off.
How often do I need to charge my smart ring?
Photo: Simon Hill
Smart rings come with chargers and cables, but usually you have to provide your own wall adapter. From the dead, they take an hour and a half to three hours to fully charge, but you should avoid letting the battery drop completely or you may lose your health data. We opened the smart ring above with all the bells and whistles, so our battery life is estimated to be lower than the manufacturer’s claim.
What smart ring features should I look for?
Most smart rings track your sleep, heart rate, and temperature. If you want to keep an eye on your sleep and get health insights without any politeness, comfortably, then the smart ring is ideal. Fitness tracking will vary, with most smart rings providing basic step counts and exercise, some offering manual workout tracking, while others offering automatic workout recognition. However, you can expect the depth and accuracy of a traditional fitness tracker or smartwatch. Combining a smart ring with an Apple Watch or Fitbit makes for a seamless experience that allows you to take off your watch and have no gaps in tracking at night.
Smart ring or smart watch?
Over the past few years, we have asked many questions that someone will get a smart ring instead of or in addition to regular fitness trackers. Here are some reasons you might consider:
Better battery life. Smart rings are smaller and usually (if not always) have better battery life. This is a useful addition to the track if you hate charging your smartwatch every day.
Sleep tracking. Our favorite sleep tracker is a small and unobtrusive ring. Maybe you’re tired of having your huge Apple Watch Ultra Smack on your face every time you roll over. (Or maybe you are charging!)
Periodic tracking. Many watches and fitness trackers now use a skin temperature sensor that is sensitive enough to detect when you are sick or drink alcohol. But, so far, in Adrienne’s test, only the Samsung Galaxy Ring and OURA are accurate enough to track her menstrual cycle.
Finally, fashion. Watches are statements and status symbols; smartwatches usually don’t say more about your preferences and choices except “I don’t like meetings.” Almost everyone we know who bought a smart ring does this because they have a handmade craft that I don’t want to give up – I put down a Cartier tank, a fun Casio or a swatch. If it is you, it will be good for you! And get the ring!
We’ve been wearing smart rings for a few years (sometimes two or three at a time), so we can have a good idea of what makes smart rings worth buying. Each smart ring we tested is at least a month, usually longer, and we always compare its tracking data to our top choice (OURA) and other smartwatches and fitness trackers (Apple Watch).
What are we going to test next?
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