Smart rings are booming, and it looks like they’re here to stay. While some new wearable categories spring up, make a big noise, and then fade away, the future of smart rings looks bright.
At present, it’s a category led by Oura. Out of the many smart rings our team has tested, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is the best, offering a superb blend of clean hardware and impactful software.
With that said, competition is fierce – and expected to ramp up considerably this year with the entry of Samsung and Amazfit. Startups like Ultrahuman, RingConn, and Movano are also in the pack chasing Oura.
Patents show we can’t even rule out an Apple smart ring launching at some stage, which lends credence to the idea that this is the most happening area in wearables in 2024.
If you’re ready to size up for a smart ring, we’ve picked out the best to pick up right now from our extensive testing and reviews.
Wareable
What is a smart ring and what do they do?
Smart rings are small and discreet wearables, ideal for people who want to get the benefits of a wearable without wearing a bulky smartwatch or fitness tracker.
The most popular use for smart rings is sleep and health tracking, though the likes of Oura, Ultrahuman, and Movano collect most of the same metrics as fitness trackers, such as heart rate, steps, and workouts.
Because of the thin skin around fingers and their proximity to key arteries, it’s a great place to take readings – and it’s why we see the accuracy of things like sleep tracking and certain health metrics consistently rank above watches.
Oura Ring Gen 3
Price: $299 + $5.99 a month (ships globally) | Oura Store
Wareable
- Weight: 4-6 grams (depending on size)
- Sensors: Bioimpedance sensor, infrared LED, ambient light sensor, accelerometer
- Color options: Polished silver, matte black, stealth black, rose gold, gold
We’ve just re-reviewed the Oura Ring Gen 3 following the testing we put in after its initial launch in 2021. There are so many new features being added all the time by Oura that it’s a completely different device year-on-year despite essentially nothing changing with the hardware.
Based on software improvements and the launch of a cleaner Oura Ring Gen 3 Horizon Edition, we upped its score to 4.5/5.
The core of the Oura experience is still centered around readiness and sleep – giving you daily scores just like the Whoop 4.0. It’s focused on analyzing your exertions and your rest and checking the two are in balance, with newer features like Daytime Stress and Stress Resilience helping to build up this picture, too.
We’ve found the accuracy of continuous heart rate monitoring (during rest) and stress tracking to be outstanding, and it’s one of the best-performing sleep trackers we’ve ever tested.
It can also track heart rate during workouts, although our testing has shown that it’s no match for dedicated sports watches in terms of accuracy. Still, it’s very open to supplementing workout data with third-party apps, including Strava and Whoop (through Google Health Connect).
The only real downside of Oura is the subscription model, which costs $5.99 a month (£6.99 in the UK), on top of at least the $300 for the ring. It’s not cheap to jump on board.
If you’re looking for the best smart ring out there, as we say, this is still the one to beat. But the high price tag, ongoing subscription, and focus on wellness over fitness mean it won’t suit every smart ring shopper.
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Ultrahuman Ring Air
Price: $349 / £280 / €325 | Ultrahuman
Wareable
- Weight: 2.4g-3.6g (depending on size)
- Sensors: Bioimpedance sensor, infrared LED, ambient light sensor, accelerometer
- Color options: Aster Black, Matte Grey, Bionic Gold, and Space Silver
The Ultrahuman Ring Air is the company’s second-generation smart ring. It’s lighter and smaller than its predecessor, at just 2.4g, making it more comfortable to wear.
It’s still a chunky ring, and we’ve not found it hugely comfortable or attractive to wear, but it may still be a good option if you’re used to wearing big rings – and they suit your hands.
Sleep is the main focus, and there’s a sleep index that accounts for a wide range of data and metrics. We found that sleep tracking was largely reliable, with accuracy that took up well to Oura and Whoop.
It also focuses on recovery – and helping manage circadian rhythms, including managing stimulants and prompting healthy wind-down times. These aren’t hugely advanced in terms of tracking, but they are interesting additions that sit well alongside the deep insights.
There’s also a recovery score that tracks metrics such as resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and body temperature. These are compared to established baseline scores, and there’s a traffic light system to show if these are outside of your norms.
The Ultrahuman app also has a glucose tracking element – and can pair to a CGM for blood sugar analysis.
It costs $349 / £280 / €325 without ongoing subscriptions, so represents a good alternative to Oura in terms of cost.
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Prevention Circul+
Price: $299 | Walmart
Wareable
- Weight: 4.9 grams
- Sensors: PPG sensor, bioimpedance sensor, accelerometer
- Color options: Silver, black, rose gold
We’ve seen ECG sensors on smartwatches and fitness trackers, but Bodimetrics – in partnership with Prevention – has put that tech into a smart ring.
It’s not just ECG that this clever ring can track. It can take blood pressure measurements while capturing that ECG once you’ve calibrated it with a cuff-style monitor.
It promises tip heart rate tracking accuracy, as well, seeing a +/-2bpm against medical grade monitoring and a +/- 3% accuracy for SpO2 monitoring.
When we matched up data with a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter, and other ECG wearables, we found the data accuracy was good overall, though it did lack any actionable insights to put that tracked data to use.
In the activity tracking mode, insights are basic; you can capture step counts, but that’s really about it.
There’s more going on with sleep monitoring, letting you capture sleep duration and sleep stages (including REM time), heart rate, baseline skin temperature, and SpO2 levels (including an oxygen desaturation index). The data felt very reliable on the whole.
Speaking of, this data can be stored freely in the app and cloud and also be shared with doctors and health professionals.
What’s not so good to see is that the design of the ring makes it quite uncomfortable to wear for exercise and sleep. While light, the spring-loaded design that keeps it in place makes it awkward to wear in most scenarios.
There’s also just 16 hours of battery life, which means weighing up when you monitor your stats.
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Circular Ring Air
$275 / £225 | Circular
Wareable
- Weight: 2 grams
- Sensors: PPG sensor, bioimpedance sensor, accelerometer
- Color options: Black
Smart ring startup Circular has returned with what it claims is the industry’s thinnest and lightest offering yet – the $275 / £225 Circular Ring Slim.
The trimmed-down ring is the progression of the company’s Circular Ring Pro released in 2022.
It tips the scales at just 2g and measures 2.2mm thick. To put these specs into context, industry leader Oura’s Generation 3 Horizon model measures 2.55mm thick and clocks the scales at around 4-6g, while the Circular Ring Pro is 2.75mm and 4g.
The Circular Ring Slim packs a three-axis accelerometer, temperature sensor, PPG sensor, and LEDs that monitor breathing rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, and heart rate.
We’ve used it – and found that it does lag behind RingConn, Oura, and Ultrahuman in terms of design and health insights.
The ring itself – which is only splash-resistant and not fully water-resistant – attracted more bumps and scratches than Oura, and we found the health insights offered by its Kira assistant to be less useful and impactful.
There’s a lot of information presented, and you have to pick through to find the actionable bits.
RingConn
$279/£220 | RingConn
Wareable
- Weight: 3-5g
- Sensors: Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope
- Color options: Black, silver, gold
The RingConn smart ring, a recent entrant in the market, is a serious alternative to the Oura.
Crowdfunded with over $1 million in 2023, the one-off $279/£220 price tag has no ongoing subscription, putting it on par with the Circular Ring Slim and Ultrahuman Ring Air.
The design mirrors the sleekness of the Oura Ring, with a titanium build, and various color options.
We found it one of the best-fitting rings we’ve worn, with minimal movement on the finger, which allowed for solid and accurate heart rate data in our review period.
It also packs a strong array of health and fitness tracking capabilities including step counting, sleep monitoring, heart rate tracking, and stress insights. However, there’s no provision for workout tracking.
However, the RingConn app, while functional, lacks the polish of Oura, and the software needs development.
Sleep tracking accuracy was comparable to Oura, and offers metrics like heart rate variability, SpO2 levels, respiratory rate, and more.
And it’s the battery life that stands out, lasting up to five days – and the charging case is capable of 18 recharges.
Overall, while the hardware excels, the software needs refinement to match the serious health insights offered by competitors like Oura.
But RingConn excels in battery life, and, with no subscription, works out much cheaper.
Incoming smart rings
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Wareable
Samsung tacked its bombshell entry into the smart ring market at the end of its Galaxy Unpacked event back in January, then proceeded to show off the Galaxy Ring at MWC 2024 in February.
We managed to snap a few close-up images of the upcoming ring at the Barcelona tech expo, but Samsung hasn’t authorized any hands-on time with the device yet.
With rumors suggesting the full reveal (and perhaps a release) will occur at the next Galaxy Unpacked event in early July, we don’t have too long to wait for the full details.
All that’s clear so far – from official pictures and our close-up look – is that the Galaxy Ring will feature a concaved design and be available in a shiny silver or black finish.
Amazfit Helio
Wareable
We got our hands on the Amazfit Helio when it was first announced back at CES 2024 in January – and it’s just been given an official release date of 15 May in the US.
This is one of the more interesting smart ring entries we’ve seen so far, with the Zepp Health ring forgoing the typical focus on health and well-being in favor of athletic performance.
It’s bold – and we’re not sure exactly how it will fare with exercise tracking accuracy – but it appears that tight integration with Amazfit smartwatches will be essential to getting the most out of the Helio.
We’re looking forward to testing this one out over the next few months. And global rollout details should arrive before the end of May, so stay tuned if you’re not in the US.
Movano Evie Ring
Price: $269 | Movano
Wareable
- Weight: 3.2-3.7g
- Sensors: PPG sensor, temperature sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope
- Color options: Silver, rose gold, black (coming soon)
The Movano Evie Ring is a female-focused smart ring – so it’s one of the rare wearables designed with women’s health in mind.
We’re in the process of testing the Evie – but we’ve run into technical problems and our sample is being changed. We’ve also heard from readers who have run into issues with Evie – and there’s a Reddit thread dedicated to the issue, too, so we’d have to advise caution about this until the technical issues get worked through.
Evie packs a bold design and thin build – available in gold, silver, or rose gold – which should make it more wearable. And it doesn’t hold back on features, either.
The Evie will measure heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, respiration rate, temperature, and blood oxygen. It will also track mood and menstrual cycle symptoms (via user inputs) and aims to track a holistic overview of health and activity via the Daily Summary window.
Movano has applied for FDA approval for its heart rate tech – although this has not been granted yet – so it means business about accuracy.
Most devices caveat that they aren’t used for medical purposes, but Movano is going for the gold standard for heart rate and SpO2.
It will go on sale for $269 and won’t require a subscription fee, which makes it a cheaper proposition than Oura.
Smart ring specs compared
| Smart Ring | Weight (grams) | Sensors | Color Options | Water Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oura Ring Gen 3 | 2-6 | PPG, infrared LED, ambient light, accelerometer | Silver, matte black, stealth black, rose gold, gold | IPX8 (swim-proof up to 100 meters) |
| RingConn | 4.7 | PPG, accelerometer, gyroscope | Silver, black, rose gold | IP68 (water resistant up to 50 meters) |
| Ultrahuman Ring Air | 3.6 | PPG, infrared LED, ambient light, accelerometer | Stealth black, silver, rose gold | IPX8 (swim-proof up to 100 meters) |
| Circular Ring Slim | 3.5 | PPG, accelerometer | Black, silver, rose gold | IP67 (water resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes) |
| Prevention Circul+ | 4.9 | PPG, accelerometer | Silver, black, rose gold | IP67 (water resistant up to 1 meter for 30 minutes) |
| Movano Evie Ring | 4.5 | PPG, accelerometer, gyroscope | Silver, rose gold, black (coming soon) | IPX8 (swim-proof up to 50 meters) |
Smart ring key considerations:
Getting the size right
This applies to all wearables, but, if you’re looking at buying a smart ring, ensure you get a comfortable fit.
All of the smart rings we’ve tested provide a sizing kit with a plastic version of that ring so you can try a range of different sizes before the one packed with smarts is sent out to you.
You should wear that test ring for a day or two to make sure it fits well and doesn’t fly off when you wash your hands (we’re speaking from experience!)
A snug fit that doesn’t twist around is also key to getting accurate sensor data, so this aspect is super important.
Scratch and water resistance
Smart rings take a battering, so getting something that won’t be torn to shreds after a couple of months is important. Many rings (see RingConn and Oura) are made of titanium, which is light and super-scratch resistant.
However, we would suggest taking it off when doing activities like lifting weights.
Many smart rings are 5ATM water resistant, too, meaning they can be worn in the pool or shower. That’s not universal, though, and there are rings with lower ratings that only protect against washing your hands. Be aware.
Health and fitness features
Many of the rings we’ve seen so far have been designed to track elements of your health and fitness. Whether tracking steps, sleep, or monitoring heart rate and body temperature, they promise to offer a level of accuracy that matches or surpasses other wearable form factors.
To deliver that data it’s using similar sensors used in wrist-based devices, so light-based optical sensors that can deliver continuous heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen data. You can also find rings that pack in ECG sensors to offer a level of heart rate tracking seen in the medical space.
Payments and other smarts
Some rings prioritize putting other features onto your finger – and that includes the ability to make payments or letting you take control of features on your phone.
That payment support is driven by similar NFC and contactless technology used in smartwatches and bank cards, letting you raise your ring to the terminal to make a payment.
Those rings that offer smartphone control features are tied to maintaining a connection with your phone via Bluetooth to deliver those control powers.
Battery life
Planting those innovative sensors into an even smaller form factor than watches and fitness bands does mean you’re currently not going to enjoy weeks and months of battery life.
Due to their size, smart ring battery life can be around 2-3 days – but some models can last around 5 days between charges. So you will need to charge on a pretty regular basis and need to use a proprietary charging cradle to power things back up.
We’ve also seen rings such as Evie and RingConn use charging cases – like a pair of AirPods for example – which can offer charging on the move.
We will no doubt get to a point where smart rings last longer between charges, but it’s early days, and just under a week is the maximum you can typically expect.
