Smart rings live on your finger as both a fitness tracker and a fashion accessory. If a smartwatch or fitness band is too bulky for you, consider one of the best smart rings for an unobtrusive and stylish way to keep track of your workouts and daily fitness. These nifty devices offer more accuracy than other fitness trackers and have come a long way in the past few years, giving you many choices.
Good to know: if you need the full experience, check out the best smartwatches.
Oura Ring Gen3
RingConn Smart Ring
Ultrahuman Ring Air
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Evie Ring
Our Criteria
As relatively new arrivals to the tech scene, smart rings prioritize convenience and usually have sophisticated sensors to monitor your health and workout data. Beyond their wellness and activity tracking capabilities, design, size, and fit are also crucial considerations when selecting one.
Design, Comfort, and Durability
A smart ring is something you’re more likely to wear 24/7, unlike other wearables. Hence, the look of the ring becomes much more important. Do you prefer something that looks like jewelry or a futuristic gadget?
At the same time, the size and fit of the ring is absolutely crucial. If the brand has a ring sizing kit, you should order that, and test which size suits you the best. If not, the standard size chart on the product page or website can help. Durability is another important consideration, as the ring should be built to withstand the rigors of daily use.
Health and Fitness Features
As you’re buying a smart ring mainly for functionality and not just looks, you should ensure that it has (some) of these features:
- activity/workout tracking
- sleep tracking
- vitals monitoring
- stress monitoring
- water resistance
Software and Compatibility
Most of the smart rings will have their own companion app, allowing you to view all your activity data and customization options. Some will also sync with Google Fit or Apple Health, which may be a huge plus.
Battery Life
Battery life is important for smart rings, just as it is for other devices. Even though they can be light on features, you’re still using them 24/7. A longer battery life adds a ton of convenience. Faster charging speed is also a huge plus.
Best Smart Rings Buying Guide
When most of us think of fitness trackers, we picture smartwatches or smart bands. These two form factors have largely been sufficient for even the most hardcore fitness enthusiast. The best smart bands offer most of the features of full-sized smartwatches, striking a great balance between functionality and convenience.
Smart rings, on the other hand, have slowly thrived in the shadows for the past five years or so. Products like the Oura Ring and Motiv Smart Ring started it all, but now the market is expanding with many other options, offering users a minimalist gadget to track their fitness and sleep.
Even Samsung threw its hat in the ring, announcing the addition of the new Galaxy Ring to its lineup of smart wearables. Apple is also rumored to be working on its own version of the smart ring. With the industry betting big on this feature-packed form factor, the smart ring space is going through an exciting phase.
Best Overall Smart Ring: Oura Ring Gen3
Price: $249
Oura still reigns supreme on our list, as the Oura Ring Gen3 is simply the best smart ring for most users. Although the fourth generation is available, this model is still rated better. The Oura Ring is made of titanium and offers highly accurate and in-depth sleep and fitness tracking features in addition to heart rate and SpO2 monitoring (blood oxygen level). Seamless syncing with Google Fit and Apple Health is provided as well, with other apps such as Natural Cycles and Flo.
Oura Ring Gen3 is more of an overall health tracker than a fitness-focused smart ring. It’s great at what it does and has a seven-day battery life, but you’ll need a monthly subscription to access most of its features. However, its accuracy, impressive design, and color options make it worthwhile for many users.
Tip: need fitness inspiration? Check out the best mobile apps to help you stay healthy.
Best Value: RingConn Smart Ring Gen1
Price: $169
The Ringconn Gen1 is a sleek, lightweight smart ring, designed for tracking sleep cycles, daily activities, and essential health metrics. One of its standout features is accessibility of all data via the companion mobile app that doesn’t require a subscription. With no hidden fees, you can have full access to data such as sleep stress, heart rate, HRV, and blood oxygen saturation at no additional cost. Users can also access recommendations and advice on how to improve their health and well-being.
The smartphone app features a unique Timeline function, which serves as a digital diary, enabling you to track your progress over time, which I find really useful. It also syncs seamlessly with Apple Health and Google Health. Crafted from durable titanium, the RingConn Smart Ring boasts a battery life of up to seven days and includes a convenient charging case. The second-gen RingConn is available but at a higher price. The new model offers a longer battery life and sleep apnea support.
Best for Fitness: Ultrahuman Ring Air
Price: $349
For fitness enthusiasts looking to optimize their workouts, recovery, and daily performance, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a top-tier choice. As a bonus, it also has a super-cool name. Boasting a titanium build, the ring is probably the lightest on the market at just 2.4 to 3.6g. The highlight here, however, is the superior insights it offers with the Ultrahuman app. It does connect with Apple Health and Google Fit but doesn’t sync every piece of information.
Whether it’s the detailed sleep insights, movement index, or recovery score, you can’t ask for any more insights from your daily fitness data. The six-day battery life is neither exceptional nor disappointing, placing it on par with most other options. The best part is that you don’t need a subscription to access any of its fantastic health and fitness tracking information.
Best for Android Users: Samsung Galaxy Ring
Price: $399
If you’re an Android user or, even better, a Samsung Galaxy phone owner, the Samsung Galaxy Ring could be the best choice for you. The Samsung Galaxy Ring combines a durable titanium build with a concave design to reduce scratches, ensuring durability and comfort. With a strong focus on sleep tracking, it uses AI to assess sleep quality and patterns, delivering a morning sleep score and actionable recommendations to enhance restfulness.
Beyond sleep tracking, the Galaxy Ring supports your fitness journey by tracking workouts and monitoring vitals, such as heart rate and stress levels. When used alongside a Galaxy Watch, it provides even more precise and comprehensive health data by combining the power of the two devices. The Samsung Health app, available to all Android users, acts as a hub for all your wellness information.
Best for Ladies: Evie Ring
Price: $219
While many of the previously mentioned options cater to both men and women, the Evie Ring is uniquely designed with ladies in mind, standing out due to its elegant and distinctive style. Despite its accessory-like appearance, the Evie Ring excels in functionality, offering key features, such as heart rate, respiration rate, and SpO2 monitoring. Additionally, as a woman-specific device, it includes menstrual cycle tracking to help users better understand and manage their symptoms.
Like most trackers, the Evie Ring handles activity and sleep monitoring with ease. What really makes it special, in my view, is its mood-tracking feature, which helps you identify emotional patterns over time and offers insight into the reasons behind your feelings. Unfortunately, the Evie Ring is only compatible with iPhone, making it unsuitable for Android users.
Tip: decide which is for you by checking out our comparison of smartwatches and smart rings.
Frequently Asked Questions
On which finger should I wear the smart ring?
You can wear your smart ring on your index, middle, or ring finger of either hand. It depends on your preference and which finger provides the best fit.
Are smart rings accurate?
Yes. In fact, they can be more accurate than smartwatches and smart bands, due to their position on the finger, where more blood vessels and capillaries are located. This allows them to provide better heart rate and other measurements. Yet, keep in mind that even the most advanced smart rings can occasionally provide inaccurate readings, so it’s wise to use them as a helpful guide, rather than rely on them completely.
How do I maintain and clean a smart ring?
Use a soft cloth and mild soap to clean your ring regularly. Do this especially after workouts or exposure to sweat, dirt or water. Refrain, however, from running water directly over the sensors or submerging the ring during cleaning. Even if the ring is water-resistant, direct exposure to water can increase the risk of moisture buildup, especially around charging contacts or crevices.
Image credit: Unsplash
