Credit:
Reviewed
Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.
Credit:
Reviewed
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
This is the latest model of the most popular smart ring on the market, and it excels in every aspect, from exceptional battery life to detailed reports. Read More
Elegant, stylish, and comfortable, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is highly customizable and has a long-lasting battery. Read More
A clear value option, the Circular Ring 2 works well for the price and is durable, despite a buggy app experience. Read More
This smart ring is primarily designed for Samsung Galaxy users due to its Samsung-specific features, which are not accessible through iOS. Read More
A simple design, comfortable fit, and AI-driven insights allow this smart ring to stand out. The app collects loads of data—the most in our testing in this category. Read More
Smart rings are the new smartwatches. They are worn either in place of one for a distraction-free health, wellness, and fitness tracking experience or alongside one as a complementary data collector.
We’ve been testing smart rings for the last few years and have extensively compared and contrasted them while wearing them in the shower, to bed, at the gym, while working, and during nightly activities—basically, all the time.
During our testing, the Oura Ring 4 (available at Amazon for $349.00) has emerged as a favorite—the smart ring that we think is best for most people. It’s the Goldilocks model with the right balance of style, fit, battery life, sensors, health tracking, and intuitive app experience. While the Oura Ring requires a subscription, it’s the price of a single premium latte a month, and maybe even easier to stomach.
Perhaps the most widely known, Oura is no longer the only smart ring in town. If you’re considering testing the waters, now is a great time to buy one, since there are so many options to choose from.
While we tested the Circular Ring Slim, pictured, the brand has release the next generation.
We tested the original Luna Ring, pictured—now it's been updated.
Female-first design
No subscription
Scratch resistent
Low battery life compared to competition
Not a good option for men
We’ve been testing smart rings for the last few years and have extensively compared and contrasted them while wearing them in every type of scenario. After swapping among several different smart rings and factoring in everything from fit and finish to comfort, battery life, the metrics and data they collect, and the companion apps, we gathered this list.
Before purchasing a smart ring, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Smart rings are useful for those who want to keep on top of health, wellness, and fitness. They passively track vitals such as heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, stress, body temperature, and more. You can use them to track workouts from the companion app; some offer automatic workout detection. They’re ideal as a complement to a smartwatch or a distraction-free option in place of one. Anyone from active folks who want to track exercise to less active individuals focused on health can benefit from a smart ring.
It’s crucial to order the sizing kit for any smart ring first. Smart ring sizes differ from regular ring sizes, typically because of their thickness and sensors on the underside. Try on the ring you think is the right size for 24 hours. This accounts for daily fluctuations in your finger's circumference and helps you gauge how it feels during everyday activities. It should be snug enough that it won’t fall off, and so that the inner ring comes in constant contact with your skin, but not too tight to cut off circulation. You should be able to remove it with a gentle tug easily. The ring should be worn on your index, middle, or ring finger. Never wear it on your thumb or pinky.
Most smart rings work with both Android and iOS smartphones, but some are exclusive to Android (Apple does not yet have its own smart ring). The Samsung Galaxy Ring, for example, only works with Android phones. You also unlock more features and get a more seamless experience when pairing it with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone than with an Android phone from another brand. Confirm compatibility with your phone before buying a smart ring.
With so many other gadgets you need to recharge daily, a smart ring with a battery that can last for days, some up to a week, could be a deciding factor. Consider how often you’re out, how much activity you want to track, and how convenient it is for you to recharge. Models like the Samsung Galaxy Ring come with a charging case you can bring with you to recharge on the go, while ones like the Oura Ring 4 sport amazing battery life.
Most smart rings capture the basics, like activity, calorie burn, heart rate, stress, and sleep. Consider what’s most important to you and see what other data it tracks before deciding. Extras could include menstrual cycle tracking, readiness, energy scores, more detailed sleep analysis, and circadian rhythm. Go through a checklist to make sure nothing you want is missing.
Factor in not only the cost of the ring itself, but also any relevant subscription costs to find out what you’ll really be paying. Most Oura Ring competitors do not require a subscription, except for premium add-ons for the Ultrahuman Ring Air, such as Afib detection. While the Oura Ring 4 subscription is necessary, it’s a nominal fee you can justify by skipping a single morning cappuccino or a Friday afternoon pastry each month.
While a smart ring sits on your finger and does its work in the background, the app is where you can see all the magic at work. So, it’s important that the app is nicely laid out and organized, easy to read and navigate, and provides easy access to everything you need. The best apps include additional information, including resources on women’s health, nutrition, mental health, and more.
While most smart rings don’t require a subscription, you need to consider why. Read the fine print for the companion app to ensure that your private data remains private and is not being used for anything you’re not comfortable with or sold to third-party companies. Considering the type of data smart rings collect and how personal it is, it’s especially important to be educated before downloading an app.
As with any electronic device, it’s important to take good care of a smart ring. Periodically wipe it down with a cloth. Dry it after it gets wet. And be mindful of the water-resistance rating. Remove it during rough activities to prevent scratches and scuffs, especially if the ring isn’t very durable. If you work with your hands outdoors, you might prefer a smartwatch instead.
A smart ring is a great alternative to a smartwatch or fitness tracker if you want something that’s completely passive and distraction-free. But if you desire notifications, mobile wallet access, and apps like Spotify and Strava, smart rings won’t cut it.
They might also not be ideal for those with joint issues or those who experience frequent weight fluctuations, which can affect finger circumference. In these cases, a smartwatch or fitness tracker is the better option. For those serious about health and wellness, a smartwatch and smart ring combination offers a more holistic view, providing a comprehensive report on your daily health and wellness.
Smart rings often track the same data as fitness trackers, without the distraction of a screen. They are also unobtrusive on the finger, resembling a traditional band-style ring, which some prefer. They can be just as reliable as a wrist fitness tracker; in fact, smart rings can be more reliable for continuous heart rate and sleep tracking due to their consistent skin contact.
Yes! Usually, you’ll have to start the workout in the companion app by selecting the workout type from a list. Some smart rings, like the Oura Ring 4, have automatic workout detection that can recognize a range of workouts and start tracking without manual initiation. These usually include workouts with distinct movements, such as walking, running, cycling, rowing, and boxing. Most also allow you to input a workout manually, but this is merely for logging purposes.
Absolutely. A smart ring with a water-resistant rating can even be worn in the shower, while washing dishes, playing outdoor sports, and swimming. Be mindful of sources of saltwater, as well as in extreme temperatures —such as frigid snow and high heat —such as in a hot tub. But for the most part, your smart ring can be worn all the same times you’d wear other rings.
Order the free sizing kit every smart ring manufacturer offers and try on a few sizes of the replica ring until you find one that fits just right. Wear it for 24 hours before making a final decision. It should be snug and in constant contact with your finger, but not too tight that it’s painful. Note that smart ring sizes may differ from your normal ring size.
Whether or not a smart ring helps improve health is entirely up to you and what you do with the data it provides. If your sleep quality is consistently low or your recovery is poor, this could encourage you to get more sleep, do more exercise, and even adjust your diet. Many smart rings provide actionable advice through notifications, like reminding you when to go to bed to be at your best the next day, when to take a rest day because your body hasn’t recovered sufficiently, to get sun, to get up and stretch, or even to do a calming exercise to de-stress. If you pay attention to these cues and use the data to your benefit, a smart ring can absolutely help improve your health.
review
Christine Persaud is a freelance writer for Reviewed who has close to 25 years of experience writing in the tech space in both print and digital publications.
After spending more than a decade at a Canadian consumer tech trade publication, she switched to freelance in 2013 and began covering appliances, TV entertainment, home and lifestyle, commerce, and other related areas. She has decades of experience writing news, features, op-eds, blogs, gift guides, buying guides, and how-tos. She has reviewed hundreds of products over the years, from wireless earbuds to smartwatches, blenders to vacuums, and is ready to educate you on what to buy (and what not to buy).
With a deep passion for tech, Persaud knows her stuff when it comes to headphones, TVs, smartphones, wearables, and small appliances, covering these categories for outlets like WiFiHiFi.com (for which she also serves as editor), Android Central, Yahoo!, Engadget, and Costco Connection magazine.
She’s also an experienced TV entertainment writer, her work featured in Digital Trends, Movieweb, Collider, and CBR. Follow her @christineTechCA on Instagram and X.
Our team is here to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and experts obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
Shoot us an email