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The best smart rings: Does anything beat Oura?
Rings aren't just fashion accessories anymore. The best smart rings provide accurate health measurements to help you live your best life.
ZDNET Recommends
Wearable tech can be highly functional but still discreet. While bulky watches are often removed at the end of the day for charging, smart rings stay on at night to track your sleep. You can even pay for items at checkout without reaching for your wallet using touch-free pay technology.
Smart rings have emerged in a promising market among smartwatch fan favorites. If you want your technology to do the most work for you, consider wearing a smart ring. I've rounded up the best smart rings with capabilities nothing short of spectacular.
Also: The best fitness rings
- Titanium
- Lightweight
- Size of a wedding band
- Full charge in 20 to 80 minutes
- Automatic firmware updates
- Allows airplane mode
- Pricey
- Recurring $5.99/month membership fee with the Gen3
- Ring sizing is unique to the brand
- No half sizes
Oura Ring 3 tech specs: Material: lightweight titanium with non-allergenic, non-metallic inner molding | Battery life: 4-7 days | Weight: 4-6 grams | Compatible with iOS and Android | Water-resistant up to 328 feet | Free sizing kit with purchase on their site
I purchased a Heritage Oura Ring and tested it with weekly activities, like strength training, cycling, yoga, and more. The highlight of the ring is that it doesn't let me get lost in the data. What matters to me matters to the ring: sleep, activity, and readiness.
My morning sleep scores are insightful and have helped me realize how I can improve my nighttime habits. The simplified score appears with a detailed chart monitoring heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen levels through the night.
I love interacting with the ring, and I don't regret my purchase. It's incredible that all of this technology fits in such a small device. When the lights are off in my bedroom at night, I can see the ring glow a barely noticeable green or red as the sensors got to work.
The guided meditations are an unexpected bonus. I've done a few and I think the feature is worth the monthly membership fee alone. There are over 50 sessions for meditation, sleep, and other focus areas. It's comforting to have meditations in the same app as my sleep score, so if I didn't sleep well one night, I can do something immediately to alleviate stress and set myself up for success the following night.
This comprehensive smart ring integrates with Apple Health, and Google Fit, as well as iOS and Android apps. This compatibility means that you can see daily, weekly, and monthly views of your activity and other metrics.
Review: Oura Ring 3
The downside is that there's a membership structure in place to unlock the features that make this ring worth it. It will cost you $5.99 per month to unlock a morning in-depth sleep analysis, blood oxygen monitoring, personalized insights, live heart rate monitoring, and temperature trend monitoring that can predict early stages of illness. The Oura ring can also detect when you might be stressed and automatically go into Rest Mode by adjusting your daily goals for you.
Non-paying members have access to only three insights: Sleep, Readiness, and Activity.
- Use to pay, unlock devices, and share information
- No charging required
- High-quality hypoallergenic ceramic
- RingPay app tracks spending
- Crowdfunded
- Releasing in the UK first
McLear RingPay tech specs: Material: Hypoallergenic ceramic | Compatible with iOS and Android | No charging required | Earn cashback with RingPay Rewards | Donate to charity with RingPay Giving | Free size exchanges
The minimalistic, polished RingPay is the world's first smart ring with contactless payment technology. You can securely pay for items by connecting your debit or credit card and earn cashback when you use it. The ring is faster to use than contactless alternatives, like unlocking your phone wallet or using a credit card. You can wash your hands while wearing it, because the smart ring is water resistant, scratch-resistant, and stress-tested. It's made of hypoallergenic ceramic, so no glues or plastics involved, either.
The RingPay comes from McLear, the company that built the first NFC (near-field communication or wireless data transfer) ring to unlock doors digitally. The company configured the same technology for phones and information sharing, and secured funding from WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg, eventually launching this ring.
The ring can unlock your NFC-enabled Android phones and tablets with just a touch from ring to device. You can store and securely share information, including Wi-Fi information, website links, and contact information to your friends' devices.
The best part? No charging required.
- Waterproof
- Four interchangeable finishes: gold, rose gold, black, and silver
- Monitors blood oxygen and heart rate
- Future firmware updates included in purchase
- Requires charging
Circular Ring tech specs: Hypoallergenic material | Interchangeable outer shells | Battery life: 4 days | Charge time: 60 minutes | 10 days of built-in data storage without Bluetooth connection | Compatible with iOS and Android | Sizing kit available for purchase
The Circular Ring launched last year, and the company markets the ring as "the most advanced wearable tracking device."
The ring focuses on three main components: sleep, activity, and health. The device tracks precise heart rate, breathing rate, blood oxygen levels, temperature, and motion during sleep with emphasis on quality, duration, and circadian rhythm. You'll even get notifications about irregular heart rates and blood oxygen levels.
For fitness, you'll get an energy score that tells you how much energy you've exerted throughout the day, and the ring automatically tracks your workouts. The technology organizes data in an easy-to-read app so you can better understand your habits and make better health decisions.
- Customizable tracking
- Includes a ring box
- Can be used as an NFC business card
- No half sizes
- Only one color option
- May be confusing to use
Hecere NFC Ring specs: Material: Zirconia ceramic and epoxy resin | Chip: NFC 215 | Contactless card reading | Compatible with Android and iOS | Waterproof
The Hecere NFC ring is the best smart ring for tech-savvy people. It's delivered blank with a built-in rewritable chip. You can download an NFC app for free and program the ring to function however you want, whether you want the ring to turn on Wi-Fi, make a call, or share a contact.
The sensing technology in this ring is more advanced than that in comparable products. If you want a fun, customizable project, this could be the ring for you.
- Sleep-tracking focus
- Fast shipping within 2-3 business days
- Supports airplane mode
- Continuous upgrades
- One-year warranty
- Ring removal required for report generation
Go2sleep Ring tech specs: Material: Acrylic/PC+ABS plastics | Battery life: 3 days | Charge time: 2 hours | Weight: 6 grams | Waterproof | Magnetic charging | Compatible with iOS and Android
The Go2sleep ring is dedicated to one function: tracking your sleep based on heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and heart rate variability. If you or anyone in your family lives with a sleep condition, this ring could be a useful tool.
You can share data with family members on the app to learn more about their sleep habits, and even download your sleep reports as Excel files to show your medical provider.
Also: The best sleep trackers
The advanced technology can wake you up during your lightest sleep phase in the morning, so you won't feel disoriented right when it's time to get up. The Go2sleep ring automatically syncs with the Health app on iOS devices, and it features a ring-finding function so you can locate the device if it's misplaced.
What is the best smart ring?
I recommend the Oura Ring 3 as the best smart ring based on its extensive capabilities. However, there are other great choices out there, too. This table compares the best smart rings based on price, battery life, and materials.
Smart ring | Price | Battery life | Material |
Oura Ring 3 | $299 | 4-7 days | Titanium with non-allergenic interior |
McLear RingPay | $110 | No charging required | Hypoallergenic ceramic |
Circular Ring | $264 | Up to 4 days | Hypoallergenic inner material with interchangeable external shells |
Hecere NFC Ring | $34 | No charging required | Zirconia ceramic material and epoxy resin |
Go2sleep Ring | $99 | Up to 4 days | Acrylic /PC+ABS plastics |
Which is the right smart ring for you?
It depends on your needs and your budget. For example, if you want a smart ring that primarily tracks your sleeping habits, then Go2sleep ring is a wise choice. Or if you want the most durable option, the titanium body of the Oura Ring 3 will hold up to your wildest adventures. Below, our table helps you determine the right ring for you based on specific uses:
Choose this smart ring… | If you want… |
Oura Ring 3 | The best smart ring overall with a titanium body, full charging in 20 to 80 minutes, and automatic firmware updates |
McLear RingPay | A smart ring for payments that can also unlock devices, no charging required. |
Circular Ring | A waterproof smart ring to track your fitness levels with blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring. |
Hecere NFC Ring | A customizable tracking smart ring that doubles as an NFC business card. |
Go2sleep Ring | To consistently track your sleep habits based on heart rate and blood oxygen levels. |
How did we choose these smart rings?
I analyzed the overall quality and functionality of smart rings on the market right now. I took into account factors such as pricing, specific purposes, durability, and device compatibility. There was also the question of value and how to assess it. The Oura Ring, for example, provides clear value by offering blood oxygen testing, continuous heart rate monitoring, and other features found in more expensive wearables.
There are many smart wearables available, but these smart rings are the most high-quality options based on a variety of categories. From contactless payment to advanced sleep tracking, these smart rings bring advanced technology right to your finger.
Which is the best fitness ring?
Other ZDNET experts also assessed the Oura Ring 3 as the best overall smart ring in the fitness wearable market. If your goal is to specifically track exercise and workout recovery, the Oura Ring 3 is your best option. TIME also named Oura one of the best inventions of 2020.
Oura even partnered with the NBA to help players train during the pandemic. The NBA purchased 2,000 Oura rings to track signs of COVID-19 symptoms using body temperature data. Plus, the smart rings gave players personalized insights into their health.
Are smart rings reliable?
Smart rings can provide more accurate readings than smartwatches because they are worn close to large blood vessels located in the fingers. In contrast, smartwatch sensors utilize small capillaries for readings.
You wear smart rings flush against your skin. As a result, the data can be more accurate than that collected by smartwatches.
What is a smart ring good for?
Smart rings can be useful for a variety of functions. A ring like the McLear RingPay is ideal if contactless payments are your top priority. If you want 24/7 monitoring of your blood oxygen and heart rate, go with the Circular Ring. Smart rings can go as far as you need, and you can even program your own with the Hecere NFC Ring.
Smart rings also tend to have long battery lives, while some don't require charging at all.
Are there alternative smart rings worth considering?
There are various smart rings on the market that didn't make the cut for my top five. However, I've included a few other smart rings that receive honorable mention:
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Evie Ring
A comprehensive health smart ring capable of measuring sleep quality, menstrual cycles, and physical activity.
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Colmo Tesla Smart Ring
A smart ring that doubles as a keycard for your Tesla Model 3.