Smart rings have been around for a while in one form or another, but they have now come of age and gone mainstream. With that in mind, here are the best models you can buy right now.
One of the smallest wearable devices you can get, they’re exactly what they sound like: rings that you wear on your finger of choice and track things like steps, heart rate, sleep and more Again.
This means you don’t need to wear a smartwatch (or a budget smartwatch), freeing up your wrist for a proper watch if that’s your thing. They often last longer than smartwatches and are more comfortable to wear at night. You simply rely on the companion app to interact, instead of any screen on the device itself.
Why you should trust us: At Tech Advisor, we’ve been testing technology for nearly 30 years and specialize in purchasing advice. We’ve been looking at smart rings for a few years now, but it took a long time for the category to take off. Our entire internal team and independent contributors are experts trained to rigorously test devices.
What started with some niche brands has now come to the point where Samsung has joined the party. And it is one of the best options here, although it is a first generation product.
Note that the Oura Ring 4 is official and we are waiting for a review sample. It will be added to this list as soon as possible.
For now, here are the best smart rings we’ve tested. See the table below for smart ring purchasing tips.
Best smart ring 2024
1. Samsung Galaxy Ring – Best Overall
Benefits
- Stylish and comfortable
- Good user experience
- Solid Core Tracking
- Excellent charging case
Disadvantages
- Erratic Stress Tracking
- Dear
- It doesn’t look like metal
Despite the sheer number of models to choose from on the market, we don’t think any tech brand has perfected the smart ring yet – far from it. However, the Galaxy Ring is currently the best choice for most people.
Although it’s a first-generation product, Samsung has done a great job delivering a solid all-around experience. The ring itself looks nice and is more durable than its competitors, so it still looks good, even though it doesn’t look like titanium.
Fitness and wellness tracking is mostly solid, with irregular stress being the main downside. Battery life is also very good and the charging case is great.
It’s one of the most expensive rings on the market, which might put it out of reach for many, but there are no subscription fees here.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Ring review
2. RingConn Gen 2 – Better Battery Life
Benefits
- Thin, light and comfortable
- Industry-leading battery life
- Solid Core Tracking
- Affordable and without subscription
Disadvantages
- Sensitive to scratches
- Sleep apnea monitoring drains battery
- Some features still in beta
If you hate having to charge your gadgets, the RingConn Gen 2 is the smart ring for you.
It outlasts its competitors to some extent, with a battery life of up to 12 days. Additionally, the convenient charging case can charge the ring 15-20 times.
We found the RingConn Gen 2 comfortable to wear 24/7, although its design is prone to scratches, which is a real shame.
Elsewhere, the basic tracking is solid and the Smart Ring is one of the cheaper options (currently via Kickstarter) and has no subscription fees either.
It doesn’t offer the best software experience, with some gripes and beta features, but that should improve over time.
Read our full RingConn Gen 2 review
3. Oura Ring Gen 3 – Best Design
Benefits
- Simple and attractive design
- Excellent software experience
- Recovery-oriented follow-up
Disadvantages
- Dear
- Almost useless without a paid subscription
- Limited workout tracking
Arguably the biggest name in the smart ring market, Oura is already on its third generation of smart ring and is one of the best options on the market for a variety of reasons.
It’s the smart ring with the widest choice of shapes and colors, so there’s something for everyone. It also offers one of the best software experiences on the market, focusing on recovery rather than blindly pushing you towards nominal goals.
However, it is not perfect, starting with the fact that it scratches easily. The fairly high price also comes with a subscription service which you need to get the most out of it.
It might well be worth getting the Oura Ring 4 at this point, which was just announced, but the Gen 3 has seen significant price drops, making it better value for money. Also find out how the Oura Ring 4 compares to the Gen 3.
Read our full Oura Ring Gen 3 review
4. Ultrahuman Ring Air – Best Value
Benefits
- Very light and comfortable
- Robust fitness and sleep tracking
- No subscription required
- Useful notification prompts
Disadvantages
- Prone to scratches
- Not designed for workout tracking
One of the most well-rounded rings on the market, Ultrahuman’s Ring Air is affordable (but not the cheapest) with no subscription fees, and it has many benefits.
The design is attractive and comfortable, although, like many, prone to scratches.
It offers solid core tracking and a cool companion app where data and information is presented in a nice, useful, and intuitive way. However, the application must rely on third-party integration to fill certain gaps.
Battery life lags behind some competitors and we wish it had a charging case rather than a stand, which would keep it from being higher on this list.
Read our full Ultrahuman Ring Air review
5. Slim Circle Ring (2024) – Thin and Affordable
Benefits
- Light and comfortable
- Continuous heart rate monitoring
- Two battery modes
- Vibrating motor option
Disadvantages
- Unreliable tracking
- Busy Companion App
- Slow data sync
- Inconvenient charger
If having a slim smart ring is at the top of your wish list, then the Circular Ring Slim ticks that box, although it’s not a huge difference from some competitors – the RingConn Gen 2 is now thinner at 2mm versus 2.2mm.
Still, this thin, lightweight design is one of the main reasons to opt for the Ring Slim over many competitors, along with its affordable price and optional vibration motor model to alert and wake you up in the morning .
It also offers two battery modes and continuous heart rate monitoring. But it also has various drawbacks, including some software and timing issues. Additionally, the small charging dongle is annoying and some of the tracking is unreliable.
Read our full Slim Circle Ring review
FAQs
What is the point of a smart ring?
As mentioned in the introduction, the idea of a smart ring is to do a lot of what a smartwatch or fitness tracker does, but on your finger.
A set of sensors inside means they can typically track your steps, heart rate, sleep, and potentially other things like stress and blood oxygen levels.
It provides a small, lightweight and discreet way to collect data about your daily activities and frees up your wrist to wear a regular watch.
You can also wear it with a smart watch. In Samsung’s case, this will enable more accurate tracking and increase the Galaxy Ring’s battery life by up to 30%.
Is a smart ring worth it?
Of course, it depends on how you answer the different questions. Mainly, do you want to wear a fitness tracker on your finger that, at least for now, costs more than most smartwatches?
Is there one that you like the look of because it’s more of a fashion choice than other wearables? And are you okay with there not being a screen to provide you with information? You’ll need to use the companion app for everything.
They also last longer than many smartwatches, so they often only need to be charged once a week.
There are also limits to what a smart ring can do due to its size, so smartwatches can often track more data and have the ability to automatically track activities and workouts.
What are the disadvantages of smart rings?
As with anything, smart rings have drawbacks, starting with the fact that they’re typically more expensive than many smartwatches and some even have subscription fees.
They’re harder to buy because you need to make sure you select the right size – although many offer a free sizing kit. Getting the right fit is crucial for accurate tracking and to make sure you don’t get it stuck or, conversely, drop it too easily.
The lack of a screen means you can’t really do anything without looking at your phone – although some have a vibration motor option for feedback.
Additionally, most do not have NFC to allow contactless payments, unlike smartwatches.
What finger do you wear a smart ring on?
To some extent, you can wear a smart ring on any finger you want. However, most smart ring manufacturers suggest you avoid your thumb.
You should also wear a smart ring on your non-dominant hand and manufacturers generally agree that the index finger provides the most accurate tracking. It’s also best for models like the Galaxy Ring, which includes pinch gestures as a feature.
Wearing it on your index finger will also prevent it from rubbing against a wedding ring if you wear one.
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