The best smart rings you can buy: Expert tested

I've been wearing an Oura Ring on my finger for a few months now, and have used the ring in nearly every environment: while running in the city, working at the office, stretching on a yoga mat, and sleeping in my bed. Oura presents my sleep, activity, and recovery data to me right as I check the home page on the app, and I'm pleased with how it's helped me further understand myself through health data. It even captured my higher stress levels on one tear-filled night.

Additionally, the simplified overall score appears with a detailed chart monitoring heart rate, body temperature, and blood oxygen levels through the night. The ring also automatically senses when you're stressed and adjusts your activity goals accordingly. One recent night, it detected my significantly raised body temperature and suggested I use the rest mode function, which deprioritizes activity and prioritizes rest and recovery. 

There are many reasons to opt for Oura, but one that comes up in conversations a lot is how many apps partner with Oura. Natural Cycles, Strava, and more health apps offer data syncing into the app. I love that when I use Strava for runs, it automatically shows up in my Oura timeline. 

ZDNET contributor Sherin Shibu purchased a Heritage Oura Ring and tested it with weekly activities like strength training, cycling, yoga, and more. She reported that not only was it a capable and accurate tracker, but it didn't overwhelm her with data. Instead, the Oura Ring prioritized actionable insights and solutions. For example, the over 50 guided meditation options have helped Shibu to alleviate stress and sleep more soundly, she wrote in her review. 

This comprehensive but simple approach is evident in the ring's form factor and integrations -- Shibu said she was amazed at how such a sleek device could hold such a catalog of information. The ring syncs with Apple Health, Google Fit, and iOS and Android apps, allowing you to see your daily and even monthly metrics from your mobile device. 

The downside, which Redditors and reviewers often point out, is that there's a $6 per month membership cost to unlock personal insights, like in-depth morning sleep analysis and temperature trend monitoring (which can even predict early stages of illness). Non-paying members only have access to sleep, readiness, and activity insights.

Thankfully, Oura's customer service is great. ZDNET staff writer Allison Murray called them after her ring's battery began to falter, and the company sent her another ring free of charge. 

Also: The Oura smart ring's brilliant new features outshine even its titanium finish

Oura Ring Gen3 tech specs: Material: Lightweight titanium with non-allergenic, non-metallic inner molding | Battery life: 4 to 7 days | Charging: Full charge in 20 to 80 minutes | Compatibility: iOS and Android | Durability: Water-resistant up to 328 feet | Sizing: Free sizing kit with purchase on their site

If you're all in on tracking your macros and micros, counting your steps, training for your next marathon, guided workouts, and more, then there's no better smart ring for you than the Ultrahuman Ring Air. This ring is designed for fitness enthusiasts who want to optimize their body's power for mental and physical energy throughout the day. From the moment you wake up until the minute you fall asleep, Ultrahuman offers you insights into how to get the most out of your day, through reminders on when to consume caffeine, expose yourself to sunlight, get up and walk, and wind down.

I've been testing the Ultrahuman Ring Air, and I love the way the app presents data in a digestible way and offers specific insights all on the home page that I don't have to search for. I also like that it gives me at-a-glance health data on the homepage, like body temperature, heart rate data, and which phase of my menstrual cycle I am in, and how I can maximize these phases for energy or rest. Plus, Ultrahuman just got a major feature upgrade. You can now sync your Strava data onto the Ultrahuman app, which is ideal for runners, bikers, and avid walkers who use the popular fitness app. 

The ring is as discreet and comfortable as can be, and unlike the Oura Ring, which seemingly gets scuffed and scratched when in contact with any abrasive material, the Ultrahuman Ring Air has maintained its matte sheen -- and I can't detect a single mark on it so far. 

Of course, because this is a newer smart ring brand, the ring isn't without its flaws. Redditors have reported lower HRV data and other tracking flukes that the company has addressed through continual software updates.

Notably, founder Mohit Kumar is quite active on reviews pages and seemingly attentive to customer feedback and support. I'd say this is the closest competitor to Oura in the smart ring space so far, and if you're looking for a subscription-free smart ring with up-to-snuff data tracking, battery life, and other helpful features, Ultrahuman Ring Air is your best bet.  

Review: The best ring for fitness junkies beats the Oura in 4 ways

Ultrahuman Ring Air specs: Sizing: 5-14 | Material: Titanium coated with Tungsten Carbide Carbon | Colors: Matte grey, Aster black, space silver, bionic gold | Water resistance: Up to 330 feet | Sensors: Infrared Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, Non-contact medical-grade skin temperature sensor, 6-axis motion sensors, Red LEDs (heart rate monitoring and oxygen saturation) Green LEDs (heart rate monitoring) Infrared LEDs (heart rate monitoring) | Connectivity: Bluetooth Low-Energy | Battery: Up to six days

Let me introduce you to the newest smart ring in the game and the first smart ring released by a leading tech brand. The Samsung Galaxy Ring was released in July, and it's a wearable any Android user -- that's right, no iOS compatibility on this ring -- could get excited about. 

The Galaxy Ring is similar to many of the smart rings on this list in terms of features and functions, with a few fun exceptions. Like other rings, you're getting sleep and activity tracking. The Galaxy Ring uses an AI algorithm to determine your sleep quality, patterns, and more, and offers up a sleep score every morning that sums up your night's sleep. There's snoring analysis, movement during sleep, sleep latency, and heart and respiratory rate tracking.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Ring hands-on: I asked for 4 features and they delivered on all of them

All this data is collected and stored through the Samsung Health app, which Android users can access (and Apple users... can't). This also means that iPhone users can't use the Galaxy Ring with their phone, unless they make the Android switch.

Another benefit of having the Galaxy Ring within the Samsung ecosystem is that you can record workouts on a Samsung Galaxy smartwatch and log your sleep on the smart ring, then have all your data stored together. You can still use the ring for activity logging too, as Samsung offers features to support activity, like energy scores, inactive alerts, and automatic workout detection. 

One new feature that's novel to the smart ring space (and the rings on this list) is the double pinch gesture you can perform with the ring on your pointer finger. This feature snoozes alarms and snaps photos, all through the pinch of your fingers.

Given how new the product is, we haven't had the chance to test this ring extensively yet, so wait for our full review in the coming weeks and months. Even before the review comes out, though, we predict that the ring could become one of the major players in the smart ring space.

Galaxy Ring tech specs: Material: Titanium | Battery life: Seven days | Sizing: 5 to 13 | Compatibility: Android: | Durability: 10ATM waterproof rating | Charging: Charging case

The RingConn Smart Ring is a great option for people looking for two things: 1) A ring that includes many of the great features of the Oura or Evie Ring like heart rate, SPO2, and sleep tracking, but is available for men, women, and nonbinary folks, and 2) A ring that does not require an additional monthly subscription fee. All you have to pay for with the RingConn Smart Ring is the up-front $279 cost, and then nothing else. (Again, the Oura Ring requires a $6 a month membership fee on top of the cost of the ring itself.) 

"I was much more impressed with the RingConn Smart Ring than I expected to be," ZDNET contributor Matthew Miller wrote in his review of the ring. "I'm close to switching to it as my primary smart ring [from the Oura Ring] because I like the extensive amount of data provided and the ability to easily swap smartphones that I connect to the ring." Redditors agree that the extent of data tracking on RingConn's smart ring is some of the most impressive in the smart ring space. 

Alongside the long, seven-day battery life of the ring, the charging case also offers up a 500 mAh battery that can power your ring for up to 150 days.

RingConn Smart Ring tech specs: Material: Titanium | Battery life: Seven days | Sizing: 6 to 14 | Compatibility: iOS and Android: | Durability: IP68 waterproof rating | Charging: Charging case

Smartwatches and smart rings serve different purposes. Smartwatches tend to perform better for activity tracking, while smart rings excel at sleep tracking. If you want both a smartwatch and a smart ring, I'd recommend buying the Amazfit Helio Ring, the only smart ring that also boasts smartwatch compatibility, to have all your fitness data and sleep data in one place. 

This ring isn't perfect for everything, as ZDNET's Matt Miller writes in his review, but it's great for sleep tracking. The sleep tracking includes a readiness score, a sleep score, sleep resting heart rate, sleep heart rate variability (HRV), and recovery time. A further breakdown of your sleep, including time and percent in deep and REM sleep, appears on the sleep tab of the Zepp app. 

When Miller wore the Helio Ring, he compared the data to the Oura Ring and Polar watch and found that the Helio Ring's sleep score, sleep duration metrics, and HRV, all aligned with the two other wearables. "However, the time in each sleep stage, resting heart rate (RHR), and readiness scores ended up looking quite different," Miller wrote. 

Also: Amazfit Helio Ring review 

One drawback to this ring is that you'll need to pay extra to get access to all your data, like weekly or monthly reports, readiness insights, or Zepp AI Coach details. Also, the ring is only available in two sizes right now (10 and 12), but Amazfit plans to roll out more sizes in the future. 

Amazfit Helio Ring specs: Material: Titanium | Battery life: Four days | Sizing: 10 and 12 | Sensors: PPG heart rate sensor, temperature sensor, EDA sensor | Compatibility: iOS and Android | Waterproof rating: Water resistance 10 ATM 

Every other ring on this list has a starting price of around $300. The Evie Ring only costs $270, without any additional subscription. What you gain in affordability, though, you lose out on in terms of useful health data features, but if you're new to the wearables space and are looking to dip your toes into smart rings, that won't be a problem with this ring. 

This is an entry-level smart ring designed for women who are looking to monitor their menstrual cycle and wellness through activity and sleep tracking features, as well as mood and symptom logging. "The symptom-logging feature is competitive and thoughtful, and it helps you to understand the ebbs and flows of your moods throughout your menstrual cycle. Each day you can log your energy level and mood level, tag certain adjectives like 'calm,' 'depressed,' 'anxious,' and more, document your menstrual flow and your symptoms, and add tags like whether you drank alcohol, are sick, or are working through an injury," I wrote in my review. 

Also: Evie Ring review

Through continual documentation of mood logging, you can understand how your mood fluctuates with your menstrual cycle, activity, sleep, and more. Evie seems to offer a well-rounded view of health that relies on not only data but also works with you to understand the "why" behind your data. 

One downside of the Evie Ring is the fact that it's for women only, and the Evie app is only available through the iOS store, so Android users can't get it right now. Another downside is that the battery life is not as competitive as other smart rings, and many features aren't accessible while the ring's battery is low. 

Movano Evie Ring specs: Sizing: 5 to 11 | Material: Liquid metal | Colors: Silver, rose gold, gold | Water resistance: Up to 1 meter | Sensors: Heart rate, heart rate variability, SpO₂, skin temperature, and active metabolic calorie burn | Connectivity: Bluetooth | Battery: Around four days