The best smart rings of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

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Smartwatches are so last year. Smart rings are all the buzz. If you're ready to ditch the smartwatch for a discreet smart ring, there's no better time to do it than right now. We're in the midst of a smart ring boom, with new smart ring debuts by major tech brands, like the Samsung Galaxy Ring, coming soon. (Our reviews editor just got to try out a live demo of the new and not-yet-available Samsung Galaxy Ring. To learn what he thinks about the ring, check out this recap.)

Smart rings track everything that a smartwatch does, like sleep, activity, and wellness, all around your finger and without a screen. Plus, they tend to have longer battery lives than smartwatches, so you spend less time charging and more time wearing them. And while Oura used to dominate the smart ring space, brands ranging from newer startups to established companies are throwing their hat -- or rather, their ring-- in the ring. It's never been a more exciting time to put one of these new, high-tech rings on your finger.

Also: Here's everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Ring

The best smart rings, like smartwatches, house a comprehensive suite of health and sleep tracking features. They also take a more discreet approach. Some options even include NFC features like contactless payment and virtual business card functionality.

Also: The best fitness rings

ZDNET staffers went hands-on with several of the top smart rings, spending weeks or months wearing the rings to test out how their apps, battery life, and other features perform. Our tested pick for the best smart ring overall is the Oura Ring 3 , thanks to its lightweight fit, quick charging abilities, and impressive health suite. Read on to learn more about the perks of the Oura and which other top smart rings are worth considering.

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 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, however, only have access to sleep, readiness, and activity insights. Plus, Oura's customer service is great, according to ZDNET staff writer Allison Murray, who 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: 4-7 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

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 of the ring, 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 writes 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.

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.

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 founder, Mohit Kumar, has addressed through continual software updates. Notably, Kumar is quite active on reviews pages and seemingly attentive to customer feedback and support.

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

The Evie Ring offers up plenty of "firsts" within the smart ring market. If it earns FDA clearance for its pulse oximeter, it could be the first wearable to be medically approved. It's also the first smart ring that specifically caters to women's health needs. When we saw the ring at CES 2024, we were impressed by all of its innovative features and the research behind them.

Every new feature the ring offers -- including a mood-predicting feature -- is backed by data (and a few features are even backed by AI), the company says. Along with monitoring your vitals, the ring tracks sleep, activity, steps, mood and symptoms, and calories to provide a holistic view of health and use some of that information for menstrual cycle tracking.

You can also log your moods, and, through continual documentation, 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.

The only 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. We'll update this review once we've gotten one to test ourselves.

ZDNET contributor Sherin Shibu contributed to this story.

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.

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

It depends on your needs and your budget. For example, if you want a smart ring that will help you optimize your fitness routine, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is your best bet. Or if you want the most durable option, the titanium body of the Oura Ring 3 will hold up for your wildest adventures. Below, our table helps you determine the right ring for you based on specific uses:

If you're interested in purchasing a smart ring, you should consider the following factors:

ZDNET went hands-on with the majority of smart rings on this list. We spend a few weeks or months wearing the rings to test out how their apps, battery life, and other relevant features perform -- not just for a day or two, but over the course of many wears and through different environmental conditions. When we think a product is worth your money, we put it on this list and write up a spotlight highlighting its best qualities and specifying who it's for.

Plus, we are constantly scouring the web for new products that are worthy of testing, and following news on product rollouts and upgrades. We know buying an expensive smart ring can set you back a couple hundred dollars, and that's why our advice is tailored to your needs and budget and our picks are expert-vetted.

Other ZDNET experts also assessed the Oura Ring 3 as the best overall smart ring in the fitness wearable market, especially if your goal is to specifically track exercise and workout recovery. If you aren't interested in the monthly subscription that comes with an Oura Ring, a great alternative fitness ring is the Ultrahuman Ring Air, which, in my opinion, is a sleeper hit fitness ring for anybody who wants to track their diet, get reminders and insights to maximize their energy levels throughout the day, and follow guided workouts, all on the app. This is in tandem with the already amazing health data you get on the Ultrahuman app.

Yes, by measuring heart rate variability (HRV), the Oura Ring 3 has also proven to show early signs of sickness. Wake Forest University's Dr. Jason Fanning, for example, saw that his "heart rate variability went through the floor" thanks to his Oura Ring data, days before he tested positive for COVID-19.

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.

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.

Smart rings vary in price, depending on its features and which finish you get your ring in. A matte black smart ring is going to cost much less than a rose gold smart ring. But on average, a smart ring will cost you around $250 to $450, depending on the finish and features.

Given how small a smart ring is, its battery life isn't as competitive as, say, a smartwatch. But it's still pretty surprising to test out these rings and see how much they can withstand before needing a boost. Look for a smart ring that can last up to four to seven days while you're shopping around. If you are paying around $300 for a smart ring, it should last you at least four days, but ideally five or six. The more you have to charge this ring, the less you'll want to wear it and reap the benefits of the health data tracking suite.

20mm zikr ring 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 mentions:

The best smart rings of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed | ZDNET