We have tested several other entrants to this nascent category, some good, some bad, and some in between. Here is the lowdown on some of your smart ring alternatives.
RingConn Gen 2 for $299: Despite a slight price increase over Gen 1 below, this is still the cheapest subscription-free smart ring worth considering. RingConn retained the distinctive squared-off design, but this second-generation ring brings major improvements to sleep tracking (including sleep apnea detection), better battery life, and is very slightly slimmer and lighter. I found basic sleep and health monitoring solid (sleep is much more accurate than the first generation), but workout tracking is still a major weakness. Despite more available exercise types, you must manually trigger workout tracking, and it struggles with accuracy at higher heart rates.
RingConn Smart Ring for $199: Now heavily discounted, the original Ringconn (6/10, WIRED Review) is the most affordable smart ring worth considering. A slightly squared-off design with beveled edges gives it a unique look, the health and sleep tracking work well, and it lasts four or five days between charges. It also comes with a handy battery case (enough for several charges on the go). However, I had trouble with data syncing, the app lacked proper workout tracking, and the data was sometimes inaccurate, though the app seems to be steadily improving through updates.
Amazfit Helio Ring for $200: Purveyor of affordable fitness trackers like the Amazfit Balance, I expected a competitive smart ring from Amazfit, but the Helio (4/10, WIRED Review) is badly out of shape. I like the subtly textured bronze finish, but it is the only color you get. Sizes are also limited to 8, 10, or 12 for now (sizes 7 to 13 are coming). While it has similar capabilities to the smart rings above, the Helio was sometimes hopelessly inaccurate, with heart rate measurements wildly out of step with other trackers. It lacks automatic workout-tracking, battery life averaged three days for me, and the Helio frequently disconnected from the busy and confusing Zepp app. You don’t need a subscription, but there is Aura AI ($70/year) for sleep insights and content or Fitness ($30/year), which includes an AI coach. They are expensive and confusing. (Why have two separate subscriptions?) The Helio works much better in conjunction with a smartwatch (I tried it with the Amazfit Cheetah Pro), as it can merge the data, but as a stand-alone device, it is impossible to recommend.
Movano Evie Ring for $269: (Note: The Evie ring was recently updated, and we will update this roundup with the results of our testing.) The Movano Evie Ring (4/10, WIRED Review) was touted as the world’s first fitness tracker designed specifically for women, and as such, I was very excited! However, it still feels underbaked compared to its competitors. Now that Oura and the Galaxy Ring can track periods so accurately, its time may have passed. (It is, however, one of the first rings to file for FDA clearance). It’s relatively affordable, has no subscription fee, and has a blood oxygen sensor. However, it’s iOS-only, the app is difficult to read and use, and it doesn’t have a huge dataset so the AI-enabled insights are, alas, still kind of dumb. —Adrienne So
