For this comparison we are taking a look at their specs and features, how they perform in real-life scenarios, what they are best used for, and how to choose between the two.

Circular Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air Quick Comparison

Before diving deeper, here’s a quick comparison of the two devices:

ALSO READ: BEST SMART RINGS YOU CAN GET

Circular Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: First Impressions

While both the Circular Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air look good, each has a uniqueness that will appeal to various users. Both come in clean-looking packaging designed to entice buyers, and both come with chargers inside the box. Ultrahuman included a USB Type-C cable in the box, but Circular did not, which users might want to have for convenience.

The Circular Ring comes with replaceable outer shells made using an alloy of stainless steel and carbon fiber and coating. The interior is made using medical-grade material that feels a bit plastic. The outer shells come in four different colors—silver, gold, rose gold, and shiny black—and you can always buy an extra in case yours gets scratched or dented with use. The smart ring is 9mm wide and 2.75mm thick and weighs 4 grams. This means it’s quite comfortable, but you’ll feel it on your finger, especially because of its size and the two metal prongs. It has sizes from 6 through 13.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air, on the other hand, doesn’t come with replaceable shells but is designed to last very long. It’s made using fighter jet grade Titanium, reinforced with tungsten carbide carbon coating. The part that sticks to your finger is made using medical-grade hypoallergenic epoxy resin. It’s 8.1mm wide and 2.4mm thick and weighs 2.4 grams. Its thickness and weight vary with size, from size 5 to 14.

ALSO READ: BEST OURA RING ALTERNATIVES

Circular Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Features and Functionalities

Both smart rings are packed with the latest technologies used to monitor and stay on top of one’s health conditions. There are some differences, however, and these could be the deciding factor when you choose to buy one of them. Here’s a quick look at the features the Circular Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air have:

Circular Ring

The Circular Ring boasts of the following sensors:

• 1 Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor with infrared
• 1 red LED sensor
• 1 green LED sensor
• 3-axis accelerometer
• 1 surface temperature sensor

 With these sensors, the Circular Ring Slim and Pro variants can be used for the following purposes:

Health monitoring

Circular Ring can be used to monitor your heart rate 24/7 and get real-time measurements on demand, as long as it has a battery. This includes monitoring your HRV (heart rate variability), Sp02 levels, max HR, and activity intensity.

Sleep tracking and improvement

The Circular Ring can be used to keep track of your vitals while you sleep. It will also monitor your breathing patterns, and will give you recommendations on improving your sleep using core sleep and nap data.

ALSO READ: BEST FITNESS TRACKER RINGS

Stress and energy monitoring

Circular Ring Pro can also monitor your stress and energy levels and provide you with feedback and recommendations for predicting and handling stress. It can also launch guided breathing exercises to help you relax during the day and even as you prepare for sleep.

Overall health recommendations

Circular Ring Pro will monitor your vitals and notify you if there’s something that needs immediate attention. The device keeps track of your body temperature to help you determine if you have a fever. And if you have any medications, the smart ring will remind you to take them on time. Using its proprietary AI named Kira, the device will provide you with recommendations on how to improve your health.

Alarms

The Circular Ring Pro features a smart alarm that can help wake you up gently at the right time so that you feel rested and refreshed at your preferred time. It also uses a strong vibration motor to alert you at your set time.

ALSO READ: BEST SLEEP TRACKER RINGS

Ultrahuman Ring Air

The Ultrahuman Ring Air, on the other hand, has the following sensors:

• Infrared PPG sensor
• Non-contact medical-grade skin temperature sensor
• 6-axis motion sensors
• Red LEDs (heart rate monitoring and Sp02)
• Green LEDs (heart rate monitoring)
• Infrared LEDs (heart rate monitoring)

With these features, the Ultrahuman Ring Air provides important information you can use. These are classified into the following:

Movement Index

While the Ultrahuman Ring Air is capable of monitoring your overall vitals, it places emphasis on your movements so that it can help you maximize your metabolism and increase your non-exercise energy usage on a daily basis. For instance, it will inform you of the number of steps you’ve taken and the amount of calories you’ve already burned for the day. It will then give you helpful nudges so that you can develop and maintain healthy movement habits.

ALSO READ: BEST SMART RINGS FOR WOMEN

Sleep Index

Next, the Ultrahuman Ring Air will monitor your vitals as you sleep to provide you with an accurate picture of your sleep quality at night (or day if you stay up at night). It monitors sleep duration, your heart rate and HRV while sleeping, and your movements to calculate restfulness. If you’re interested, it can also provide details as to how deep your sleep is (sleep stages) and how long you have been sleeping that way. The device will also monitor your blood oxygenation and temperature and indicate how they impact your sleep as well.

Recovery Scoring

The Ultrahuman Ring Air also uses the information to provide you with insight about your body’s condition and then gives you recommendations on how to improve recovery. For example, it will monitor your vitals to determine whether you’re under stress or have a higher temperature than normal. The device can gather enough data so you can monitor how you’ve been doing for some time. It will then provide you with helpful tips on what you should do to improve your overall well-being at the moment.

Overall health improvements

Aside from the above, the Ultrahuman Ring Air also uses the data it gathers to provide you with recommendations to improve your overall health. These include providing tips for improving your body clock, getting better restful periods in between activities, eating your meals on time, and more.

ALSO READ: BEST SMART RINGS FOR PAYMENT

Circular Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Pros and Cons

All that said, both the Circular Ring and Ultrahuman Ring Air have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages that you should consider before buying. Here’s a quick look at each of them:

Circular Ring Pro advantages VS Ultrahuman Ring Air:

• Slightly bigger size means you’re more conscious that you’re wearing the device and will be cautious about it
• Replaceable outer shells allow you to refresh your Circular Ring Pro’s looks
• Physical button allows for a more tactile feel when using the Circular Ring Pro
• Charging takes only 45 minutes from 0 to 100%.
• Battery lasts up to 5 days
• Can work with iPhones running on iOS 11 (Ultrahuman Ring Air is limited to iPhones running iOS 15 and newer)

Ultrahuman Ring Air advantages VS Circular Ring Pro:

• Ultrahuman Ring Air is smaller and lighter, and more comfortable to wear for longer
• Has more sensors, allowing for more accuracy when monitoring your vitals
• App has better UI
• Premium looks and better feel compared to Circular Ring Pro
• Does not have prongs, unlike the Circular Ring Pro
• Has better water resistance
• Provides more accurate readings and more useful insights
• Comes with USB Type-C in the box
• More affordable

ALSO READ: BEST OURA RING DUPES

The Verdict: Which is Better?

By now, you might be asking, “What should I buy?” Regardless of the pricing and design, you’ll have to consider what they are meant to be used for.

If you want to get a good smart ring that can help you sleep better and wake up refreshed and on time, the Circular Ring might be the better option. Its features are clearly designed to help you prepare to get better sleep, improve your sleeping patterns, and wake you up gently as opposed to getting shocked by a loud alarm beside your bed. The Circular Ring also matches your mood and daily get-up, thanks to its replaceable outer shell.

If you’re looking for a smart ring that can help you accurately monitor your vitals and improve your metabolism and daily activities, then go for the Ultrahuman Ring Air. It has loads of sensors to assess your overall well-being accurately and provides you with the necessary insight you need to make sure you stay healthy. It’s not a full-on fitness tracker, but it can help you keep track of your steps, the calories you burn, and the rest you get. It’s more affordable, definitely reliable, and a really good option if you’re always on the move.

Get Circular Ring here and Ultrahuman Ring Air here.

For the latest wearable tech news and updates, follow Smart Ring News on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

The post Circular Ring vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Which Health Tracking Device Is Better? first appeared on Smart Ring News.

The Circular Ring is designed to have a thin profile on your finger while still being able to do what a smart ring should—monitor health metrics, wake you up at your preferred time, and so on. It’s the latest smart ring from French company Circular, which released two variants—Circular Slim and Circular Pro.

There’s no big difference between the two other than the Pro model’s option to switch the outer shells. In addition, the Pro variant has a bigger battery and a physical button.

The Circular Ring is still new, but we were able to get our hands—er, finger—on it for a quick trial. So, for this review, we’ll be discussing first impressions, how the device looks and feels when you’re wearing it, how it works, and what we actually think about it.

ALSO READ: BEST FITNESS TRACKER RINGS

Circular Ring Quick Summary

Before we start, here’s a quick summary of the Circular Ring’s functionalities:

Circular Ring Review: First Impressions

First, let’s talk about the packaging. The Circular Ring comes in a cleanly designed box with an opening secured using a magnet. There’s not much to see outside the box, which means you’re actually encouraged to open it immediately to get the smart ring inside. Once you open the box, you’ll find the Circular Ring and its charger safely tucked in foam.

The Circular Ring looks simple and unassuming, but it feels premium. It’s very different from its predecessor in terms of appearance because first, there’s no physical rubber button that can be pushed; second, it has a matte finish different from the shiny finish on the Circular Pro’s outer shell; third, the Slim variant is noticeably slimmer; fourth, it has a simple but good-looking logo, which serves as the button; and lastly, its metal prongs that are used to charge the device are smaller compared to the ones found in Circular’s older smart ring.

As for the charger, there are two magnetic terminals that connect to the prongs on the smart rings. It has a USB-C connector, so you can connect it to your laptop, iPhone, or Android smartphone to charge the device. It also has an LED light that tells you if the ring is charging.

ALSO READ: BEST SLEEP TRACKER RINGS

Using the Circular Ring Slim

Like the Circular Pro, the Circular Slim is used with a smartphone app. You will first need to download the app and then connect the Circular Slim to your smartphone using Bluetooth. You will also need to wear the smart ring to take advantage of all of its features, although some will still work while it’s not being worn.

First steps

To set it up, first charge your Circular Slim using the supplied charger. You can attach the charger to any device with a USB-C port, but this could be challenging if you are using your smartphone for the purpose, especially because you will need to use your smartphone in the succeeding steps. This will be easier if you have a USB-C cord extension, which you can also order from Circular.

Next, get the Circular Ring app for the iPhone or Android. Once you have it, you will need to Sign Up for an account with Circular if you don’t have one yet, or Sign In if you’re already have an account and/or are using a Circular Pro smart ring.

ALSO READ: BEST OURA RING ALTERNATIVES

Once you’re already signed in, it’s time to connect the ring to the app. Tap on My Ring at the top-right corner of the screen, then tap on Set up new ring under General. From there, you will need to select Slim, then follow the slew of instructions that appear on the screen.

You might experience some connection issues, as we have. When you do, you might need to do a soft reset on the Circular Slim, remove it from the list of connected or recognized smart rings from the Circular app, and also forget the device in your smartphone’s Bluetooth settings. If you do this, simply connect the device to your smartphone as you did the first time.

ALSO READ: BEST SMART RINGS FOR PAYMENT

What the Circular Slim Is Best Used For

If you succeed in connecting your Circular Slim to the app on your smartphone, congratulations! You are now on your way to enjoying its features, some of which can be compared to similar features on more expensive devices. We’ve tried it and can vouch for its effectiveness.

Health Monitoring

The Circular Slim smart ring is fitted with a slew of sensors used to measure your health statistics. The device accurately monitors your heart rate, HRV (heart rate variability), breathing rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), and the intensity of your current activity. Don’t worry about the information’s accuracy—the Circular app will give you tips on how to get these statistics best.

In our case, we were advised to clench our fists while the smart ring was measuring. The app showed that the data accuracy was “poor,” so we had to wait a bit longer for the data to become more accurate. Eventually, we decided to remove the Circular Slim, wait a few seconds, and then put it back on, but this time, it was in a relaxed position. The app indicated that the information is now more accurate, and we have confirmed it using other health monitoring devices. For reference, we wore the Slim on our right index finger.

Aside from the usual stats like heart rate, the Circular Ring also monitors your body temperature to help detect certain conditions, like a fever. It monitors your stats 24/7—as long as it has a battery—and gives you tips on how to improve your health.

ALSO READ: BEST OURA RING DUPES

On-Demand Measurement

While the Circular Ring monitors your health stats every minute, you have the option to get measurements on demand. This gives you instant access to the information you need at the time you need it, allowing you to stay on top of your health condition.

Monitoring and Handling Stress

The Circular Ring provides live stress score feedback and stress predictions based on the stats it measures while you engage in activities. It can then give you guided breathing exercises to help you relax, whether you’re still doing activities or are already preparing to sleep.

Improving Sleeping and Waking

Speaking of sleep, the Circular Ring is designed to help improve your sleep. It helps you ease into sleep by giving you notifications about your set bedtime. Then, it monitors your sleeping stages (REM, light sleep, deep sleep) and napping habits and provides tips on how they can be better. It also has a Smart Alarm feature that gently nudges you before your set alarm time so that you wake up gently and refreshed instead of abruptly due to strong vibrations.

Wellness Recommendations

Aside from the above, the Circular Ring also monitors your energy and provides you with helpful recommendations to improve your overall health and wellness. These include recommendations such as getting some sun, getting a cup of coffee, and working in what Circular calls your “Productivity Zone.” It also reminds you of your medications, if you have any, and alerts you if there’s anything wrong with your vitals.

Keeping track of time

While the Circular Ring is not a watch, you can use it to keep track of time. Simply set the alarm and Slim will vibrate at your specified time. This is perfect for instances when you aren’t wearing a watch and do not want loud noises to wake you up, like a blaring alarm from your phone. Use case scenarios include when you’re sleeping, driving, in a meeting, or in a noise-free zone.

ALSO READ: BEST SMART RINGS FOR WOMEN

Circular Ring Slim Pros and Cons

All that said, Circular Slim has some advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the smart ring’s pros:

• 2.2mm-thin profile and 2-gram weight make it very comfortable to wear
• Aluminum build makes it durable
• IPX8 rating lets you use it while swimming for 30 minutes

Now, some of its downsides:

• You might forget you’re wearing it and end up doing something that can damage the ring
• Matte finish scratches easily
• You might forget that you’re not wearing it and end up having to reset it to reconnect
• Disconnection issues can be very annoying
• Slow to produce accurate measurements at times
• Does not track workouts or exercise
• No third-party integrations (does not work with Apple Health or Google Fit, and other apps)
• Circular app could be better
• Battery doesn’t last as long as Circular claims

The Verdict: Is Circular Ring Worth It?

Perhaps by now, it’s painfully obvious that the $297 Circular Slim looks and sounds good at first glance, but it’s not a powerhouse like other devices. It’s mainly used as a health tracker for everyday activities, a sleep tracker to help you get better sleep, and an alarm for when you want to wake up or be notified of certain times without any noise. It has some potential, as indicated on paper, but our user experience leaves a lot to be desired.

If you’re looking for a wearable that does these three things, don’t mind spending a week or so to let the device get acquainted with your habits, and don’t want to spend on more expensive but more powerful options, then Circular Slim might be good enough for your needs. But if you’re looking for something more reliable and do not mind spending more to get your money’s worth, get the Ultrahuman Ring Air, Oura Ring, or check out other smart rings.

Get the Circular Ring here!

For the latest wearable tech news and updates, follow Smart Ring News on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

The post Circular Ring Review: Is It Worth It? first appeared on Smart Ring News.

Oura has dominated the smart ring market for almost a decade, and rightfully so, given it has been the most reliable and consistent device ever available. Over the past couple of years, despite the challenges in form factor, several brands have already made inroads into the smart ring market, including Ultrahuman and Ringconn. Fast forward to date, we’ve seen more familiar names like Samsung, Movano Health, and Amazfit joining the race.

The smart ring market, however, is not limited to health monitoring. There are smart rings that can be used for other purposes, including contactless payments, remote control, travel passes, and car access. 

Fortunately for you, there are now many impressive smart rings available. From sleep tracking to contactless payment and blood oxygen monitoring, we selected the best smart rings according to their functionalities. But before diving into the list, how do we choose the right smart rings?

Choosing the Best Smart Rings

When we created our list of the best smart rings, we first took into account a couple of things to make sure they serve you the ultimate way possible. Here are some criteria we considered:

Purpose

Smart rings are used for different purposes. Knowing what you want to use the ring for is critical for your decision. Is it for monitoring your health? If you need to be more specific, is it for sleep, blood oxygen, or period prediction? Is it for payment? Is it for your car?

Integrations

What type of third-party support does the smart ring have? In most health rings, third-party apps like Natural Cycles, Google Fit, and MyFitnessPal, among others. If you are looking for a particular app to use, make sure to check with the ring maker whether they support the app you’re looking for.

Budget

Cost is one of the things that set people back from getting a smart ring. Most NFC smart rings cost below $200, but health-tracking rings with more sophisticated sensors cost at least $200. For example, the price of the Oura Ring starts at $299, but there are Oura Ring dupes that you can buy for less than that.

After taking all these factors, here are our top picks for the best smart rings you can buy now:

1. Oura Ring – Best Smart Ring

Leading the smart ring market is Oura, a sleep tracker that gives you a 360-degree view of your nightly rest habits. These include factors like sleep stages (REM, light, and deep sleep), total sleep, restfulness, timing, sleep efficiency, latency, time in bed, and resting heart rate (RHR). You’ll be given a sleep score based on those factors, which you can view right through Oura’s mobile app.

Sleep tracking is only one of Oura’s main functions, though. It also tracks your activities and evaluates your readiness based on certain factors. Overall, Oura is pretty accurate, making it one of the best smart rings out there. I strongly recommend Oura for people with problematic sleeping habits just like me. I did a 30-day-long Oura User Test, so be sure to check how it stacked up as a smart ring.

The new version, Oura 3 was launched in 2021. This product adds several high-end sleep and fitness tracking functionalities, more advanced algorithms, and an updated app and membership subscription. Check our Oura 2 vs. Oura 3 comparison to see what’s new!

Get Oura Ring!

2. Ultrahuman Ring Air – Best Sleep Ring

One of the most advanced wearables on the market, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is one of the best smart rings you can get your hands on. Its continuous nudges to make better lifestyle choices based on your sleep, activities, and recovery trends is something beneficial to meet your fitness goals. It’s light and slim, so you get the optimal comfort you need from a health smart ring, whether you are running or sleeping.

Get Ultrahuman Ring Air!

3. Wellue O2Ring – Best Oxygen Monitor and Pulse Oximeter Ring

There are only a few smart rings that measure blood oxygen levels and heart rate and one that stands out is the Wellue O2Ring. Developed by medical technology maker Wellue, the ring is a medical-grade oxygen monitor that can continuously track your blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and body movements. It’s used by several medical clinics across the U.S. The O2Ring sports an adjustable vibrator that goes off when your blood oxygen level drops below normal or when your heart rate beats in fits and starts. And of course, you can get a detailed health report through its mobile and desktop apps.

Wellue O2Ring Oxygen Monitor with Vibration Reminder...

$179.99

Buy on Amazon

Get Wellue O2Ring!

4. Femometer Ring – Best Smart Ring for Women

The first smart ring for women that was ever released, the Femometer Ring is a phenomenal wearable device that can track menstrual cycles. It’s mainly designed as a tool for planning or avoiding pregnancy, but it’s not just that. The smart ring approaches women’s health monitoring by keeping tabs on the user’s sleep, activities, heart rate zones, body temperature, and even recovery.

Get Femometer Ring!

5. Kimiss Car Key Ring- Best Smart Ring for Tesla

If you’re looking for a smart ring for your Tesla, whether you’re using Model 3, Model S, Model X, or Model Y, the Kimiss Car Key Ring is one of the most reliable rings you can get on the market. This ring made from carbon fiber is stylish and lightweight enough to be comfortably worn on any occasion. It’s also waterproof.

Get Kimiss Car Key Ring!

6. McLear RingPay – Best Contactless Payment Ring

McLear calls RingPay the original contactless payment ring being the first company to offer such functionality at points of sale. While I’m not sure about that, what’s certain is that it’s the most popular contactless payment ring on the market. You can easily connect your credit card or bank account through the RingPay mobile app as well as track your daily expenditure. RingPay can also be used as a travel pass. As a passive device, RingPay doesn’t have a battery, so it works 24/7/365.

The ring can be used at Visa-enabled POS terminals anywhere around the world. The kicker is, only U.K. residents with U.K. banks can use the ring at the moment. In Australia, a McLear-branded payment ring called Bankwest Halo is available for Bankwest depositors. The ring works pretty much the same as RingPay. Be sure to read this McLear RingPay Review to know more about this device. McLear RingPay costs £90.

Get McLear RingPay 2!

7. Token Ring – Best NFC Smart Ring

If you’re looking for a versatile NFC smart ring, Token is your best option on the market. Here’s why: Token is an all-in-one smart ring that can be used as a smart key to your car, office, or home, as a digital wallet, and for passwordless logins to your computer. It uses your fingerprint, so it’s really hard to be stolen or hacked.

The Token smart ring is the ultimate convenience you’re looking for in an access device. It isn’t the first NFC ring to have those functionalities, but it’s impressive knowing that it’s keeping up with the leading NFC-enabled rings, even surpassing some of them. Check out my Token Smart Ring Review to learn more about its performance and capabilities. The Token smart ring is available for $349.

Related: Best NFC Smart Rings

‍8. Nuanic (formerly Moodmetric) – Best Smart Ring for Stress Management

If you’re too caught up with the everyday happenings in your life, Nuanic (formerly Moodmetric) is the ring you need. This stress monitoring and management smart ring is designed to help you get a holistic approach to your stress levels using only the electric conductivity of your skin, otherwise known as electrodermal activity (EDA). With the help of its mobile app, you’ll be able to view the factors that are causing you stress as well as things that relieve it. The app also provides personalized insights and recommendations on how you can recover from stress. Overall, Nuanic is pretty impressive. Read this Moodmetric Review to find out more about the ring’s performance.

Get Nuanic!

9. Circul+

Circul has some good activity-tracking capabilities that health and fitness enthusiasts will enjoy. It can track your total calorie burn, steps, and workouts like walking, running, hiking, and biking. Like the O2Ring, Circul mainly functions as also an oxygen monitor and pulse oximeter. It also has an impressive sleep-tracking functionality that can give Oura users a run for their money. Check out this Oura vs. Circul Review to find out which one is better for you. The biggest downside Circul has is its protection or the lack thereof. It’s not waterproof, so if you want to do water activities, this ring isn’t the right one for you. Circul+ is the latest smart ring version introduced by Bodimetrics in cooperation with Prevention magazine.

BodiMetrics CIRCUL Waterproof Sleep & Fitness Ring

Buy on Amazon

Get Circul!

10. Wave for Work – Best Remote Control Ring

Wave for Work by Genki Instruments is a gesture-initiated smart ring that allows you to control computer applications as fast as 10 meters with just a click of a button. Hosting video calls on Zoom? Mute, unmute, or raise your hand. Presenting a slideshow? Click through your slides. Listening to Spotify? Play, pause, or skip songs. You can also customize shortcuts and tasks according to your most-used programs and actions. Wave for Work works wonders!

Although specifically designed for remote workers, Wave for Work can also be a perfect companion for anyone who wishes to bring their workflow to the tip of their fingers. The Wave for Work smart ring costs $99. The ring is a successor to Genki Instruments’ Wave MIDI controller ring designed for music producers, DJs, musicians, and more. Learn more about it in this Wave by Genki Review.

Get Wave for Work!

Which Is the Best Smart Ring?

To wrap this up, the smart ring market is booming with incredible products for any purpose. We still have a long way to go when it comes to technology. But moving forward, we can expect that more companies will jump on the bandwagon, and more smart rings will see the light of day that will take our breath away.

Remember, some smart rings have multiple functionalities. If you’re sitting on the fence about which one fits you best or which one you need, be sure to check out the Ultimate Smart Ring Buyer’s Guide to help you make an informed decision.

For the latest wearable tech news and updates, follow Smart Ring News on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

The post 10 Best Smart Rings You Can Get in 2024 first appeared on Smart Ring News.

If you’ve been looking for the best fitness tracker ring, know that this smart ring segment only has a few options. That, however, is not entirely bad news as the ones introduced are pretty impressive. Two of them, Circul and Oura are available for purchase while Circular can be pre-ordered with the first deliveries due in September 2021.

Fitness Tracking Rings Comparison Table

But, which is the best fitness ring for you? To give you an overview of the best fitness tracker rings, here’s a comparison of their main features:

How to Choose the Best Fitness Ring for You

Fitness tracker rings in the market are not one and the same. So, it’s important to know what you want to use the ring for to guide your buying decision. If you know what you are looking for, feel free to skip this part. Otherwise, here are some possible criteria to take into account.

RELATED: Best Apple Watch Based on Health and Activity Tracking Features!

Sensors and Functionalities

Sensors are the basic component of smart rings. Fitness rings, in particular, have at least an accelerometer that detects linear acceleration and a gyroscope to monitor rotational movements. What this means in simpler terms, these sensors can automatically detect a variety of physical activities such as walking and running, which are then used as the basis for tracking calorie burn. In addition, most fitness rings also come with an optical heart rate monitor (which is called ‘photoplethysmography’ (PPG)). PPG takes care of tracking your blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2) and heart rate.

The blinged-out fitness rings have some other sensors into the bargain. These may include a GPS tracker to monitor location, and an ECG sensor to detect cardiovascular problems, or others.

Some smart rings have multiple functionalities, so don’t be afraid to look for extra features that you think you might need apart from the mentioned functionalities. Whether it’s a stopwatch feature or remote control, it doesn’t hurt to look for that extra feature to help with your buying decision.

RELATED: Evie Ring is Designed to Give Women Better Track of their Health

Design

Smart rings are inherently lightweight. However, some may look bulkier than others, so take that into account. Depending on what you want your smart ring to use for, you might also want to consider the protection it has against elements like water, sweat, dust, and varying weather conditions. For instance, most fitness tracker rings are waterproof (e.g., Oura), while some are not (e.g., Circul). If you want a ring that you can take with you while swimming or diving, be sure to get an IP-rated ring.

Battery Life

Fitness tracker rings depend on batteries since they use electronic sensors. Most fitness rings will last for seven days between charges, while some may only last for a few days, which you may find inconvenient.

App, Integrations, and OS Support

Smart rings often come with a mobile app, which carries tracked data and, in most cases, personalized insights. This is true for most fitness tracker rings. But apart from the app itself, it’s also important to know what it integrates with. Does it sync with Apple Health or Google Health? Does it support other fitness apps?

Apart from apps and integrations, you should also consider the smart ring’s operating system support. Most devices use Bluetooth connections to share data with a smartphone, and in almost all cases, the ring maker provides apps for iOS and Android phones.

Price

Fitness tracker rings vary in cost. Prices range from less than $200 for a well-equipped fitness ring to $300 or more for a blinged-out one. Most users will find incredible choices with a set of features that match their needs for $200. The pricier options may include a blood oxygen sensor, a GPS tracker, and/or a heart rate monitor, which can be tailored for all sorts of fitness enthusiasts.

‍

Three Best Fitness Tracker Rings

Although there are only a few activity tracker smart rings in the market, they are definitely stellar. Here are three of them:

1. Oura

Activity tracking is only one of Oura’s three main functionalities, and it’s one of the best out there. I’ve been using Oura for a couple of months now; I must say it’s a feasible alternative to more common wrist-worn fitness trackers. This smart ring can track your total calorie burn, steps, and a host of activities like walking, running, and strength training.

What’s great about Oura’s activity tracker is it automatically detects activities, keeps track of their duration and equivalent calorie burn, and suggests adding them through the app to make sure you don’t miss any activities. But here’s the kicker — its suggestions are sometimes all over the place. For instance, it doesn’t know when I’m doing a treadmill walk or run or lifting weights. Fortunately, you can correct it.

Oura, however, does not show an active heart rate and distance covered (though calculates distance shown as ‘walking equivalency’), unlike other fitness trackers, which could be a problem for runners, bikers, and other fitness enthusiasts who wish to track these metrics.

Oura also tracks sleep and gives you readiness insights. The smart ring can be used as a birth control method. Oura works with other mobile apps like Apple Health for iOS devices, Google Fit for Android devices, Samsung Health for Samsung devices, HRV4Training, and Natural Cycles, among others.

The Oura Ring is available in silver, black, stealth, and gold finish starting from $299 / €245.

RELATED: Oura Ring Test: What’s the Verdict After Using It for 30 Days?

‍2.Circul

As a pulse oximeter smart ring, BodiMetrics’s Circul mainly functions as a blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring device. The ring, however, can also be used for fitness purposes as it’s capable of tracking a bunch of fitness-related metrics, including heart rate, steps, and calorie burn. The good thing about using Circul for those who want to use it for medical reasons is that they can keep a record of their data, whether they want to print, download, or share it with their family, caregivers, and physicians.

Circul also tracks overnight sleep, including heart rate variability and the different sleep stages, just like Oura. But what separates Circul from Oura is the Circul’s continuous tracking capabilities with a higher sample interval. You get better accuracy but the tradeoff reflects in the battery life. The battery of Circul lasts 18 hours of continuous monitoring, which easily covers a full night’s sleep.

Another thing that’s unique about Circul is its adjustable sizing. No sizing kit will be given to buyers; you only have to choose between small, large, or extra large sizes.

Circul is a great fitness tracker ring for people who are also dealing with diseases that negatively affect their blood oxygen levels. The ring, however, is not meant to be submerged in water, which means swimmers, triathletes, and others won’t be able to use it.

Circul is available in black finish for $299 / €245.

RELATED: Oura vs. Circul: Which Is the Best Smart Ring to Detect COVID-19?

3.Circular

Circular is a health and wellness smart ring that monitors sleep and activities 24/7 and gives personalized recommendations through its mobile app. You can use it to monitor steps, calorie burn, and physical movements. If you need to track your heart rate, Circular has this functionality and a bunch of other heart rate metrics such as heart rate variability, heart training zones, and maximum heart rate.

Circular’s mobile app for Android and iOS devices allows users to access personalized insights into sleep, energy, and performance along with their real-time raw data. Circular is a great Oura ring alternative with Oura’s features and more. Apart from tracking sleep and a variety of heart rate metrics, the ring can also measure blood oxygen levels, something Oura cannot do. Check our Oura vs. Circular comparison to learn more!

Other features you may be able to enjoy with using Circular are smart alarms (automatic or manual wake-up time), alert notifications (push notifications from your phone), and Kira (an intelligent assistant accessible via app).

Circular is available for pre-order on Indiegogo starting at $240 / €198.

RELATED: Circular vs. Motiv: Which Is the Best Wellness Smart Ring?

In Conclusion

At the moment, you don’t really have an array of fitness tracker rings to choose from. Your actual options right now are Oura and Circul as Circular has yet to hit the shelves soon. Nonetheless, Circular seems promising based on its feature set, and without a doubt, it can compete with Oura and Circul once it’s out.

Between Oura and Circul, which one should you choose? If you want to get a stylish activity tracker smart ring that also monitors sleep, Oura is hands down the best option there is. If you are looking for an utilitarian health monitoring ring, which can also track activity and measure blood oxygen levels and heart rates, Circul is the way to go.

It’s important to know what you need first. Does a fitness tracker ring match your needs, or is it a smartwatch, or perhaps a smart bracelet that serves your fitness habits best? If you have that figured out, you should be able to choose which one fits your needs best.

Here are two fitness wearable comparisons you might want to see: 

‍Apple Watch vs. Oura Ring

Whoop vs. Oura Ring

The post Best Fitness Tracker Rings 2024: 3 Activity Tracker Rings to Hit Your Goals first appeared on Smart Ring News.

When I started covering the smart ring market in early 2017, the market barely had names that had sensible models. Oura and McLear were probably the two brands that did well and saw significant success. There are some brands I can think of that were up there but had not seen the same level of patronage these smart rings had back then.

Fast forward to date, Oura Ring has come out victorious, developing a cult following that includes celebrities and athletes. Thanks also in large part to the pandemic, this smart ring became instrumental for detecting symptoms of COVID-19.

There’s a lot to be thankful for the Finnish health tech company as this success has proven that smart rings are viable wearables for different use cases. In fact, this has spurred new smart ring makers to join the market, including Ringconn, Ultrahuman, Taspter, Boat, and more.

More smart rings are expected to come out in the following years, including big tech firms like Apple and Samsung. But there are other notable contenders, too. Here’s a list of smart rings to watch out for in the next months and years:

1. Circular Ring

First on our list is the smart ring whose release has long been overdue—the Circular Ring. The French health tech firm has been marketing the smart ring and its promising features for the past 2 years. One that stood out is the smart alarm feature that vibrates to wake you up at what it deems the right time based on your sleep patterns. This is a first among wearables, a bold claim that honestly scares me if it does not work. Into the bargain is a range of health and fitness capabilities like sleep tracking, activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, and recovery management.

Circular also aims to deliver unique features to the smart ring, including alert notifications for calendars, reminders, social media, and more through vibrations. There will also be a smart control functionality to manage your devices straight from your finger.

The Circular Ring costs $229 and will be available in 6-13mm sizes, in black, gold, rose gold, and silver outer shells. Shipping starts in November 2023.

Also Read: Apple Watch Series 9 Review: Is It Really Worth It?

2. Evie Ring

Developed by health tech firm Movano, the Evie Ring is mainly designed for women. Menstrual cycle tracking is the main women’s health feature of the ring, allowing you to understand the timing of your period and ovulation windows, whether you are in your reproductive years, post-menopause, or anywhere in between. And like most smart rings on the market, the Evie Ring also comes with sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and activity tracking capabilities.

Movano has not officially announced the price yet, but the Evie Ring is expected to cost around $250 to $270. It will be available in silver, gold, and rose gold finishes.

Also Read: Apple Watch Ultra 2 Review: Is This $799 Worth It?

3. Oura Ring Gen 4

Oura has not yet announced the Oura Ring Gen 4, but it’s expected to release the next-generation Oura Ring very soon. The current model was first released in November 2021, so it’s been 2 years. While details are scarce, the fourth-generation Oura Ring is expected to include contactless payments. If this is the case, Oura Ring Gen 4 will be the most versatile smart ring, something that might change the minds of naysayers. Oura Ring Gen 4 is expected to cost around $350 based on its set of features.

Also Read: 5 Best Smart Rings for Payment

4. Apple Smart Ring

Apple has long been reported to be working on a potential smart ring with its various patent applications in the past several years. Despite that, we have not yet seen anything concrete from Apple, but we are hoping that this product will come to life soon. Its latest patent application, discovered in August 2023, suggests that the Apple smart ring might have haptic notifications, the same feature on Apple Watches. Other than that, there are no reports suggesting the design and what the future smart ring could do.

Also Read: Apple Watch Series 9 vs. 8 Review: Should You Upgrade?

5. Samsung Galaxy Ring

Unlike Apple, there are many pieces of evidence pointing to Samsung’s efforts to release what’s called the Galaxy Ring. There is no official communication revealing the details of the forthcoming smart ring, but based on the patent applications and trademarks, Samsung could release a remote control smart ring to work with smart TVs, smartphones, and home automation systems.

Also Read: 5 Best Smartwatches for Sleep Tracking

At the moment, only Circular Ring and Evie Ring have official dates of release. Meanwhile, we can expect Oura to start hinting at the release of its fourth-generation smart ring. As for Apple and Samsung, we can only hope for the best that big tech firms will finally join the smart ring competition.

For the latest wearable tech news and updates, follow Smart Ring News on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

The post 5 Upcoming Smart Rings We Can’t Wait to Launch Soon first appeared on Smart Ring News.

The release of Circular Ring has long been overdue with its launch getting pushed back, not once, not twice, but several times already. However, based on what we’ve seen thus far, the Circular Ring seems to be a pretty decent smart ring that looks and functions like the Oura Ring. If you are looking forward to Circular Ring, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming smart ring.

Circular Ring Specs and Features

Circular Ring will have a smart alarm feature that vibrates through a vibration motor to wake you up. Even more interesting is that the smart alarm can wake you up at the “perfect moment,” as the French maker calls it. The way I see it, the smart alarm will go off around the time when your sleep is at the end of a cycle when you are in light sleep, making your waketime more pleasant. If this is how it works, this is such a bold claim, considering no other wearable has ever done it before.

Its core capabilities like sleep tracking, activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, and recovery management are pretty much the same as other smart rings on the market. Like most wearables, Circular Ring uses red, green, and infrared LEDs to monitor heart rate and blood oxygen saturation.

Also Read: Apple Watch Series 9 vs. 8 Review: Should You Upgrade?

Circular also aims to deliver unique features to the smart ring, including alert notifications for calendars, reminders, social media, and more through vibrations. There will also be a smart control functionality to manage your devices straight from your finger.

Kira, its AI digital assistant, will be a pivotal part of the smart ring, supporting users in their health and fitness journey.

The Circular Ring will be made of stainless steel and carbon fiber. The battery life is expected to last for up to 4 days while charging time takes up to 60 minutes per full charge. The ring will also be able to hold data for up to 10 days without a Bluetooth connection.

Also Read: 5 Best Smartwatches for Sleep Tracking

Circular Ring and Pricing and Release Date

Ring sizes are from 6 to 13 millimeters. The Circular Ring will be available in black, gold, rose gold, and silver outer shells. The outer shell is detachable, so you have the option to buy an extra one to change it up once in a while. The smart ring’s price starts at $229.

The expected release date is in November 2023. This has been delayed several times, so we really hope the team at Circular Ring shows up this time and stays true to their word.

For the latest wearable tech news and updates, follow Smart Ring News on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

The post Circular Ring: Specs, Features, Pricing, Release Date first appeared on Smart Ring News.