The best smart rings: health tracking from your finger

As technology shrinks in size and increases in power, making smart rings is becoming less and less of a challenge. They’ve not hit the mainstream just yet but it is only a matter of time. In this article we outline our pick of the best options that are out there – devices to get you off to a good wearable start in 2023.

Table of contents

Why get a smart ring?
Our pick of the best connected rings

	Ōura Ring 3 – best smart ring overall
	Wellue O2ring – keep an eye on your SpO2 with medical grade accuracy
	ORII – make telephone calls with your finger
	Sleepon Go2Sleep – get accurate sleep tracking data
	Circular smart ring – a great option for general health tracking
	Movano smart ring – you may even be able to monitor glucose with this one
	RingConn – a cheaper Oura Ring alternative

Large wearable brands are also working on smart rings

Why get a smart ring?

Research suggests that we check our phone every six and a half minutes and much of this results from notifications that do not really interest us or can wait for us to attend to them later. With your cellular device tucked away in your pocket or bag, you can use a piece of jewelry to attend to only those notifications that deserve your attention. The rest can wait.

But potential use of smart rings goes further. Because your fingers have easy-to-sense arteries, some of these devices are also able to gather precise data on your body’s vital signals. They do this with sensors such as a 3d accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate blood oxygen sensor and more. Much like fitness trackers.

Then there are smart rings that can be used to open a door lock or a smartphone or even send SOS messages. Such an accessory can be an easier option to use for some than a smartwatch. It is all a matter of preference. Some people are a fan of the concept, others are very much against it and prefer something sitting on their wrist.

Our pick of the top connected rings

Indistinguishable from regular jewellery in looks, smart rings are becoming more popular. This is our pick of the best devices that you can purchase today. They combine fashion and technology into some seriously smart wearables.

Ōura Ring 3: The best smart ring

Tech specs:

• PPG, negative temperature coefficient sensor, 3D accelerometer for movement
• Lightweight titanium with non-allergenic, non-metallic inner molding build
• Free sizing kit
• 4-7 day battery life
• Water resistant down to 328 feet

The award winning Ōura puts lots of emphasis on sleep. With no buttons to push, it automatically detects and analyzes the quality of your nightly rest and recovery by measuring your heart rate, pulse wave form, respiration rate, body temperature, movement and more.

In the iOS or Android mobile app you will get information on deep sleep, REM sleep, light sleep, and periods of wakefulness, as well as a  ‘Readiness Score’. This is displayed as a percentage, and tells you whether you need to adjust the intensity and duration of your day’s activities. It can also uncover actionable insights for changes to your daily activities that can help you sleep better.

While you are awake, Ōura automatically measures all your physical activity and time spent sitting. The ring counts your daily steps and total distance traveled. It also estimates the calories burned per day.

The second generation ring addressed one of the biggest customer complaints. At less than half the size of its predecessor, it is much slimmer whilst being just as durable as the previous generation.

The third generation was launched in October 2021. That one brings additional tracking features such as all-day heart rate, better temperature and sleep tracking, along with blood oxygen measurements. These updates make it a better 24/7 activity and health tracker.

The other bad news is that to access all these features you will need to pay $5.99 for a monthly subscription. This is in addition to the price of the hardware which typically runs at $299.

Bottom line: Until the big brands enter this market the Oura Ring is your best option if you are after a connected ring. It comes with a plethora of features and works well.

Ōuraring.com*

Wellue O2Ring: keep an eye on your SpO2 with medical-grade accuracy

Tech specs:

• Measure oxygen level (SpO2), pulse rate, movement
• Measurement interval – 1 second
• Warning vibration for low oxygen, high/low pulse rate
• 15 grams weight
• 12-16 hours of continuous use on a single charge

This one is slightly different from other options on this list. The Wellue O2Ring predominantly does one main thing and it does it with medical grade accuracy – it tracks your blood oxygen. In fact, it is FDA approved for this sort of thing. Other stats that you’ll get are heart rate and body movement.

The device has a built-in vibration motor that kicks into gear when it sees something out of whack. You’ll get an alert if your blood oxygen level or heart rate are outside of threshold you preset on the smartphone app.

There’s also the option of installing PC software in addition to the smartphone app. The software allows you to view and print a very detailed sleep report, which can also be exported as PDF or CSV files.

In our review, we found the device works really well. The ring is quite big in size so it is not something you would want to wear around the clock. But for measurements at home, in the office, or overnight it is quite useful.

It is worth noting the WellueO2 Ring is slightly more expensive than a typical fingertip pulse oximeter. But if you need overnight monitoring with alarms and long term tracking then it is probably the best option out there. For some, it might become their most important piece of jewelry.

Bottom line: The WellueO2 Ring is not your typical smart ring. Its main trick is that it monitors blood oxygen while you sleep. It will also alert you if it spots abnormalities.

Amazon | Wellue (use coupon GW10 for 10% discount)*

ORII: make telephone calls with your finger

Tech specs:

• Aluminium cover
• Bone conduction actuator, microphone
• IPX7 water resistance
• 10 interchangeable ring sizes
• 1 hour continuous listening time, 45 hours standby time

The ORII Voice Powered Smart Ring turns your finger into a smartphone. No, its not a misprint, the ring actually enables you to make calls, send texts, create reminders and calendar appointments simply by tapping on your ear!

ORII receives audio when paired to your smartphone through Bluetooth. When a call comes in, the ring transmits the audio through your finger. When you press your fingertip to your ear, you can hear the voice thanks to bone conduction technology. The dual microphones enable your voice to be heard. With access to Siri and Google Assistant, the ring can also handle many daily tasks.

The device is lightweight and comfortable to wear, splash-proof, and features anodized aluminum. It’s not built for chatterboxes though, and is designed more for short calls and texts on the go. Around an hour of continuous listening time should be enough to get you through the day.

Bottom line: You will certainly turn heads when people see you using the ORII. Tap your finger to your ear and you’ll be able to conduct telephone calls courtesy of bone conduction technology.

orii.io*

Sleepon Go2Sleep – get accurate sleep tracking data

Tech specs:

• Tracks heart rate, SpO2, sleep, Perfusion Index (pulse strength)
• Three different band sizes
• Made from food grade silicone
• Up to 3 day battery life
• Desktop, smartphone app

This is another device that works predominantly while you sleep. The wearable slips on your finger where it taps into capillaries to provide more accurate data that you would get from your typical wrist worn wearable.

In the morning you get info such as your heart rate, blood oxygen and details sleep statistics. Rather usefully, the device will also alert you via a vibration if it spots a drop in blood oxygen levels. Potential causes of this can be snoring or posture changes.

The app accompanying the smart ring will also spit out insights. These help to explain reasons for poor sleep and offer a suggestions on how to improve.

Bottom line: The new kid on the block, Got2Sleep is one of the best options for detailed sleep tracking statistics. It also presents itself as a lower-cost alternative to the Oura ring.

Amazon*

Circular smart ring – a great option for general health tracking

Tech specs:

• 3-axis accelerometer, infrared HR sensor
• Hypoallergenic material
• Interchangeable outer shells 
• Up to 4 day battery life
• Sizing kit available

Circular smart ring is the result of a crowdfunded project. It has just recently started shipping to backers.

The device packs a 3-axis accelerometer and infrared heart rate sensor that allow it to track a bunch of health metrics. At night this includes circadian rhythm, sleep, heart rate & heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels and temperature. When you are not asleep this also includes activity volumes with automatic recognition, steps, energy levels and more.

The ring has an interchangeable shell so you can customise it to your liking. There are a few options to swap between including a Silver, Black Fit and Rose Gold. The body is made of nickel-free clinical plastic and the whole thing weighs a mere 4 grams.

Bottom line: This is the new smart ring in 2022. It’s a wearable designed to help you better understand your body and helps you make healthier lifestyle tweaks.

Circular*

Movano smart ring – you may be able to track glucose with this one

This is one smart ring that is yet to be released. It was originally demoed at CES 2022.

Designed primarily for women, the sleek looking ring will be able to monitor a slew of health metrics. This includes activity, sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, restoration, temperature, blood oxygen, steps and calories. The hope is that eventually, it will even be able to monitor glucose and blood pressure.

The accompanying smartphone app will spit out easy to understand actionable insights on the data the ring collects. The idea is to link the cause and effect of individual metrics. For example, you’ll be able to know how your exercise habits impact your sleep patterns, HRV and more. That way you’ll be able to take “a more proactive approach to mitigating the risks of chronic disease.”

Movano is currently working at obtaining FDA approval for its tech. While the first iteration of the ring is not expected to have FDA clearances, the goal is to ultimately get Class II designation as a medical device. No word yet on a potential release date but hopefully it will be sometime in 2023.

Bottom line: Not out yet so you can’t purchase it just yet. This is a ring that promises a lot – a very ambitions project. If it delivers it might be the smart ring to purchase in 2023.

RingConn – a cheaper Oura Ring alternative

RingConn is the latest entrant in this space. The device is not available just yet, but it is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo.

The device comes with many of the same functions as Oura Ring, but without the monthly subscription. Which means you’ll get detailed info on sleep, SpO2 levels, HRV and insights to help take your health and recovery up a notch.

The ring itself comes is a rather simple design. But you’ll get something very lightweight, whichever of the 9 size options you choose. The device has been designed to be comfortable – hence its outer-square, inner-circle look. No word yet on the price or actual launch date. You can check out the ring’s Indiegogo page for more info.

Bottom line: The hope is that this ring will do much of what Oura Ring can, but without the monthly subscription. Of course there are no guarantees as crowdfunded projects are risky investments.

Big wearable brands are also working on a smart rings

We are yet to see a major wearable brand enter the smart ring market. But when they do this will shake things up and top the list of the best options. It’s no secret that some wearable brands have been looking at the possibility. A Fitbit, Apple, Garmin or Samsung smart ring would blow away the competition.

The first of these actually has a US patent to their name titled “Ring for optically measuring biometric data”. So Fitbit is definitely, at least, considering the idea.

According to the paperwork, the device would emit light at a red wavelength of 660 nm and an infrared wavelength of 940 nm. It would then calculate the difference in absorption of the emitted light at the red wavelength and the emitted light at the infrared wavelength.

This can be used to determine your blood oxygen levels as well as Sleep Apnea. Others potential uses include blood pressure, glucose level, lipid concentration, hematocrit level, or carboxyhemoglobin level.

Apple is also researching this area and it, too, has at least one patent to its name. An interesting one includes a rough sketch of what an “iRing” is supposed to look like “based in reality.”

The Apple text accompanying the filing describes the ring as follows:

A user controls an external electronic device with a finger-ring-mounted touchscreen that includes a computer processor, wireless transceiver, and rechargeable power source; the ring is worn on a first finger receives an input from a second finger, selects one of a plurality of touch events associated with the input, and wirelessly transmits a command associated with the touch event to the external electronic device.

The original submission “Devices, methods, and user interfaces for a wearable electronic ring computing device” can be viewed on the US Patent & Trademark Office.

The narrative describes a device comprising of a microphone for voice commands, a finger-ring mounted touchscreen, a speaker and a sensor for writing or character recognition. The thing would also provide haptic feedback. The rechargeable ring is intended to work in tandem with a host of other devices, whether a smartphone, apple TV or light dimmer.

In addition to its other functions, the iRing could also be used as an alternative to a computer mouse. It is possible that the device could carry biometric sensors such as a heart rate monitor or accelerometer as seen within the Apple Watch and other fitness wearables.

The patent goes further on to say:

A wearable ring device comprising: an annular member defining an aperture therethrough that is sized for receipt therein of a first finger of a user; a computer processor housed in the annular member; a touchscreen electrically connected to the computer processor and disposed at least partially at an outer peripheral surface of the annular member, wherein the touchscreen is configured to receive input from a second finger of the user; a wireless transceiver electrically connected to the computer processor and configured to communicate with at least one external electronic device; and a rechargeable power source for supplying power to the touchscreen, wireless transceiver, and computer processor.

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