Table of Contents Gone are the days of clip-on pedometers. Now, it’s all about tech wearables that maximize your physical potential with round-the-clock vitals monitoring — but I’m not talking about an Apple Watch or Fitbit. The next evolution of fitness trackers is here, and it’s the smart ring.

Smart rings monitor your health in a tiny, inconspicuous package. At first glance, they look like any other piece of jewelry, a simple gold or silver ring. But with tiny sensors, these rings track biometrics through your finger. Yes, they’ll track your step count and calories burned, but more advanced technology allows them to track sleep and stress levels, all detected through heart rate and variability.

If you’re looking to upgrade your fitness tracker and want to make the leap to a smart ring, we’ve vetted the most popular models on the market through weeks of testing to find the best smart ring.

Why should you buy a smart ring?

So you think you want a smart ring? Here’s what you need to know about the latest tech wearable. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Smart rings are not just another fitness tracker. Yes, they do track your activity, steps, and calories burned. However, they’re really meant to offer a more holistic view of your health so you can gain deeper insights into your sleep habits, cardiovascular health, and more.

You’re a good candidate for a smart ring if you hate the look of a smartwatch or fitness tracker with LED screens, which are categorically not cool. Smart rings are posed as a discreet option, looking like a regular piece of jewelry. However, to be frank, they don’t blend in that well. In my weeks of testing, while wearing the rings during hangouts, someone would inevitably ask me, “What’s that?”

Since a smart ring doesn’t have a screen, you have to pull out your phone and open an app whenever you want to track activity. That’s certainly not the end of the world, but if you convert from a smartwatch, you’ll miss the convenience of tapping your wrist. That being said, I actually find a smart ring most useful when paired with a smartwatch. I ran all my testing while simultaneously wearing an Apple Watch, and I appreciated the smart rings that were compatible with my watch so I could receive push notifications.

What’s the best smart ring?The smart ring market is ever-growing, with new models debuting each year. Samsung just launched a smart ring in 2024, and while Apple doesn’t have a smart ring on the market yet, we’re sure it will be here in a matter of time. But smart rings are synonymous with the Oura Ring, a leader in the field. After spending weeks with the device, testing its hype, and comparing it to other devices, we can confidently say it is the best ring.

It offers the most expansive biometric tracking, monitoring your health around the clock. It focuses on daily and long-term health goals more holistically than other rings.

However, the Oura Ring has downsides, like a monthly subscription fee. If you’re not down for a monthly fee, we tested some other viable smart ring options.

Our Pick

User-friendly app design Comfortable, slim design Superior data collection Short- and long-term health data analysis Symptom detection Apple Watch compatibility Ring surface scratches easily Monthly subscription required App can be slow to load Read our full review of the Oura Ring 4.

If you want a holistic view of your health that includes daily metrics alongside long-term analysis of stress resilience, chronotype, and cardiovascular health, the Oura Ring 4 delivers it all. It has the slimmest, most comfortable fit of all the rings we tested, so you can forget you’re wearing it day and night.

Its companion app is well-designed and organized for easy navigation, so you can glance at your data quickly. Its AI algorithms synthesize data into quick but thorough summaries so you know your readiness for the day. It is the most expensive ring we tested and requires a subscription fee of $5.99 monthly or $69.99 annually, so you must be prepared to make a long-term investment with the Oura Ring.

Oura Ring made a name for smart rings. While other competitors have entered the field since its 2015 Kickstarter campaign, Oura remains the most popular option, and it’s warranted. The Oura Ring 4, the latest iteration from the brand, is the most comfortable, accurate, and well-designed smart ring we’ve tested.

The ring contains a red and infrared LED, a green and infrared LED, a movement-tracking accelerometer, and digital temperature monitors that all work together to calculate your biometrics, which are presented in the app. With a slim fit and rounded edges, it looks like a classic band that blends right into your wardrobe but remains comfortable without digging in or pinching your finger. Unfortunately, Oura charges extra for certain finishes (you’ll pay $150 more if you want gold instead of silver). After several weeks of testing, my Oura ring shows quite a few scratches from daily wear.

All of the sensors produce accurate data. I wore it simultaneously with an Apple Watch; its step count and heart rate were always on par. It also seamlessly connects with the Apple Watch. Tracking activity directly in the Oura app requires you to pull out your smartphone; however, when paired with the Apple Watch, I could start my workout on the watch, and it would automatically upload to the Oura app. And if I ever forgot to start a workout, Oura would have suggested activity time to add to my log.

While Oura is great at providing a quick snapshot of your data in the ‘Today’ tab of the app, like a readiness score calculated from sleep, heart rate, and the previous day’s activities, it’s also invested in long-term health data. Under the ‘My Health’ tab, it calculates stress resilience, cardiovascular age and capacity, and chronotype for deeper insights into your overall health.

In addition to being compatible with Apple Watch, it works with other apps, including Clue and Natural Cycles, to provide insights into cycle tracking.

The biggest drawback of Oura is its required subscription. You can technically use it without one, but it limits all the data you see. Without a subscription, you can only see your Readiness score, sleep score, and activity, and you won’t get all of the extra health insights.

No monthly fee Circadian rhythm tracking Cardiovascular health analysis Cluttered UX design Ring cut is a little sharp Short battery life If you want the benefits of a smart ring but don’t want to pay a monthly fee for all of your health insights, there are other options than the Oura Ring. The Ultrahuman Ring Air has a shiny exterior and is ready to manage your health data.

It’s focused on goal-oriented tracking, improving your workout performance, or increasing your activity. If you would like to share your health data with friends, it allows you to create ‘Zones’ that you can share with your friends who are also Ultrahuman users. While it certainly leaves some to be desired, the Ultrahuman is a solid alternative to the Oura Ring.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air uses PPG and 6-axis motion sensors to detect all activity, including continuous heart monitoring and activity detection. It tracks sleep, even monitoring how often you toss and turn at night. A no-contact temperature sensor is also available on the inside of the Ultrahuman ring, although I’ve found its accuracy to not be on point, falling about 10 degrees lower than my Oura ring reported.

To promote an optimized lifestyle, it tracks circadian rhythm, suggesting when to stop your caffeine intake for the day. The app also has a stress monitor that distinguishes when you’re relaxed, engaged in activity, or stressed. Plus, it’s compatible with Apple HealthKit, so all your information can be shared across apps.

It’s incredibly lightweight, the best part of the ring’s design. Otherwise, I’m not the biggest fan of the Ultrahuman Ring Air’s design. While it’s only .2 millimeters taller than the Oura Ring 4, it feels larger because of its hard right angles that often pinched my finger when gripping. Not to mention, its battery life falls about two days short of Oura’s.

Like the ring, the app also has a clunkiness problem. It suffers from freezing and needs to be reloaded occasionally, which may result from how cluttered the UX design is. When logging in, you’re met with big pop-ups of your stress and internal clock, which, while helpful, are not the usual things I’m looking to get a quick glance at. Getting to my vitals took a few scrolls of the home page. Plus, there’s no option to customize the home page.

Free sizing kit No up-charge for certain colors Comes with Samsung Galaxy AI Not iOS-compatible Not all features included for Android users Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Ring.

All of the rings on this list are compatible across platforms, except the Samsung Galaxy Ring. It’s for Android users, but especially those with Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy Ring offers all of the perks of an Oura Ring but is easily compatible with the Samsung family of devices, like how an Apple Watch is native to iPhones. Although, it should be noted that Oura Rings are also compatible with Samsung phones.

Using Samsung Galaxy AI, the ring gives you an Energy Score, which summarizes your activity and provides recommendations. When you score too low, it gives creepily accurate summaries of factors that might affect your overall readiness.

So, if you’re a Samsung smartphone user, you should absolutely choose the Samsung Galaxy Ring over the Oura Ring. It offers all the same insights but is cheaper and doesn’t require a monthly fee.

Mashable’s former tech editor, Kimberly Gedeon, spent time with the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which had her ready to drop her Apple Watch Series 9. It departs from the classic ring design with a clever take; it has a curved surface to prevent scratches. In her weeks of use, Gedeon noted that it remained in mint condition — the same cannot be said for my Oura Ring.

It tracks heart rate, sleep, physical activity, step count, stress, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and menstrual cycles (like Oura, it’s compatible with Natural Cycles). In addition to the Energy Score, it provides a sleep score, too (which gets factored into the Energy Score). It will even track snoring, but you’ll have to pay extra through a third-party app, “Sleep Cycle: Sleep Tracker.”

If you are transitioning over to the Samsung Ecosystem from Apple’s, you’ll be thrilled to see that Samsung’s steps and exercise trackers look nearly identical to Apple’s Fitness app.

The biggest downside to the Samsung Galaxy Ring is its lack of iOS compatibility. While it technically works with all Android systems, you have to use a Samsung smartphone for full access to its features. If that weren’t the case, it might take the top spot on this list.

Simple app UX Geared for menstrual tracking Journal feature in the app Cool ring design Free sizing kit Self-charging case Feels cheap Ring stretches because of design Sensor lights too bright The Evie Ring is geared toward women and menstruating individuals. The app has a playful design, with fun illustrations and a well-organized interface. If you’re not looking to parse through high-tech biometrics but want to better understand your day-to-day health, then Evie delivers it in a concise app. The ring uses sensors to detect heart rate and skin temperature levels to help develop a better understanding of your cycle and fertility, which is especially helpful for those trying to conceive.

Evie breaks from the pack of smart rings and has a cool geometric design, straying from the classic band. It continues its smart design choices in the app. While it doesn’t look as sophisticated as Oura or Ultrahuman’s apps, it is one of the best-organized and is filled with colorful graphics for a more aesthetic appeal.

At the forefront of the app is a cycle tracker. While you can manually log your period, the ring’s sensors add further context to your cycle to see how your heart rate and skin temperature change throughout. It also has an extensive journal section to add all the details of your day to track how habits and activity affect your health. Unfortunately, it’s missing a stress tracker, a feature all the other rings on this list include.

For sensors, the Evie Ring has red and green LEDs, infrared PPG sensors, skin temperature sensors, photodiodes, and a 3D accelerometer. That’s a lot jam-packed into one ring — and it comes with a major drawback. The LED sensors are super bright, and you can see them while wearing the ring. I wore it to the movies during my testing, and in the pitch-black theater, it lit up. Unlike my Apple Watch, which I can put on ‘Do Not Disturb,’ there’s no option with the Evie Ring, so when wearing it in the dark, you always risk the LEDs lighting up at inconvenient times.

The Evie also has the best charger out of all our tested rings. It comes with a self-charging case that can wirelessly charge your ring on the go.

Because of the gap in the band, it tends to stretch. I got it the same size as the Oura and Amazfit rings, but the Evie was the loosest among them, slipping off easily. I highly recommend ordering a free sizing kit to guarantee the best fit.

Affordable Well organized app Extensive health metric tracking App is slow to load and crashes Feels cheaply made Limited sizes and finishes If you want the convenience of a smart ring but aren’t looking to make an over-$300 investment, you do have options. The best of which is the Amazfit Helio Ring. This budget health tracker provides all the extensive metrics you get in a more expensive ring. The app is generally well-designed, so the biggest area you see sacrifices in is the actual ring design. It only comes in one finish that looks plasticky rather than a sleek metal finish, and is only available in three sizes.

However, it’s not a bad option for under $200 if you don’t mind its aesthetics.

In terms of health monitoring, the Amazfit has just about everything you’d want in a smart ring: tracking heart rate, step count, calories burned, and sleep. So, while this is the cheapest model we’ve tested, it still hits all the marks we’d want to see. Those data points were reasonably accurate when measured against the metrics from the other smart rings on this list. It also produces a readiness score like the Oura or Samsung rings. However, its algorithm isn’t as transparent as the other brands.

Where you feel the budget cuts of the Amazfit is in the ring and app design. The ring itself was one of the most uncomfortable I tested. The stiff plastic build was awkward when my fingers naturally swelled throughout the day. It was the only ring I ripped off in the middle of the night because it was getting too uncomfortable. Plus, it only comes with one finish. While it has a metallic sheen, it doesn’t distract from the fact that it’s still plastic. Plus, it’s only available in three ring sizes, so it won’t fit everyone.

Plus, the Zepp app, which pairs with the Amazfit Helio Ring, is pretty buggy. Anytime you click into the app, it struggles to load, and it has a tendency to unexpectedly close. When the app does work, it’s pretty good, even offering the ability to track meals and calories throughout the day.

While other rings are better designed with more advanced tracking, the Amazfit is good for its price.

Each smart ring was worn for weeks at a time, incorporated into our lifestyles. While using the device, we evaluated it on the following factors:

Design and comfort: Not all rings are created equally. We assessed the overall design of each ring and how consistent its sizing and design were. Plus, through daily wear, we considered its comfort for 24-hour wear.

Battery life: Unlike a smartwatch or fitness tracker, which typically max out at a 24-hour battery life, smart rings should go for days. We noted each ring’s battery life and how quickly they charged once plugged in.

Health analysis and data: We tested each ring’s ability to monitor sleep, physical activity, cycle tracking, and other popular health metrics. Using our own health records, personal observations, and comparisons with other fitness trackers, we assessed the accuracy of each device.

Frequently Asked Questions Each company recommends which finger to wear a smart ring on, but overwhelmingly, it’s recommended to wear it on your index, middle, or ring finger. Generally, it’s advised against wearing the ring on either the thumb or pinky finger.

Which finger you choose should be based on where the ring fits best. We highly recommend buying a ring that comes with a sizing kit. In our experience, smart ring sizing varies from traditional ring sizes so you can’t count on your normal ring size.

Instead, try various sizes from the brand’s sizing kit, and wear a sample size for 24 hours to find your most comfortable fit.

Yes, you can use your FSA/HSA account to buy a smart ring. Unfortunately, smart rings are fairly expensive, with the cheapest model in this guide running $199.99. Every model on this list is FSA/HSA eligible, meaning you can use your health savings account funds to purchase a smart ring.

One of the more common features of smart rings is stress tracking. Many programs calculate stress scores to tell you when you’re relaxed or in a period of high stress, and usually, this is calculated through heart rate and heart rate variability. Lots of factors can impact your stress score. Sometimes, you’ll see a peak in stress after a hard workout or while watching a tense scene in a movie.

While you don’t technically need an Oura membership to use the Oura ring, it is crucial to the experience. Without a subscription, you can only access three health readings: A Readiness score, a sleep score, and activity data. If you want any of the health insights and access to the ‘My Health’ tab, then you’ll have to pay for a membership that’s either $5.99 monthly or $69.99 annually.

Boston-based Shopping Reporter, Samantha Mangino, covers all things tech at Mashable, rounding up the best products and deals. She’s covered commerce for three years, spending extensive time testing and reviewing all things home, including couches, steam irons, and washing machines. She thoroughly vets products and internet trends, finding out if those cozy gamer chairs are really as comfortable as TikTok claims.