RingConn Smart Ring review: Oura Ring for less

Oura has been the big name in the smart ring game for quite some time now, but in the wake of the Oura Ring Gen 3's popularity have come a swathe of smaller companies hoping to get in on a piece of the action and step into the ring, so to speak. RingConn is one of those companies hoping to bank off the growing popularity of smart rings, and it seems like it might be able to pull it off.

The RingConn Smart Ring isn't the fanciest-looking smart ring around, but it has plenty going on under the hood, bringing a bevy of health tracking features, a fun and functional app, and long battery life that rivals even the Oura Ring Gen 3. But that's not even the best part, and that's why the RingConn Smart Ring could be your next (or first) smart ring.

• RingConn Smart Ring: $279 $229 at Amazon

RingConn Smart Ring: Price & availability

The RingConn Smart Ring retails for $279, making it cheaper than the Oura Ring Gen 3. In addition to the lower price, there is also no subscription needed to access your health insights, which is a major advantage for RingConn Smart Ring owners.

The ring comes in multiple sizes ranging from 6 to 14, so there should be a size available for most people. It's also available in three different colors: Moonlit Silver, Midnight Black, and Pale Gold.

At the time of writing, RingConn is offering a $50 discount on the smart ring through July 10, bringing it down to an even more affordable price tag. The ring can be purchased directly from RingConn's website or through Amazon.com.

RingConn Smart Ring: What I like

If you've been paying attention to the current smart ring offerings, then you'll notice that the RingConn Smart Ring has a fairly unique design. Instead of a typical circle, you get a squircle design with a very matte finish, making for a unique but subtle-looking ring. While it doesn't look as premium as some other smart rings, I actually like the design, as it makes it stand out in a sea of circles. The ring is also not too thick or heavy, measuring just 2.6mm and weighing between 3-5g, depending on the size.

The ring fits comfortably on my index finger despite the inside being mostly circular, save for a flat bottom where the sensors are. This is really the only way you can tell which side is the right side up, whereas other rings often have some type of divot or design indicator. That said, I don't seem to have trouble with the ring moving around much on my finger.

Setting up the ring took no time at all, and the app layout is pretty straightforward, with three tabs at the bottom for Insights, Trends, and a Me tab for managing your profile and the ring settings. The UI may appear a little busy to some, especially on the Insights tab, but the information is laid out pretty well, so you know what you're looking at. One interesting aspect of the app is the Wellness Balance, which is a beta feature that consolidates your data onto a graph. Not only is it a nice visual way to see what area you're lacking in, but it will also compare the data to the previous day's graph so you can see how you've progressed.

Under the graph, you can view quick tips on how to improve your wellness, or you can tap the tile for more in-depth insights on each metric: Sleep, Activity, Stress Management, and Vital Signs. This pulls up a simplistic view with tips on where you can improve, but if you want a deeper look at your sleep, for instance, each of these metrics also has its own individual tile on the Insights tab. You'll be able to view data such as your sleep stages, skin temperature, blood oxygen saturation, stress index, steps, calories, and more by digging into each tile. And in case some information is more important to you than others, you can rearrange the view inside each tile or even hide some data if you don't want to see your Standing duration, for example.

The Insights tab also has a nifty Health Timeline, which I think is a great way to view your activity throughout the day. It gives you a quick view of your sleep schedule, when you hit certain calorie goals when you might need to relax, and when you do certain activities.

Speaking of activities, there's an FAB on this tab that lets you quickly jump into workout tracking and select between a few exercise modes. RingConn Smart Ring is able to manually track running and cycling, with more on the way.

When it comes to accuracy, I find that the step counter can be a bit off, which is often the case for smart rings. On some days, it will overestimate the number of steps I've taken by quite a bit, especially when compared to my Android smartwatches, while on other days, it will come up short. This is to be expected, as devices tend to have different levels of sensitivity, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a wearable that will get this 100% correct.

That said, heart rate readings seem to be on par with my other devices, like my Garmin Venu 3, and sleep tracking has been quite accurate, closely matching my other devices when it comes to determining my sleep stages, duration, and vitals.

It's worth noting that the RingConn Smart Ring also features menstrual prediction, which uses temperature readings and other information to help you determine the date of your next period, although this is not something I could test myself.

I really like that the RingConn app for Android features a series of widgets that allow you to view your vitals, health scores, and battery life straight from your home screen.

The RingConn app will also reward you with badges based on certain metrics you hit or for wearing the ring for a certain amount of time. Honestly, it's a pretty fun way to turn wearing your smart ring into a game, and you're even able to go into each badge to see how you're able to level it up.

Charging the ring is pretty unique compared to most others. It comes with a charging cradle, which is pretty nice as it allows you to pack it up and take it with you, charging the ring as you go. That said, you may not even have to resort to that, as the battery life on the RingConn Smart Ring is pretty incredible, rivaling even the Oura Ring. I've been able to get an average of seven full days out of the ring, which is pretty impressive. I didn't even bother taking the charging cradle with me when preparing for a short trip. Days into wearing the ring, I was able to leave for the trip and come back a few days after that without worrying that it was going to die.

The best part about all of this is that the data is available to me without requiring a subscription. Oura offers very useful insights and plenty of features, but you have to pay $5.99 per month for its most useful features, which is a bit of an ask on top of the $299 starting price. 

RingConn Smart Ring: What I don't like

The RingConn Smart Ring has a lot going for it, but it's not all roses. As a health tracking device, the ring isn't much of a fitness wearable, and therefor its fitness tracking capabilities are limited. For example, the exercise tracking feature is still only in beta and is quite limited at the moment. You can manually track outdoor or indoor runs, outdoor cycling, and outdoor walking, although RingConn says it's "working to develop more diverse sports modes."

This is pretty much par for the course when it comes to smart rings, although it would be nice to see RingConn add some automatic tracking for things like walking, running, etc. That's one of the best things about the Oura Ring; after an activity, the app will either automatically log a recognized activity (of which there are a surprising amount) or it will ping me to ask if I was doing a specific activity like walking, running, dancing, etc.

Another downside is that despite all the vitals the ring tracks, RingConn only supports syncing with Google Fit and not Health Connect. Fortunately, the Fit app connects to Health Connect, but I would like more granular control over what data is being synced across devices, as well as the ability to better sync data from my watch to the ring and vice versa.

Of course, that's dependent on if/when the ring decides to sync. For some reason, it seems as though the ring won't automatically sync data in the background, and the app won't actually update my metrics until after I open the app. And even then, sometimes, it will take quite a while for the ring to actually connect to my phone. I'll often have to turn Bluetooth off and on again to force the ring to connect.

Then there are notifications. It's not a huge deal, but I wish the RingConn Smart Ring would bother me more often. Sure, it supports inactive alerts, but I would like to see bedtime reminders or get notified when I get a badge or when a new activity/entry is added to my health Health Timeline. One of the benefits of having a smart ring over a smartwatch is that there's no screen to bother me, but that's also a bit of a downside when you don't know what's going on or what the ring is logging.

Oh, and there isn't an in-app method for locating the ring in case you misplace it, which, speaking from experience, is a useful feature that I'm sure some users would appreciate.

RingConn Smart Ring: Competition

The biggest and most obvious competitor is the Oura Ring Gen 3, which was launched in 2021 and remains the most popular smart ring. Both feature lightweight designs, although Oura has more styles and a lead when it comes to features. However, the Oura's subscription may deter some, and it makes the RingConn Smart Ring look much more attractive since you get plenty of health tracking and insights without the added cost.

Another smart ring worth considering is the Ultrahuman Ring Air. This is another ring that has plenty of useful data and insights, particularly around sleep. There's no subscription, which is a big plus, and the ring has impressive battery life. That said, despite the lack of a required subscription, the ring costs much more than both the RingConn Smart Ring and the cheapest Oura Ring style, so the upfront cost might make you look elsewhere.

RingConn Smart Ring: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want helpful insights on your health and wellness.
• You don't like wearing a smartwatch to bed.
• You're looking for a cheaper Oura Ring alternative.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want a smart ring for fitness tracking.
• You want a wearable with a reliable connection.
• You prefer to use Health Connect to manage your data across devices.

RingConn was one of the first Oura Ring competitors that I became aware of, and I was always curious about how its smart ring would compare. Would it just be a cheap knockoff to the device that basically started the smart ring frenzy? Well, yes, but I mean that in the best way possible.

The RingConn Smart Ring is a well-thought-out wearable that has plenty going for it. The health tracking feels about on par with Oura, and the app has an easy-to-use layout that offers plenty of insights into your health and wellness, all without charging you more for the privilege of actually viewing that data. It's a good-looking ring, to boot, and battery life is phenomenal.

Sure, some features aren't as fleshed out as I would like them to be, but the Oura Ring Gen 3 was very much in that position following its launch, promising many features that wouldn't arrive until later. That's what it feels like with the RingConn Smart Ring, although it's at a pretty good place right now, and there's clearly more on the horizon to look forward to.

If you're looking for a more affordable alternative to the Oura Ring, this is probably your best bet.