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Fitness trackers are quite popular these days and a lot of innovations have come to them. They have turned out to be an integral part of our lives and smart rings are the latest innovation to track fitness and health. The first smart ring to emerge was McLear’s RingPay in 20213. In a nutshell, smart rings are wearable devices with the functionality of a smartwatch or fitness band but with the look of a traditional ring. They are specially designed to track health metrics, provide notifications, and connect to other devices.
This electronic ring is easy to wear on your fingers and goes well with your outfits. Even though they are small in appearance, they have no distracting screens and offer a wide range of benefits. Also, smart rings are more elegant and have considerably less charging time compared to other fitness trackers. This article will discuss everything you need to know about smart rings, their benefits, limitations, and much more. So, keep reading.
What Are Smart Rings?
Smart rings are wearable devices that function like smartwatches and fitness bands while maintaining the look of traditional rings. They combine smart technology with the look of a conventional ring, making them more attractive and convenient to use. An individual can view health metrics, monitor activity closely, and receive notifications on their phone from their smart rings. Some smart rings can perform functions such as mobile payments, taking phone calls, sending text messages, access control, and gesture control.
This smart device has gained quite popularity because it is convenient, discreet, and easily made a part of daily life. Unlike smart watches, smart rings do not have a screen, making viewing data on your smartphone easy. The main advantage of this device is that it has less charging time. Once a week is sufficient for charging smart rings, contrasting the need for daily or alternate-day charging of smartwatches. Also, they are more accurate and comfortable. Smart rings tend to stay in place better than watches and are generally lightweight.
The smart ring gives users social feedback based on their health, indicating its primary feature. Some smart rings send notifications to notify users when they receive a phone call, text, or other notifications through lights or vibrations. Even though they resemble traditional rings, they have sensors that read your body and collect information about health and activity. The sensors have Bluetooth with Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology. This helps understand the pulse and walking steps easily.
The features of the smart ring can depend on the manufacturer. Some rings have features like an NTC thermistor sensor, Gyroscope sensor, Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, Peripheral Oxygen Saturation (Sp02) sensor, and Accelerometer sensor. Due to its compact size, you will receive data and feedback on your smartphone or tablet by pairing them. They have an app that provides menus to manage notifications, add your IDs, and make other customizations. Some rings also allow you to connect with Google Fit and Apple Health, making it easy to transfer existing information.
Benefits of smart rings:
There are several benefits provided by smart rings, including;
Fitness and health tracking
Smart rings are specially designed to track fitness and health and they function like a smartwatch. They can help track heart rate, steps, exercise, sleep, and other daily activities. Some smart rings automatically detect workouts and count the calories burned. They are very useful in detecting heart rate issues, drops in blood oxygen levels, or body temperature changes to avoid complicated medical emergencies. It also tracks sleep patterns and provides insights into better sleep quality and duration.
Notifications
Smart rings allow you to receive notifications or alerts for calls, messages, or other app notifications from your phone or tablet. The notifications are often in the form of lights or vibrations to alert the user.
Mood and stress management
One can manage mood and stress using smart rings as they can monitor heart rate and other metrics that help identify patterns in emotional states. It may also suggest ways to manage stress and mood on your connected device.
Long battery life
Unlike smartwatches and other devices that require charging every day or every other day, smart rings have a long battery life. They need to be charged only once a week as they are battery-powered and last for at least a few days on a charge. This is an advantage that makes smart rings better than smartwatches.
Compatibility
Smart rings are known for their compatibility since they are convenient for daily life and do not interfere with movement. Also, they connect easily to smartphones or tablets through Bluetooth.
Water-resistant
Most smart rings are water resistant, making them suitable to wear every day, be it while showering, washing dishes, or swimming. Also, smart rings have robust, shock-resistant housing, making them safe.
Digital alarm clock
Smart rings can be used as a digital alarm clock as they can be synced with your smartphone, and they’ll vibrate and wake you up in the morning. The alarm function on the ring flashes the display and the users can easily snooze the alarm with a gesture
Gesture controls
Some smart rings offer gesture controls, which allow users to take photos, control music playback, and turn off alarms on the phone. The gesture control option in smart rings allows users to perform actions with simple hand motions. Users can also control other devices like smart home devices, home lighting, television, and other entertainment systems.
Contactless payments
Contactless payments are another advantage of smart rings. One can now easily make payments with a simple tap of your finger. Smart rings can be linked to digital wallets or financial accounts, which allows users to make payments by holding their hands near the NFC-enabled terminal
Fashion
Even though smart rings provide several benefits, they can also be used as a fashionable accessory or a functional piece of jewelry. Since they are lightweight and have an elegant design, they go with any outfit effortlessly.
Invisibility
Invisibility is another good trait of smart rings. Since they are simple and have a small design they can perform functions without attracting much attention. Unlike smart watches and other tracking devices, smart rings are less visible.
NFC capabilities
The NFC capabilities in some smart rings allow you to unlock doors, share information, or start your car. Its NFC capabilities allow users to have contactless interactions and secure payments. Users can have app control, share data and information, and convenience in transactions.
Tasbeeh counter
Smart rings are also used as a Tasbeeh counter by Muslims to keep track of the number of times they have recited short phrases and prayers. A button on the ring can be clicked to count and the smartphone app will receive prayer time reminders and other data.
Best smart rings in 2024:
Some of the best smart rings in 2024 are:
- Oura Ring 4.
- Ultrahuman Ring Air.
- Samsung Galaxy Ring.
- Honorable and Dishonorable Mentions.
- Amazfit Helio Ring.
- RingConn Smart Ring.
- Evie Ring.
Limitations of smart rings
Some of the limitations of smart rings include:
Lack of a display
The main disadvantage of smart rings is that they do not have a display like smart watches or other tracking devices. The users will need to use a smartphone app to view the data, which means users cannot get notifications without their phones.
Accuracy
Smart rings may not provide accurate information as the placement of the ring on the finger may affect the accuracy of certain metrics. Accuracy also depends on the quality of sensors, the algorithm used, and how well it fits.
Limited functionality
The functions of smart rings can be limited compared to smartwatches. Even though smart rings stand out for their features and benefits, they still cannot replace a smartwatch.
Comfort
Some people might be uncomfortable wearing a smart ring, especially if they are allergic to metals.
Limited sensors
Not all smart rings have enough sensors to track workouts and sports like a smartwatch does.
Price
Affordability is a concern regarding smart rings as some are expensive and others require a monthly membership fee.
Explore More: Best Upcoming Smartwatches In 2025: Top Models To Look For
Conclusion
Smart rings are an advanced way to keep track of health and fitness. They are wearable devices with the functionality of a smartwatch or fitness band but with the look of a traditional ring. Along with tracking health and fitness, they provide notifications and suggestions. Smart rings can be connected to smartphones and tablets easily via Bluetooth. They are easy to wear and complement every outfit, making them suitable for daily use.
Don’t let its size fool you because smart rings offer a range of benefits, including mood and stress management, compatibility, gesture controls, contactless payments, and more. This smart device can track heart rate, steps, exercise, sleep, and other daily activities and detect when there is an issue in heart rate, blood oxygen levels, or body temperature. It then sends notifications to the user to avoid complicated medical emergencies. The users can also manage sleep patterns to improve sleep quality and duration.
Smart rings have a long battery life compared to smartwatches and other devices. Most tracking devices require charging every day and every other day but smart rings only need to be charged once a week. This device is water-resistant and has robust, shock-resistant housing, making it safe and suitable to wear every day. Also, some smart rings offer gesture controls, which allow users to take photos, control music playback, and turn off alarms. Even though smart rings function like a health and fitness tracker, they can be used as a fashionable accessory since they are lightweight and have an elegant design, which goes with any outfit.
