4 of the Best Smart Rings That Don’t Require a Subscription

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Oura was the pioneer in transforming smart rings into a popular consumer electronics category. The Oura Ring 4 remains one of the best and most recommended smart rings on the market, thanks to its sleek design, good battery life, and reliable tracking. However, its subscription model deters many buyers because they don’t want another recurring subscription in their monthly budget. Luckily, Oura isn’t the only game on the market as its competitors aren’t far behind.

If you’re in the market for a new smart ring and don’t want to pay a subscription, there are several solid options. From niche brands like RingConn to popular tech giants like Samsung, many manufacturers now offer solid smart ring options. Here are the top four of these Oura alternative smart rings, known for their good performance and features. The following smart rings were selected after carefully considering expert reviews and feedback from verified buyers.

Although almost two years have passed since the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy Ring, this smart ring is still a good option for anyone considering a subscription-free wearable. It is quite feature-rich and has a sleek, lightweight design. It’s constructed from titanium for superior durability and is IP68 and 10ATM rated for dust and water resistance. It’s claimed to last up to a week on a single charge, but sizes 11 and below are only rated for six days of battery life. Speaking of sizes, you can choose from 11 different sizes ranging from 5 to 15. Samsung also offers a sizing kit to confirm your ring size before placing the actual order for the Galaxy Ring.

The Galaxy Ring mainly contains an accelerometer, skin temperature sensor and optical biosignal sensor to monitor your health. It can track heart rate, sleep and blood oxygen levels. It can also automatically count steps and record your runs; However, this $400 ring has relatively basic fitness tracking capabilities.

Although it works with any Android phone running version 11 or later, it provides the best experience with Samsung smartphones. Features like Energy Score, which assesses your daily fitness readiness, and Wellness Tips are limited to Samsung phones. Likewise, smart gesture control and Find My Ring location tracking are also exclusive to the company’s phones. As for its drawbacks, the Galaxy Ring does not work with iPhones. Additionally, many Amazon buyers note that the Galaxy Ring’s battery performance degrades significantly after about a year.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Ring, the RingConn Gen 2 is a subscription-free smart ring that works with both Android phones and iPhones. It also has better battery life than Samsung offers, around 10 to 12 days on a single charge, and is thinner at 2mm, compared to the Galaxy Ring’s 2.6mm thickness. Another bonus feature you’ll find in the RingConn smart ring is support for AI-powered sleep apnea detection.

Otherwise, you get the same water resistance and support for vital signs monitoring. It can also automatically count steps and record your runs. It also has four main activity modes, which can be triggered manually to track trends in heart rate, step count, cadence and estimated calories burned. Additionally, the $299 smart ring is constructed of titanium for added durability and weighs approximately 0.1 ounces.

Unfortunately, the RingConn offering has some drawbacks. For example, reviews suggest it has poor workout tracking accuracy and an unimproved companion app. Amazon shoppers also cite poor customer service experiences and battery issues in the months after purchase. Notably, RingConn released a new Gen 3 smart ring, which addresses some of the heart rate accuracy issues with the Gen 2 and has an even longer battery life of 14 days. It also adds haptic alerts; for example, it may buzz you when your heart rate is high. However, it’s more expensive, at $350, and it’s not yet widely available. The company is currently taking pre-orders for the first batch of the smart ring.

The RingConn Gen 2 Air is a more affordable version of the company’s Gen 2 smart ring, and like its cousin, it requires no subscription and can work with both major mobile platforms. It is generally appreciated by buyers as well as experts. It replaces titanium with stainless steel, has a battery life of less than 10 days, and comes with a charging dock instead of a case. It also lacks support for sleep apnea detection. Otherwise, it has many of the same features as the Gen 2. You still get 10 ATM water resistance and a relatively lightweight design.

The Gen 2 Air also has the sensors needed to track your vital signs, including heart rate, blood oxygen level and skin temperature, as well as your sleep. Additionally, there is automatic step counting and manual tracking for limited workouts. The reduction in features of the Gen 2 Air also means it’s cheaper than the Gen 2 at $200. You can choose from two colors and nine sizes. However, it also suffers from many of the same issues as Gen 2. However, users note that the RingConn app lacks refinement and can be slow to sync data from the smart ring. Notably, some buyers on Amazon point out that they haven’t had the best experience with the company after their Gen 2 Air units malfunctioned or stopped working. Still, unless sleep apnea detection is essential for you, the Gen 2 Air is a decent budget alternative to the Gen 2 that you can consider.

The Amazfit Helio Ring is the most affordable smart ring among our no-subscription recommendations and costs $110 on Amazon. It uses titanium alloy construction and weighs less than 0.15 ounces. However, the exact weight depends on your ring size. It’s also rated 10 ATM for water resistance and can last up to 4 days on a single charge. Its battery life is certainly lower than other models on the market, and many buyers claim that the smart ring only lasts two days.

It leverages built-in PPG heart rate, skin temperature, and EDA sensors to keep tabs on your health. The smart ring can track your heart rate, blood oxygen level and sleep, and provide information about your readiness, sleep quality, heart rate recovery, etc. Like most other smart rings, it also counts your steps. That said, if you use it with an Amazfit smartwatch, the companion Zepp app will merge data from both wearables to provide comprehensive health and fitness insights. It is also compatible with Android and iOS. Unfortunately, the size options for the Helio Ring are limited and you can only choose from sizes 8, 10, and 12.

Smart rings are quickly gaining traction with several manufacturers, including Samsung, RingConn and Amazfit, offering their products. However, some of the more popular choices, like Oura Ring, require a subscription, which can increase the overall cost of ownership and may not be suitable for everyone. When selecting these smart rings, we focused only on smart rings that do not require a subscription to access their basic features and information. We looked at expert reviews as well as user comments on Amazon and Reddit to select our recommendations. Due to ongoing patent disputes between Oura and some smart ring manufacturers, we’ve limited our recommendations to only models you can actively purchase in the United States.