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

If you’re in the market for a new smart ring and don’t want to pay a subscription fee, 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 Oura alternatives among 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.

The Galaxy Ring primarily contains an accelerometer, a skin temperature sensor, and an 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 available only on 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 and iPhone phones. It also offers better battery life than Samsung’s, 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 of the RingConn smart ring is 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 that 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 ounce.

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 that addresses some of the heart rate accuracy issues with the Gen 2 and offers 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 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 works with both major mobile platforms. Both buyers and experts generally appreciate it. 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 a limited number of 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 report they haven’t had a good 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.

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 that of other models on the market, and many buyers report that the smart ring only lasts two days.

It leverages built-in PPG, skin temperature, and EDA sensors to monitor your health. The smart ring can track your heart rate, blood oxygen level, and sleep, and provide information on your readiness, sleep quality, heart rate recovery, and more. 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: you can choose only sizes 8, 10, and 12.