Smart rings have seen a boom in popularity, especially over the past year, and while the tech can be impressive, pricing models are starting to get a little ridiculous with already high-priced rings requiring a subscription to fully enjoy. Happily, there are still some products that only ask you to pay once. Enter the RingConn Gen 2, a smart ring that has a compelling purchase price and no subscription needed.
Finding your fit
As with other smart ring experiences, users will first have to determine their ring size. This can be done with a sizing kit that RingConn provides. However, for those who are super certain about their size, this step can be bypassed and the ring ordered immediately.
There are a range of materials available. I went for the silver version. I think it looks good, blending in well as though it’s a “normal ring,” which was my intention. It is impressively light, far less weighty than my wedding ring. I wear it on my left index finger, prime placement for accurate readings. It’s very comfy and I quickly forgot that I was wearing it.
Health insights
The headline feature of the RingConn Gen 2 is the sleep apnea monitoring, which could be a game-changer for many users looking to assess their sleep and any issues they are having.
Of course, sleep quality is only one aspect of our health. Thankfully, RingConn Gen 2 tracks all kinds of data that users can review inside of the dedicated app. As there’s obviously no interface on the ring itself, users will often be diving into the app. Thankfully, it’s a polished experience that is easy to use.
Data that is monitored includes heart rate, blood oxygen, stress levels, and menstrual cycle predictions for women. Exercise can be manually triggered in the app, for more regular heart rate tracking, or tracked more passively, though with less frequent heart rate updates. It would be nice to see auto-detect here, so hopefully that can be added through a software update.
User-friendly app
Users will likely visit the app in the morning to check how they slept and then at the end of the day for a summary of their activity, stress level, and other metrics. In my testing, I was especially intrigued by the way that drinking even just a small amount of alcohol in an evening could negatively impact my sleep quality. This has led to me avoiding alcohol ahead of big physical events.
Though the RingConn Gen 2 can last 10+ days on a single charge, users will eventually have to recharge the battery. This is done using a charging case, which itself acts as a power bank. When the case is fully charged, it can give the ring up to 150 days of life. The ring simply sits on a little mount, charging quickly.
Sure, go swimming with it
Even though I’m no swimmer, I can appreciate waterproofing on my devices for harsh rainy conditions or putting up with occasional dips in the water. However, for those of you who do swim regularly, you’ll be even more pleased with the IP68 rating and its ability to be submerged up to 100 meters beneath the surface.
Room for improvement
While the RingConn Gen 2 has impressed me enormously with its ease of use and statistics that it offers – not to mention the lack of a subscription, I do wish there was exercise auto-detection. That would truly make this smart ring a frictionless experience that users could forget about until they wanted to review their data.
Disclosure: Review sample provided by RingConn. Discounts are available over the holiday season on both Amazon and the official RingConn website.
Final Verdict
At $299, the RingConn Gen 2 is a well-priced, no-subscription smart ring with a strong mix of health-tracking features. With its sleep apnea monitoring, long battery life, and sleek design, it offers convenience and valuable insights without ongoing costs. While it could benefit from a few additional features, it remains a superb choice for anyone looking for a capable, low-maintenance wearable, especially those who don’t or can’t wear a watch.