The Ultrahuman Ring of Air: Following a lawsuit filed by Oura Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air was banned in the United States. This wasn’t the case at the time of my testing, after which we awarded it the superlative “best smart ring if you like to work out.” But if you own a ring or buy one, you can still use it exactly as intended. The company is working on a new design and plans to launch it as soon as possible.
The Ultrahuman Ring Air was released in June 2023. Verizon is partnering with it to be the first carrier to sell a smart ring. The light ring, which costs $349, is available for iOS and Android. It uses infrared photoplethysmography, or PPG, sensors to track sleep, recovery, stress levels, caffeine consumption, calories burned, steps and the reproductive health of those who menstruate (cycle, ovulation and pregnancy information). There are no additional subscription fees to use the Ultrahuman ring, so that’s a plus. Unlike the Oura and Evie Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air has a more masculine look and a thicker band. So if you like more delicate jewelry, this ring may not be for you.
I wasn’t a fan of the app’s layout for this ring because it seems busy, making it hard to read. Between the app’s dark background and each data marker having a different background color, it’s displayed in a way where there’s too much information to take in at once. Key data markers are also not always in the same order. For example, when I open the app, the caffeine allowed window appears as a line graph at the top, representing the window that says it’s okay to drink caffeine.
Right after that is dynamic recovery data, then sleep and sleep debt, followed by data on your light exposure window as a countdown, and that’s just the first half of the page. Perhaps the app would benefit from a more consistent and simplistic approach to displaying all this data. However, someone who likes data might like this, but I thought it could be presented in a more digestible way. I was also reminded that wearables can be inaccurate: When I compared sleep data and other data markers across the rings, they were never the same. In some cases the values were close, and in others they were very far apart.
One of the features that stood out to me was this smart ring’s ability to record different types of workouts. Unlike other smart rings I’ve tested, the Ultrahuman Ring Air seems to have a better version of workout tracking, but it still has room for improvement. I think it could benefit from the automatic detection feature that the Oura Ring has for movements, and even go further so that it can accurately detect the type of workout you’re doing based on your exercise habits. The Ultrahuman Ring Air also lets you create zones that you can share with other ring-owning friends. The zones are intended to share your movement statistics for the day in order to connect you. If you have the Ultrahuman M1 Live Glucose Monitoring patch, you can even connect your data to the ring, which would likely give you a more detailed reading.
I mainly used this ring to record some of my strength training workouts. As I mentioned, the Ultrahuman ring has a long list of workouts you can choose to record from, ranging from outdoor running, functional strength training, outdoor walking, chores, cross training, hiking, Pilates and more. The data from the Ultrahuman ring primarily looks at your average heart rate, heart rate recovery, calories burned, and the heart rate zone you are in (zone 1-5). This can be useful in certain circumstances, such as if you are pregnant and want to avoid overexerting yourself or track your training zone.
At one point I wanted to see how similarly the rings collected data during a run. I usually use my Apple Watch to record my runs, so I know how it calculates distance and pace. I compared the results from the Oura and Ultrahuman Ring Air to my Apple Watch, since the Evie Ring cannot record any workouts in real time. The Oura and Ultrahuman Ring Air captured similar data (heart rate, pace, distance), but it was surprising to find that while each wearable provided its own estimates for these respective factors, the Ultrahuman Ring was the most inaccurate.
For example, the Apple Watch captured me at a pace of 10 minutes, 25 seconds per mile for a 30-minute run, but the Ultrahuman Ring AIR captured it at a pace of 17 minutes per mile, which is a big difference and makes me question its accuracy if I were to rely on it as a wearable. While the Oura Ring captured it at a pace of 10:32 mins/mile, which is closer to the Apple Watch reading. If you don’t mind the ring not capturing the most accurate data when it comes to running and want a basic reading, the Ultrahuman Ring Air may not bother you. However, if you’re training for races and care about precise measurements, it’s best to use a different type of wearable.
As for sleep tracking, I don’t think it captured my readings as accurately as the Oura Ring. Similar to Oura, Ultrahuman Ring Air uses its own scores for sleep. The Ultrahumane ring seems to offer me a more generous reading than the Oura. With the Oura Ring, I can tell the difference if I’m not as well rested. Besides the ease of recording a workout in real time, I liked that the Ultrahuman ring gives you an easy-to-follow caffeine window. I’m sensitive to caffeine and don’t usually drink a lot of coffee to begin with, but I referenced Ultrahuman’s recommendations and tried to stick to the window. I notice that when I drink caffeine in front of the window, it’s harder for me to relax.
Like the other rings on this list, the Ultrahuman ring underwent a few updates during the testing period, but I didn’t notice anything significant in the data I received. If you are a fitness enthusiast, you may like the Ultrahuman Ring Air. But before I pass on the smartwatch, I’d like to see improvements in some of its wellness features.
The Evie ring: THE Evie ring is the first smart ring on the market designed for those who menstruate to help them track their sleep and other wellness factors. The ring costs $269 (the cheapest on this list), is iOS and Android compatible, and comes in three colors: silver, rose gold, and gold. No subscription is necessary to use this ring. The ring design is also a bit sleeker than the Oura and Ultrahuman rings, but it all comes down to personal preference. The charging case is great because you can take it anywhere, it has up to 10 extra charges before needing the charging cable and it’s a good way to store the ring when not in use. It has a battery life of four days, although I would say it’s more like three days, like the other rings.
What’s supposed to make Evie unique is that it can track menstrual cycles and automatically track your sleep, heart rate, exercise, and more. However, unlike Oura or Ultrahuman, where you are offered suggestions to improve certain aspects of your health based on the data collected, it seems that Evie is lacking in this area. Although it can record your menstrual symptoms daily, whether you have a heavy or light flow, a workout or even read sleep data, Evie does not make recommendations based on this information. It functions more like a health journal than actionable wearable technology.
I didn’t find that Evie did anything different to stand out from the other two rings I tested, even with the various software updates it went through. The app itself is basic and easy to follow but lacks design. I have to acknowledge that one of the latest updates includes an AI chatbot, which asks you questions about the health goals you have in mind and offers recommendations based on your answers. I found it more generic than I would have liked since the ring should know your habits based on the data it collects. You can easily lie to a chatbot, which defeats the point of wearing a smart ring that monitors your health habits.
Like the other rings, I had to record a workout after the fact because it only records certain activities. It also tracks your activity level, steps, and calories you burn throughout the day. That’s nice, but I could just wear a smartwatch and get the same data. As far as features for menstruating people go, I didn’t think it was anything revolutionary. I could easily use Apple Health to track my ovulation or record my period. I would have liked to see Evie go further. For example, skin temperature readings could offer more information than just showing my nightly average. This made me want to know more, because tracking body temperature allows some people to know if they are ovulating or if they are more fertile, especially if they are trying to get pregnant.
The Evie has potential, but until it revamps its software functions and readings, you’re better off using another smart ring that already has a head start.
