RingConn vs. Oura Ring: which one is more worth it?

The age of wearable devices is already upon us; however, not everyone is a fan of smartwatches, as they’re bulky and sometimes even uncomfortable. That’s why many users take them off at night, right when sleep tracking – one of their most important features – matters most.

Enter smart rings. These screenless wearable devices offer most of the features of their bulkier wrist-strapping cousins in a much more compact form. Though tiny and lightweight, they still offer detailed fitness insights, sleep-tracking features, and a variety of other health-related metrics.

As RingConn and Oura Ring are the two leading options in the field, the Cybernews team and I took it upon ourselves to thoroughly review these for our smart ring comparison. We spent countless hours researching and analyzing these smart rings so you can make an informed decision on which one better fits your needs.

RingConn vs Oura Ring: in a nutshell

Product	RingConn	Oura Ring
Rating	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	4.6 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Dimensions	Width: 6.80mm Thickness: 2.00mm	Width: 7.90mm Thickness: 2.88mm
Weight	2g-3g (depending on ring size)	3.3g-5.2g (depending on ring size)
Colors	Future silver, matte black, royal gold, rose gold	Silver, black, brushed silver, stealth, gold, rose gold
Health tracking features	✅ Sleep monitoring ✅ Stress monitoring ✅ 24/7 heart rate monitoring ✅ Activity and fitness monitoring ✅ Menstrual cycle monitoring	✅ Sleep monitoring ✅ Activity and fitness monitoring ✅ Readiness monitoring ✅ Daytime stress monitoring ✅ 24/7 heart rate monitoring ✅ Menstrual cycle monitoring
Compatibility	iOS, Android	iOS, Android
Battery life	Up to 12 days (depending on ring size)	Up to 8 days (depending on ring size)
Price	$299 (future silver, matte black, and royal gold) $469 (rose gold)	$349 (silver and black) $399 (brushed silver and stealth) $499 (gold and rose gold)
Subscription cost	No subscription fee	$5.99/month ($69.99/year)
What we like	✅ No subscription fee ✅ Strong battery life ✅ Sleek and thin design	✅ Detailed sleep and readiness tracking ✅ Intuitive app interface ✅ Numerous third-party integrations
What we don’t like	❌ Limited 1-year warranty ❌ Mobile app could use improvements	❌ Subscription required for accessing all features ❌ Unremarkable battery life

What is a smart ring?

A smart ring is a tiny wearable device that resembles a traditional ring in almost every way. But unlike a regular ring, this lightweight wearable is packed with countless optical and skin temperature sensors that collect biometric data. That data is then synced up to the companion app on your iPhone or Android, so that you get a an overview of your health.

What sets smart rings apart from other wearable smart devices is their discreet and lightweight design. Yet, despite their compact form, they still offer almost all the features typically found in larger wearables, such as smartwatches and fitness bands. From sleep monitoring to measuring blood oxygen levels and tracking physical activities, these tiny smart devices offer countless health-related metric tracking insights.

However, unlike chunky smart watches and wrist-squeezing bands, smart rings don’t buzz, light up, or relay notifications from your phone. As far as distractions go, the most a typical smart ring will do is vibrate, like a silent alarm. So, not only can you enjoy a gentle wake-up, but you’ll also forget you’re even wearing this device – as a result, you’ll be more likely to keep it on during the night.

While they don’t necessarily replace wrist-based devices, smart rings are ideal for users who appreciate distraction-free health-related metric tracking features in a tiny and compact form.

Methodology: how we tested the smart rings

At Cybernews, we know that real-world performance isn’t an exact reflection of the product’s spec sheet. That’s why, when evaluating health tech devices, we go beyond mere claims and dive into both independent reviews and user comments on dedicated review websites.

In the case of smart rings, we also looked into the following aspects of both the RingConn Gen 2 and the Oura Ring 4 smart rings:

• Sensor accuracy (30%). The whole point of wearing a smart ring is for the device to accurately track your heart rate, sleep data, and fitness metrics. That’s why sensor accuracy is the first thing we checked. Namely, we specifically looked into user feedback about how accurate the ring readings were based on their user experience.
• Battery life (25%). A high-quality smart ring should be able to track your health-related metrics 24/7 for at least a few days on a single charge. With that in mind, we evaluated the devices’ battery lives, paying attention to both reported runtimes and charging speeds.
• Comfort and usability over extended wear (20%). As smart rings are meant to be inconspicuous, we also took comfort into account, reviewing how users felt while wearing the rings both during the day and at night.
• Durability and water resistance (15%). Many users forget to take off their wearables when showering, so their build quality and waterproofing certifications are also crucial.
• App and ecosystem integration (10%). Smart rings display data through their mobile apps, which is why the companion app experience is pivotal. But beyond ease of use, we also evaluated how each ring syncs with the app and the available third-party integrations.

RingConn and Oura Ring similarities

Despite coming from two different brands, RingConn Gen 2 and Oura Ring 4 have a surprising number of similarities:

• Health-tracking features. Both rings boast state-of-the-art sensors that monitor your heart rate, sleep, and activity.
• Design philosophy. RingConn and Oura have both proven they know how to make comfortable and inconspicuous rings you can wear 24/7. Their design philosophy is similar and focuses on a minimalist, unisex look.
• App integration. These screenless health gadgets send their data to their respective mobile apps. In both cases, these apps are available on Android and iOS, and both integrate with third-party apps like Google Fit and Apple Health.
• Battery life. RingConn and Oura are on a mission to make you forget you’re even wearing a smart ring, so both products deliver at least a week of battery life. However, RingConn gets an edge here, as its Gen 2 ring can go up to 12 days without a charge.

RingConn and Oura Ring differences

While RingConn and Oura’s take on smart rings overlap in many regards, their latest products also differ in the following ways:

• Technology and sensors. In contrast to RingConn’s focus on baseline wellness data, Oura showcases its long industry experience with additional algorithms. Besides the potential to detect heart rate irregularities, track activity, and sleep, it can even monitor your readiness.
• Tracking features. RingConn’s strength lies in its customizable fitness tracking features and four workout modes. Meanwhile, Oura offers a more extensive sleep-tracking system and can even track your sleep stages.
• Durability and materials. While both RingConn Gen 2 and Oura Ring 4 are made from titanium and offer different finishes, Oura takes it a step further. It uses physical vapor deposition (PVD) and diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings to enhance durability.
• Price point. Oura Ring starts at $349, with a $5.99/month subscription for the full feature set. As for RingConn, there’s no subscription – in fact, this newer player in the industry is trying to win customers over with a lower price of $299.

RingConn vs. Oura Ring: price and value

Let’s face it. Pricing is one of the most important aspects when deciding whether to buy something, and smart rings are no exception. If that matters the most to you, as well, you should know that RingConn is the more affordable option.

With a starting price of $299 for future silver, matte black, and royal gold, RingConn Gen 2 is at least $50 cheaper than Oura Ring 4, with one exception. For some reason, RingConn’s rose gold option is priced at $469, a whopping 57% more than the other three coating options. On the plus side, once you buy the ring, you get full access to its app without any ongoing costs.

Meanwhile, the Oura Ring 4 starts at $349, but only if you go for the silver or black models. Brushed silver and stealth coatings will set you back $399, while gold and rose gold finishes go for $499. However, that’s only the upfront cost.

To use everything the Oura Ring 4 offers, you’ll also need the accompanying subscription for the Oura app. That’s an additional $5.99/month or $69.99/year, and the limited health-related insights without it make the subscription a must.

RingConn vs. Oura Ring: design and battery life

Both the RingConn Gen 2 and the Oura Ring 4 feature a sleek, minimalist design that easily blends with your everyday wear. However, there are certain design differences that you should be aware of.

For example, RingConn Gen 2 is crafted from aerospace-grade titanium, but you’ll also find epoxy resin for the sensor domes on the underside of the ring. It’s also less customizable, with fewer colors and sizes than the Oura Ring 4.

Meanwhile, Oura’s all-titanium build feels more luxurious, but it also makes it more slippery. In terms of colors and sizes, Oura Ring’s options cater to a broader user base, although both offer the option to order a sizing kit before purchasing the ring.

RingConn vs. Oura Ring: fitness and sleep tracking

Despite their thinness, RingConn and Oura both offer a load of sensors that provide all kinds of health-related data. Whatever option you choose, you’ll get detailed fitness tracking features, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, step counting, and detailed sleep analysis.

However, the Oura Ring 4 edges slightly ahead of the RingConn Gen 2 when you look into sleep tracking. Besides monitoring heart rate variations, nighttime movements, total sleep time, and sleep regularity, Oura also tracks sleep disturbances and creates a detailed and easy-to-read sleep score.

In terms of exclusive features, the Oura Ring 4 also supports daytime stress monitoring and provides resilience-building tips. Meanwhile, its temperature trend analysis, alongside heart rate and sleep monitoring data, can be pretty useful for tracking multiple health-related metrics.

On the other hand, RingConn also claims that it is the first ring that may be able to detect sleep apnea. However, FDA approval for the detection of sleep apnea is still pending. While it does consume extra battery life, this feature is claimed to track your overnight breathing disturbances and provide guidance based on the results.

RingConn vs. Oura Ring: compatibility

As they’re tiny, screenless devices, all smart rings rely on their mobile companion apps to display the collected data, and RingConn and Oura Ring aren’t exceptions. Their mobile apps work with both Android and iOS devices, with both brands offering real-time data syncing.

While the Oura app requires a subscription if you want the full feature set, it’s arguably the better of the two apps. It has recently been redesigned, and as a result, all your data is now only a tap away via tabs at the bottom and circles at the top of the screen.

On the other hand, the RingConn app has most of its data on the Today screen, where you’ll find all kinds of health-related metrics and graphs. By tapping on them, you will reveal more information. The app securely stores your health data for up to a week, while the AI Health Partner offers subscription-free insights, goals, and recommendations.

Data syncing speeds between the rings and the apps are similar, and both the RingConn and Oura apps integrate with third-party apps. However, unlike RingConn’s Apple Health and Google Fit-only integrations, the Oura app goes further and syncs with Natural Cycles, Fitbit, Strava, MyFitnessPal, and the Zero fasting app, among others.

RingConn vs. Oura Ring: final verdict

After thoroughly exploring the design, sleep and fitness tracking features, battery life, and compatibility, the results of our RingConn vs Oura Ring comparison are finally in. If you’re after a smart ring, both RingConn and Oura Ring are great choices. However, it’s also clear that these options cater to different priorities. For a more detailed breakdown, check out our RingConn smart ring review.

For a fitness enthusiast, RingConn is more than a solid choice. This affordable smart ring offers a user-friendly Android and iOS app and seamless integrations with Apple Health and Google Fit. Meanwhile, its real-time health data, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and extensive fitness tracking features make RingConn stand out for active users who don’t want to deal with a subscription.

On the other hand, if you’re after the best sleep-tracking features, the Oura Ring is the better pick. It’s ideal for users who prioritize sleep quality and need advanced sleep-tracking features, readiness monitoring, and an easy-to-navigate mobile app.

In terms of overall value, RingConn is quite impressive, especially when you consider the fact that there’s no subscription cost. However, paying $50 more is worth it, as the Oura Ring 4 is the better overall product thanks to its polished app and health-related metric tracking features.

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