ActiveFitness TrackersRingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 review: keeps getting betterAffordable, lightweight, and packed with essential health features, RingConn’s second wearable is an excellent option for those on a tight budgetWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictThe RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 balances essential health-tracking features, such as sleep, stress, and heart rate monitoring, with user-friendly elements like gamified goals. Despite some limitations in fitness tracking and occasional inaccuracies in SpO2 readings, its long battery life and compact form make it a compelling choice for those seeking a cost-effective, reliable wearable.Reasons to buy+Lightweight and thin design+First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea+Nails the basics+App is easy to navigate+Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super usefulReasons to avoid-Exercise tracking is clunky-Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly-Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missingWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveFitness TrackersRingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 review: keeps getting betterAffordable, lightweight, and packed with essential health features, RingConn’s second wearable is an excellent option for those on a tight budgetWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictThe RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 balances essential health-tracking features, such as sleep, stress, and heart rate monitoring, with user-friendly elements like gamified goals. Despite some limitations in fitness tracking and occasional inaccuracies in SpO2 readings, its long battery life and compact form make it a compelling choice for those seeking a cost-effective, reliable wearable.Reasons to buy+Lightweight and thin design+First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea+Nails the basics+App is easy to navigate+Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super usefulReasons to avoid-Exercise tracking is clunky-Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly-Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missingWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Affordable, lightweight, and packed with essential health features, RingConn’s second wearable is an excellent option for those on a tight budget
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictThe RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 balances essential health-tracking features, such as sleep, stress, and heart rate monitoring, with user-friendly elements like gamified goals. Despite some limitations in fitness tracking and occasional inaccuracies in SpO2 readings, its long battery life and compact form make it a compelling choice for those seeking a cost-effective, reliable wearable.Reasons to buy+Lightweight and thin design+First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea+Nails the basics+App is easy to navigate+Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super usefulReasons to avoid-Exercise tracking is clunky-Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly-Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missing
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
T3 VerdictThe RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 balances essential health-tracking features, such as sleep, stress, and heart rate monitoring, with user-friendly elements like gamified goals. Despite some limitations in fitness tracking and occasional inaccuracies in SpO2 readings, its long battery life and compact form make it a compelling choice for those seeking a cost-effective, reliable wearable.Reasons to buy+Lightweight and thin design+First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea+Nails the basics+App is easy to navigate+Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super usefulReasons to avoid-Exercise tracking is clunky-Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly-Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missing
T3 VerdictThe RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 balances essential health-tracking features, such as sleep, stress, and heart rate monitoring, with user-friendly elements like gamified goals. Despite some limitations in fitness tracking and occasional inaccuracies in SpO2 readings, its long battery life and compact form make it a compelling choice for those seeking a cost-effective, reliable wearable.
T3 Verdict
The RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 balances essential health-tracking features, such as sleep, stress, and heart rate monitoring, with user-friendly elements like gamified goals. Despite some limitations in fitness tracking and occasional inaccuracies in SpO2 readings, its long battery life and compact form make it a compelling choice for those seeking a cost-effective, reliable wearable.
Reasons to buy+Lightweight and thin design+First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea+Nails the basics+App is easy to navigate+Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super usefulReasons to avoid-Exercise tracking is clunky-Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly-Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missing
Reasons to buy+Lightweight and thin design+First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea+Nails the basics+App is easy to navigate+Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super useful
Lightweight and thin design
First smart ring to monitor sleep apnoea
Nails the basics
App is easy to navigate
Stress tracking breakdown and trends are super useful
Reasons to avoid-Exercise tracking is clunky-Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly-Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missing
Exercise tracking is clunky
Blood oxygen monitoring is off slightly
Some of the more nuanced features of its rivals are missing
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and build quality(New) features and health trackingBattery lifeVerdictAlso consider
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and build quality(New) features and health trackingBattery lifeVerdictAlso consider
While everyone was busy drooling overSamsung’s first smart ring – it looks great, don’t get me wrong – challenging brand RingConn quietly rolled out its second-generation finger wearable, the apply-named RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2.
I liked the firstRingConn Smart Ring; no wonder it’s featured among thebest smart rings. It provided a no-frills approach to health tracking and did all the basics very well. It didn’t have any of the more advanced – nuanced, so to speak – features of its rivals, but thanks to its affordable price, it was an excellent choice for budget-conscious shoppers.
Is the RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 the best wearable option for your needs? Should you throw away yourApple Watchor other smartwatch and track your health and fitness with RingConn’s smart ring? Read my full review below to find out.
RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 review
Price and availability
The RingConn Gen 2 is now available for pre-order onKickstarter(links to RingConn’s website) for a recommended price of $209 (approx. £163.79/ AU$323.71). Once the crowdfunding campaign concludes, the device will be available to buy through RingConn and select third-party retailers likeAmazon.
Specifications
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Design and build quality
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 is the thinnest and lightest ring on the market. It weighs 2-3 grams and is only 2 mm thick. Compare this with theOura Ring Gen 3, which weighs twice as much (4-6 grams) and is 2.55 mm thick.
I tested the Matte Black variety, and it’s not too dissimilar to the tungsten rings I have. I wore it on my ring finger because the company didn’t have my usual size 12 ring available for testing, so I opted for a size 11, which was too small for my index finger.
The RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2’s water rating has doubled from 50m to 100m. I don’t know whether this means the ring is safe for swimming in the pool or the sea, but you can certainly wear it for handwashing and showering.
Sensor-wise, it’s enabled with a PPG sensor, temperature sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer. There is no GPS or WiFi, which is understandable for such a small device.
I can’t stress enough how un-smart ring-like the RingConn Gen 2 feels. The company says they not only managed to make the resin thinner but also use medical-level material that could even be implanted into the human body, which is why the Gen 2 is thinner and more transparent.
(New) features and health tracking
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 does everything the first iteration of the ring could, including tracking sleep, stress, and activity, as well as heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring.
It also has elements of gamification to motivate people to make better health choices. You’re given sleep, stress and activity scores (out of 100), and there are also virtual badges up for grabs if you hit your daily goals. Admittedly, this latter feature isn’t quite as robust as on other wearable devices, but it’s a nice touch nevertheless.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Stress tracking is one of my favourite features. The RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 tracks your stress levels continuously but breaks your score down for different parts of the day. So, you get different sub-scores for early morning, morning, afternoon and evening. You can also keep track of your trends for each section in the RingConn app.
One of the biggest new features is sleep apnea monitoring. According to RingConn, the Gen 2 is the first smart ring to introduce this feature. It’s not automatic – you have to start tracking in the app manually when you go to sleep – but it’s available.
In terms of accuracy, I found this feature’s blood oxygen estimations a bit off. None of my other wearables ever said I had any issues with my SpO2, but the RingConn Gen 2 said at least twice that my levels were too low during the night. The breathing monitoring looks okay, though.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Speaking of non-automatic features, exercise tracking is also one of these. The Gen 2 will track steps and calories burnt all day, but it can’t tell if you’re running or cycling unless you start and stop the workout in the app.
There are only four sports modes available: outdoor running, indoor running, outdoor cycling and outdoor walking. There is no custom mode, either. Not having a robust fitness tracking feature set is the price you pay for the RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 being affordable.
Sleep tracking is really good. REM sleep and time spent awake are the two areas where RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 wasn’t on the ball compared to the Oura Ring Gen 3. Otherwise, the charts and numbers look like they are in the same ballpark.
Battery life
left: RingConn Smart Ring Gen 1, right: RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
left: RingConn Smart Ring Gen 1, right: RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2
left: RingConn Smart Ring Gen 1, right: RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The company says it refined the ‘pathways’ and enhanced algorithms to achieve reduced power consumption while maintaining performance levels. Plus, the Gen 2 has an ‘advanced’ MCU chip, which is said to provide faster processing speeds, improved performance, and notably reduced power consumption.
Verdict
The RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 shows that there is nothing wrong with not adding a million swanky features to a wearable as long as you nail the basics. For an affordable wearable, the Gen 2 is a surprisingly competent smart ring that also looks the least bulky of all the options available right now.
Exercise tracking isn’t amazing, and some of the estimations are also off (e.g. SpO2), but overall, it’s a brilliant little wearable for the price-conscious who need a reliable tracker for keeping tabs on certain health metrics.
Also consider
Similarly to the RingConn Gen 2, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a lightweight, durable smart ring focusing on health and sleep tracking rather than fitness. It offers detailed insights through its app, including unique features like Circadian Phase Alignment and stimulant recommendations. The Ring Air excels in long-term health monitoring without subscription fees. Read my fullUltrahuman Ring Air review.
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