Ring Air is the newest offering from Ultrahuman, a startup firm hoping to make a name for itself in the smart ring industry.This is the lightest smart ring available, and it promises to provide multi-day battery life along with the standard health and activity tracking you'd expect from a smartwatch, but in a far less noticeable physical factor.


It's a remarkable technical achievement that the majority of a smartwatch's sensors can fit inside a ring with a mere 8.1mm in diameter, but can this ring actually replace smartwatches? After two weeks of wearing the Ring Air, we are impressed, but we aren't quite ready to give up our wrist wearables just yet.

Design


The most amazing thing about Ultrahuman Ring Air is its size. Our review item is a size 9, measuring 8.1 mm in width, 2.5 mm in thickness, and 21 mm in internal diameter. Smaller sizes weigh 2.4 grams, whereas this one just weighs 3 grams. When it comes to early-generation smart devices, Ring Air's slim design makes it appear exactly like a conventional ring, which is advantageous.

This device just has a PPG optical sensor for measuring heart rate and blood oxygen saturation, a 6-axis motion sensor, and a skin temperature sensor. It has no buttons, notifications, or media controls. This wearable is passive; it merely collects data and sends it to you through a smartphone app.

Because of its higher perfusion index and close proximity to important arteries, Ultrahuman says that the finger is a better source of blood oxygen saturation and heart rate data. If you want to track your sleep, it's also far less intrusive than a smartwatch.


We decided on the Raw Titanium color option, which goes well with the Natural Titanium finish of the iPhone 15 Pro. Even though it gets scuffed when it comes into contact with sharp things and other metal surfaces, it still looks polished. After going to the gym on day four of the review, our review unit received its first set of marks. The Aster Black, Matte Grey, Bionic Gold, and Space Silver hues of the Ring Air are also available from Ultrahuman.

Showering, swimming, and diving are all permitted with Ring Air's water resistance up to 100 meters, but you should always exercise caution because the ring could come loose if you're not careful.

It takes a day or two to get acclimated to the Ring Air, particularly if you're not used to wearing jewelry. A smart ring will interact with everything you touch and do during the day, unlike a wristwatch that is detached from your fingers and sits on your wrist. That calls for a lot of adjustments, such as taking it off for cleaning, cooking, or working out.


Wearing the ring on your index, middle, or ring fingers is advised by Ultrahuman. With less contact with everything I touched or picked up, I felt the Ring Air was the most appropriate for my left-hand ring finger out of the three. To guarantee the best possible health tracking, don't forget to reposition the ring so that the tiny bump is at the base of your finger.

Selecting the appropriate size is still another crucial issue. With the help of the iOS Ring Sizer app from Ultrahuman, you can measure the size of your hand by taking a photo of it next to a credit card. If you are unsure of your ring size, you can get the Ring Air sizing kit as this did not work well for us.


The retail box is quite big for such a small device and it doesn’t contain much - just the ring, its charger, and a few quick start guides.

Features:


The Ultrahuman Ring Air pairs with your phone over Bluetooth 5 LE, allowing your activity and health data to be synchronized with the Ultrahuman app on both iOS and Android platforms.

Ultrahuman Ring Air does not require any further subscriptions and provides all of your health and activity data insights for free, in contrast to some of its major competitors (ahem, Oura Ring). As a passive health tracker, your data is only accessible by using the Ultrahuman app on your phone on a regular basis. In contrast to other companion apps, this one needs a continuous internet connection.

What then is Ring Air able to track? With the use of its infrared PPG sensor, it measures all the important biomarkers that a wristwatch would provide, such as heart rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). Heart rate variability (HRV), which tracks the time between heartbeats and aids in tracking sleep stages and recovery, is another feature of you. In addition to measuring VO2 max, Ring Air features a six-axis motion sensor, a medical-grade skin temperature sensor, and both.

Apart from its health monitoring capabilities, Ring Air tracks your steps and offers 22 different fitness modes, including the most well-liked ones like cycling, strength training, and running. It's important to remember that the activity tracking capabilities are still in beta, therefore heart rate data findings might not be as precise.

When you consider all of the activity monitoring and health functions available inside the slim profile of the Ring Air, you can appreciate the engineering achievement made by the Ultrahuman team.

Performance:


Prior to delving into the health and activity tracking capabilities of the Ultrahuman Ring Air, let us clarify that, similar to the majority of consumer electronic wearables, this is not a medical-grade apparatus. As such, the information it gathers should be seen as a broad indicator of your overall health.

These wearables are valuable because of the extended biomarker data gathering that can alert you to variations from your baseline and provide trends for blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and sleep patterns. Before you receive useful data, the Ring Air needs up to two weeks to adjust to your body's rhythm.

Ultrahuman indices:

The movement index, sleep index, and recovery score are the three main categories in which the data within the Ultrahuman app is shown. Additionally, the ring actively monitors your circadian rhythm, providing you with information on when is best to exercise, when to consume stimulants like caffeine, and when to schedule your downtime to maintain your energy levels.

Workout Mode:


Due to its inaccurate heart rate data and its still-in-beta workout mode, Ring Air isn't the best choice for tracking your workouts. That's essentially a physical flaw, though, as wearing the ring while working out will cause variations in heart rate readings if you squeeze your finger. You'd be better off using a smartwatch as your primary fitness tracker for the time being, even if Ultahuman promised a software upgrade to increase workout data collecting.

We tried using the Ring Air while working out at the gym, however it's difficult to wear rings on your fingers and can easily scratch the ring. In our tests, step counting was similar to the Huawei Watch D.

Battery Life:


According to Ultrahuman, the Ring Air can be used actively for up to six days. We were regularly able to use the device for up to five days at a time. Using the workout mode for 1-2 lengthy walks per day, round the clock, was part of our review process.


The specialized charging pad requires little less than two hours to fully recharge. It is important to note that charging the pad while on the road is nearly impossible due to its non-magnetic nature. A battery indication and a cover for the charger would be fantastic, allowing you to leave it charging in your backpack, much like a set of TWS buds. Another drawback is that, unless you and a friend wear identical rings, each charger is only compatible with the exact ring size that you have ordered.

Conclusion:

The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a discreet, stylish health tracker that gathers health data and provides important insights into your overall well-being almost on par with smartwatches. Without the size of a smartwatch, it's a terrific tool for recording sleep data and providing generally helpful analysis and suggestions for better sleep. Because of the optical PPG sensor, heart rate tracking is similar to that of a conventional smartwatch.

Cons: The Ring Air can be too simple for some users. You won't have a screen, buttons, gesture controls, or ring notifications, so you'll need to use your phone even more to start an exercise routine, monitor your vitals, or get through your sleep cycle. As it is currently in development, activity monitoring is not yet capable of taking on smartwatch competition.


In the long run, the lack of additional monthly subscriptions and the $318 price point of Ultrahuman Ring Air make it a competitive option to the Oura Ring. Simultaneously, a wristwatch with features beyond exercise and health tracking is available.

We recommend the Ring Air if you're looking for a new, less intrusive approach to track your health or if you don't currently own a smartwatch.