Key data for the van

• Smart rings are bulky and need to be removed frequently due to life activities.
• Watches are more compatible with daily activities and provide consistent health data.
• Choose a device based on your personal lifestyle needs to maximize your health and fitness tracking benefits.

Smart rings seem to be the next big thing in the health and fitness world. Almost every major brand has released one, and a lot of little-known brands are also jumping into the mix. These devices promise a compact form factor that people may want to wear more than just a fitness watch. But do they actually deliver? Does it make sense to choose a smart ring instead of some kind of smart watch?

I’ve been wearing various fitness watches or fitness trackers since 2015, so, I admit, I’m very used to having something on my arm. Before that, however, I had never worn a watch of any kind and it took time to get used to it. Then last fall I was asked to review the Oura ring, one of the better known smart rings. There’s a fair amount of hype around smart rings, so I couldn’t wait to see how they looked and if it could replace my watch. After seven months, that’s not exactly what happened.

Smart rings are not so small

Size matters

It cannot be denied that a smart ring offers a smaller format than a watch. It’s also extremely impressive that companies are cramming heart rate sensors, skin temperature sensors, accelerometers, excellent batteries, and more into these tiny devices. But even still, smart rings tend to be quite bulky as far as rings go.

There’s no denying that a smart ring offers a smaller form factor than a watch… But even so, smart rings tend to be quite bulky as far as rings go.

Since it is on the finger, the ring is constantly in contact with things during the day, while the watch on the wrist is no longer in the way. This means it’s more likely to get in the way and isn’t practical for certain types of activities. For example, lifting heavy weights with a smart ring is just not a great experience. At best, the ring will end up being scratched by a barbell or dumbbell. At worst, you won’t be able to get a natural, connected grip. As a result, I never wear my ring when I’m at the gym. I’ve even found that it interferes with simple things like opening jars.

Basically, anything that requires a firm, connected grip could be affected by a ring sticking out of your finger. This makes smart rings pretty poor fitness trackers, as many activities require some sort of posture.

Even beyond practicality, comfort should be considered. I have small child-sized hands, so most things are big for me. And the only rings I wear are thin and discreet. But even for most people, a smart ring will be chunkier than the other rings they wear. It feels great on the finger and is not something I never forget to wear. To be honest, it took me months to get used to the Oura ring and not hate wearing it.

Smart rings should be removed often

We use our hands for everything

Besides size, there’s the more obvious fact that we use our hands for, well, everything. Smart rings are built to be durable and withstand everyday life, but there are still many things that are simply not compatible with wearing a ring. I almost always take the ring off if I’m cooking, especially if it’s raw meat. Hand mixing ground meat for ring meatballs? No Thanks.

The thicker band of smart rings also makes it easier to trap water underneath, so I remove the ring to dry him and my hands more thoroughly. After wearing the smart ring for seven months, I became aware of how often this happens. There are many other situations where I find myself removing the ring. Putting on lotion, going to the beach, anything sensitive that the ring could scratch or sting, the list goes on.

I almost always take the ring off if I’m cooking, especially if it’s raw meat. Hand mixing ground meat for ring meatballs? No Thanks.

As with any device that measures health and fitness metrics, to get the most out of it, you need to wear it almost constantly. If you often take off your smart ring, it means that you are leaking data. And if you’re like me, you might forget to put it back on for a long time, leaving you without even more data. Since smart rings don’t provide phone notifications and the like, there’s not much reason to wear them if you don’t want the tools that come with collecting your health data.

Watches are more compatible with everyday life

The clocks win

Although smartwatches and fitness watches are larger, the fact that they are on the wrist means they are no longer in the way. Of course, there are still times when wearing a watch isn’t ideal, but at least for me personally, it’s far less common than with a smart ring. This means I’m actually getting consistent data that can guide my training, sleep and overall health.

The display on watches can be both a good and a bad thing. Most of the time it’s really nice to see my phone notifications on my wrist so I can judge if I need to take out my phone to answer something or answer a phone call or if I can just ignore it. A smart doorbell allows you to disconnect somewhat, which certainly has its advantages at times, but not always.

Another factor to consider is that most people wear a watch every day for a classic reason: keeping time. If you already wear a watch, it makes sense for that device to be multi-functional.

How to choose between a smart watch and a smart ring

Choose what makes sense for your life

Admittedly, many of the above frustrations are personal in nature. But smart rings are definitely not without practicality issues. There are certainly advantages to smart rings over smart watches, but that’s a very individual thing. If you’re debating between a ring or a watch for your next health and fitness tracker, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each device.

A ring might make perfect sense for you and your lifestyle, even if it doesn’t for mine. But seeing beyond the marketing for these smart rings and understanding what it’s like to actually wear one is also valuable when making a decision.