I tested this Oura Ring alternative with similar health tracking features but at half the price

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source, could change that. It’s the first ring I’ve tested that retails for a price as low as $160, without any sale or special deal. 

I’ve worn RingConn’s smart ring for weeks to see how the brand’s budget ring fares as a sleep and activity tracker. Keep reading to learn how it compares to the RingConn Gen 2, which costs $100 more, and the Oura Ring 4, which costs double. 

The smart ring looks and feels almost exactly the same as the RingConn Gen 2, with the main difference being the charging case and battery size. The Gen 2’s charging case has enough power to boost the smart ring for over 150 days, and the ring has a battery life of up to 12 days. 

The Gen 2 Air, on the other hand, does not come with a charging case equipped with extra juice, and it advertises a 10-day battery life (though, in my testing, I got around eight days). Even though the Gen 2 Air’s battery is lower than the Gen 2, both RingConn rings match or outcompete the battery life of the Oura Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air, and the Samsung Galaxy Ring. 

Also: The Oura Ring is the Department of Defense’s not-so-secret weapon

The Gen 2 Air is made of stainless steel, a more affordable material compared to the Gen 2’s aerospace-grade titanium. Regardless of the material, the Gen 2 Air is comfortable to wear and feels unnoticeable around my finger. It comes in a silver and gold finish, and available sizes range from six to 14.

Both rings are connected to the same app experience, so whether you’re using the $300 ring or the $200 ring, you’ll get your data and insights presented to you in exactly the same manner. Much like the Gen 2, the Gen 2 Air tracks sleep, stress, vitals, and activity. It takes all those factors and daily scores to deliver a Wellness Balance score. 

RingConn advertises an “AI health partner” as a function of its app experience. Every day, the AI partner tells you information, like how you slept or whether you hit your step count, and then asks questions based on your behaviors. These summaries aren’t available on the main page where sleep, activity, and stress data are displayed — they’re only available on the AI tab. But unlike other AI assistants, you can’t type out a personalized answer to these questions.

Instead, you pick from the choices of responses. It didn’t feel like AI to me because it wasn’t as personalized, and the responses you could choose were simple; rather, it felt like a multiple-choice health summary. This is a classic case of a brand slapping AI onto a feature that isn’t actually AI. 

What I like about RingConn smart rings is that they will tell you exactly when the ring will die and notify the user to charge it ahead of time. This is a helpful feature, I hope other smart ring brands adopt. 

Also: Oura Ring 3 vs Oura Ring 4: Opt for the older, discounted smart ring or the newest?

One concern about a smart ring this affordable is whether the brand is keeping the user’s data safe and protected. Health data is valuable, and in the wrong hands, it can be sent to advertisers or health insurance agencies. Smart ring brands pay a lot of money to keep such data safe, which is why they cost as much as they do. 

A RingConn representative did not immediately answer my questions about why the smart ring can be so cheap, if user data is secure and protected, or if it is being compromised for the sake of a lower-cost smart ring. I did, however, review RingConn’s privacy policy which relays what user data is collected, used, and stored. I recommend looking over a health wearable’s privacy policy before purchasing a ring, so you understand how a company keeps your information safe and secure. 

Also: The best smart rings: Expert tested and reviewed

With competitive battery life, data display that matches its $300 sibling, and data collection that gets close to the Oura Ring 4, the RingConn Gen 2 Air is one of the first $200 smart rings I’ve tested that I can confidently recommend for the budget-friendly and smart ring-curious shopper. 

How it compares

Update log:

• This article was first published on March 20, 2025, and was updated on October 7, 2025, with a thorough fact check and mentions of the new Prime Day pricing. A specifications chart comparing the RingConn Gen 2 Air and Oura Ring 4 has also been added to clarify their strengths and weaknesses.