As a veteran smartwatch and health tracker reviewer, it is uncommon that I get to method a product with a very recent set of eyes, however that is what occurred with the Ultrahuman Ring Air. This was the primary sensible ring I had ever examined, and in some methods, that made me the right individual to assessment it. I approached it not as a seasoned biohacker, however as somebody experiencing it the best way most patrons would: curious, just a little skeptical, and questioning whether or not it may substitute my smartwatch. Higher but, would it not really enhance my habits?
Seems, it did. Not as a result of the info was completely correct (extra on that later), however as a result of after over a month of sporting the Ultrahuman Ring Air, the easy act of logging persistently made me extra conscious of how my day by day routine, particularly sleep, impacts my physique. It did not substitute my smartwatch, but it surely complemented it in a manner I did not anticipate.
7.4/ 10
SCORE
Ultrahuman Ring AIR
Execs
- No subscription wanted for full well being knowledge
- Light-weight and comfy for twenty-four/7 put on
- Practically weeklong battery life, even on max settings
- Getting old metrics that truly assist flag unhealthy habits
- Versatile monitoring for issues like shift work or being pregnant
Cons
- Coronary heart price monitoring is inaccurate throughout exercises
- Auto exercise detection is unreliable
- No indicator for correct sensor placement on the ring
- App might be overwhelming and complicated to navigate
- Noticeable scratches and put on after a month of use
The Ultrahuman Ring Air generally is a good entry level for anybody inquisitive about testing the sensible ring waters, particularly if you happen to’re searching for one thing extra refined than a smartwatch. It is designed for background, long-term well being monitoring moderately than on-the-spot reads, with a light-weight design and longer battery life that makes it simpler to put on 24/7 (supreme for sleep monitoring). At $349 (plus $50 extra for the brushed rose gold end), it is nonetheless an funding, but it surely seems like barely much less of a dedication than opponents like Oura, which lock many key insights behind a month-to-month subscription.
However this ring is not for everybody. You’ll want to be able to dive into the info and perform a little sleuthing of your personal to interpret your metrics and work out which of them are useful for you. Some, like Cardio Age and Sleep Rating, have been self-explanatory and helpful at a look, whereas others, like temperature monitoring and stress, are more durable to search out or decode. Generally, it felt like I used to be doom-scrolling my very own vitals, clicking on one stat solely to tumble down a rabbit gap of extra questions than solutions. And there have been undoubtedly instances when the info did not match actuality.
All that mentioned, I walked away feeling extra conscious of my sleep, stress and even surprising metrics like UV publicity. And actually, the consistency of logging — even with out excellent accuracy — was sufficient to push me towards higher habits.
The Ultrahuman Ring Air in gold end.
Higher design than a smartwatch, however not fairly jewellery
After ordering a wise ring, the subsequent step is discovering the appropriate dimension. I assumed I knew my ring dimension and was able to skip forward — however belief me, do not. Like most sensible ring makers, Ultrahuman sends a sizing package, and it is price doing correctly. I used to be between sizes, so I wore two of the included pattern rings for about 48 hours to determine the very best match. I ended up selecting the bigger one so I may comfortably swap it between my center, index and thumb — particularly since my fingers are inclined to swell with humidity or at sure instances of the month.
The Ultrahuman Ring Air feels gentle and comfy. It is thicker (height-wise) than most rings I put on, but it surely does not scream “tech gadget” like different wearables.
I went with the bionic gold end, which felt like a pleasant stability; it did not scream “health tracker,” but it surely additionally would not go for a fragile piece of bijou. In comparison with the enormous slab of a smartwatch I often put on, it was refreshingly refined on my center finger, albeit considerably thick (height-wise) even on my longer-than-average fingers.
The ring itself is tremendous light-weight (between 2.4 and three.6 grams, relying on dimension) with a titanium exterior and a hypoallergenic resin inside. For comparability, it is barely lighter and thinner than the Oura Ring. After a month of day by day put on, which incorporates wrestling three youngsters, energy strolling with metallic dumbbells on the common and customarily dwelling the chaotic life of somebody who does not put on jewellery for a purpose, it is held up surprisingly properly. Most days, I neglect I am even sporting it. That mentioned, the gold exterior has picked up a handful of micro-scratches after simply over a month of day by day put on. Not surprising, contemplating my torture-tester tendencies, however price noting if you happen to’re hoping for one thing utterly scratch-proof.
Micro-scratches on the Ultrahuman Ring Air present indicators of wear and tear after over a month of use.
Battery life is surprisingly nice (even in Turbo mode)
Ultrahuman claims 4 to 6 days of battery life, however I used to be pleasantly stunned to persistently hit the upper finish, even whereas operating it on all cylinders. The ring gives three battery modes: Turbo, Chill, and Crucial, every adjusting knowledge assortment to increase battery life. I stored it in Turbo mode, which tracks the utmost quantity of information, and nonetheless averaged about six days per cost. That alone made me extra per sleep monitoring; one thing I often dread with a smartwatch, since charging typically finally ends up colliding with bedtime or peak exercise time.
The charging puck is just a little black ring stand much like that of the Oura Ring. An LED alerts when it is totally charged, which takes about 3 hours. The Ultrahuman app, which is used for pairing the ring and configuring its settings, additionally sends reminders when the battery is getting low, which I appreciated.
Well being monitoring: Decoding the info maze isn’t for the faint of coronary heart
The Ultrahuman Ring Air tracks nearly every little thing you’d anticipate — stress, sleep, coronary heart price, pores and skin temperature, VO2 max and day by day exercise. Nevertheless it additionally collects knowledge on a dozen different issues you might not want. You may even layer on extra insights with what Ultrahuman calls “PowerPlugs.” These are knowledge widgets that use current metrics (or basic tips) to translate into actionable recommendation.
For instance, I added the cycle and ovulation tracker, the Vitamin D (UV publicity) tracker and PowerPlugs for caffeine timing and circadian rhythm. They assist work out the very best instances to get daylight, drink caffeine and schedule exercises to enhance sleep and preserve vitality ranges up. There are additionally particular PowerPlugs for shift staff that regulate metrics to irregular schedules, and one for being pregnant that gives week-by-week insights.
Some metrics are unique to Ultrahuman, which basically interprets your well being knowledge into one thing everybody understands: how properly (or poorly) you are growing old. Wholesome growing old has turn out to be a serious focus for wearables on the whole, with corporations like Oura and Samsung leaning closely into age-based stats as a manner to assist customers perceive their total wellness.
The facet profile of the Ultrahuman Ring is comparatively skinny in comparison with different sensible rings.
The Ultrahuman app assigns a predicted “age” to completely different classes like cardio health, mind well being and pulse well being, utilizing indicators like coronary heart price variability (HRV), sleep debt and pores and skin temperature deviations. None of those age metrics are clinically validated, however one thing about seeing how my habits could be accelerating the growing old course of genuinely motivated me to make some modifications. Studying that my “Mind Age” was older than my precise age was sufficient to scare me into chopping again my late-night social media scrolling and attending to mattress earlier. Apparently, my lack of sleep was fast-tracking neurological decay, and I undoubtedly do not wish to find yourself with a continual case of mommy-brain fog.
Though I get as uninterested in notifications as everybody else, I recognize that the app sends textual content alerts for a few of these metrics. For the reason that ring does not have a display screen of its personal, the alerts are the one approach to urge you to take fast motion on the info. In any other case, you’d need to wade by way of the maze of metrics retroactively within the app.
Some alerts are apparent, like telling me I slept much less final evening (no want for shade, ring, I used to be there). Others are begrudgingly useful — like a well-intentioned nagging mum or dad — equivalent to telling me to chop off caffeine after 2 p.m. And some are literally welcome, like telling me the very best time to get outdoors to optimize my UV publicity and regulate my circadian rhythm.
It is unimaginable having this a lot knowledge actually at your fingertips — determining what to do with it’s one other story. Positive, each metric has just a little “i” button explaining what it means, however that is not the identical as realizing what really deserves your consideration. Whether or not because of the manner the app is laid out, how the metrics are grouped or simply the sheer quantity of data, it is easy to get overwhelmed contained in the app. And sadly, it does not do a lot to information you towards what issues most on any given day.
I actually want the app had a single dashboard that summarized any key deviations from my baseline throughout all classes, one thing like: “Hey, your coronary heart price variability dipped, your temperature spiked and your stress is elevated. Possibly take it simple at present.” Proper now, you solely see these flags if you happen to click on into every particular person metric, like Dynamic Restoration or Sleep. Does one flag imply one thing’s off? Or does it take three for me to think about skipping a exercise?
It did not all the time line up with how I felt, both. One evening, the app flagged a temperature spike regardless that I felt completely effective. However one other time, once I was really sick, the one sign was a dip in my HRV.
Health monitoring places accuracy into query
It is fascinating how one inconsistency can plant a seed of doubt in the entire expertise — and that is precisely what occurred with coronary heart price monitoring. Throughout a 35-minute 5K run, the Ultrahuman Ring Air appropriately detected the exercise however logged it as a 70-minute exercise. The ring can auto-detect sure out of doors actions like operating and strolling, then asks you to verify them when you open the app. Technically, I may regulate the beginning and cease instances to higher match the run, however the coronary heart price was off regardless.
Coronary heart price knowledge from a 5K run on the Ultrahuman app (left) versus a Polar chest strap (proper).
My Polar chest strap clocked me peaking at 176 bpm, whereas the Ultrahuman Ring topped out at 124 bpm, lacking two full coronary heart price zones. For indoor exercises like Pilates, weightlifting or something that does not dramatically spike coronary heart price, the ring will not even register it except you manually begin a exercise within the app.
That second actually compelled the query: If it is not getting this proper, what else is it getting unsuitable, primarily when so many different metrics, like restoration, stress and sleep, depend on correct coronary heart price knowledge operating within the background?
It is not simply exercises, both. Twice throughout my month of testing, the ring additionally gave me “additional sleep credit score” for time I used to be very a lot awake — simply binge-watching on the sofa. (Not the primary wearable to make that mistake, however nonetheless.)
The sensors on the Ultrahuman Ring are discreet, however there isn’t any clear indicator to indicate once they’re correctly positioned in your finger, which may have an effect on accuracy.
It additionally highlights one other fact about wearables: accuracy relies upon closely on sensor kind and placement. Rings merely do not seize coronary heart price in addition to chest straps (and even some wrist-based trackers), particularly throughout high-impact actions. Not like a watch that stays comfortable in a single spot, the ring tends to naturally flip round my finger all through the day, and it is not as apparent when the sensors are in a much less fascinating place (high of the finger versus the underside). The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring each have a small line on the floor indicating which facet the sensors are on. That tiny distinction issues, particularly when monitoring sudden coronary heart price spikes.
All of it is a good reminder that the Ultrahuman Ring Air is not meant to be a health tracker first. Its power is in long-term wellness monitoring that comes with constant use, particularly throughout relaxation and never on-the-spot exercise knowledge. For those who go in with that mindset, your expectations will probably be much more grounded.
The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a superb smartwatch companion, however lacks accuracy for true health monitoring.
Backside line: Must you purchase it?
For $350, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a strong first sensible ring for most individuals. It is not flawless, particularly relating to exercise monitoring, but it surely’s a terrific wellness companion that may show you how to enhance or undertake more healthy habits. The dearth of a subscription alone makes it one of the crucial accessible sensible rings on the market.
It is excellent for biohackers, knowledge nerds or anybody curious sufficient to geek out over their physique’s inside workings. Simply be able to perform a little of the homework your self.
The ring will not substitute my smartwatch anytime quickly, however I used to be stunned to appreciate how properly it enhances the watch. The place my watch handles live-workout monitoring, the ring picks up the slack on sleep, restoration and long-term wellness.
Its power is not in hyper-accurate knowledge, however within the consistency of logging it. That consistency — and the truth that it interprets the info into one thing tangible like age — was sufficient to assist me spot some not-so-healthy habits and push me towards higher ones. Even in its imperfections, that claims so much about what this ring can provide.
