I tried the best smart rings of 2026 — the Oura Ring 5 is the best you can buy

Samantha Mangino

Read our full review of the Oura Ring 5.

If you want a holistic view of your health that includes daily metrics alongside long-term analysis of stress resilience, chronotype, and cardiovascular health, the Oura Ring 5 delivers it all. As the latest smart ring from Oura, it now comes in an exceptionally thin package that not only makes it more comfortable for round-the-clock wear but also really looks like jewelry rather than a piece of tech.

Oura continues to have the best app, which is well-designed and organized for easy navigation, so you can glance at your data quickly. Its AI algorithms synthesize data into quick but thorough summaries so you know your readiness for the day. It is the most expensive ring we tested and requires a subscription fee of $5.99 monthly or $69.99 annually, so you must be prepared to make a long-term investment with the Oura Ring.

Oura outdid itself with the Oura Ring 5. Before its release, we rated the Oura Ring 4, the best smart ring available, but the Oura Ring 5 blows it out of the water. It's the most comfortable, accurate, and well-designed smart ring we've tested.

The new Oura Ring 5 still offers the same biometric data and in-app experience, but now, it's 40 percent smaller. It's thinner and lighter, meaning even the battery on the Oura Ring 5 had to shrink to reach its new size. But luckily, it didn't sacrifice battery life as it still lasts six to seven days on a single charge.

The ring contains a red and infrared LED, a green and infrared LED, a movement-tracking accelerometer, and digital temperature monitors that all work together to calculate your biometrics, which are presented in the app. With a slim fit and rounded edges, it looks like a classic band that blends right into your wardrobe but remains comfortable without digging in or pinching your finger. Unfortunately, Oura charges extra for certain finishes (you'll pay $100 more if you want gold instead of silver).

All of the sensors produce accurate data. I wore it simultaneously with an Apple Watch; its step count and heart rate were always on par. It also seamlessly connects with the Apple Watch. Tracking activity directly in the Oura app requires you to pull out your smartphone; however, when paired with the Apple Watch, I could start my workout on the watch, and it would automatically upload to the Oura app. And if I ever forgot to start a workout, Oura would have suggested activity time to add to my log.

While Oura is great at providing a quick snapshot of your data in the 'Today' tab of the app, like a readiness score calculated from sleep, heart rate, and the previous day's activities, it's also invested in long-term health data. Under the 'My Health' tab, it calculates stress resilience, cardiovascular age and capacity, and chronotype for deeper insights into your overall health.

In addition to being compatible with Apple Watch, it works with other apps, including Clue and Natural Cycles, to provide insights into cycle tracking.

The biggest drawback of Oura is its required subscription. You can technically use it without one, but it limits all the data you see. Without a subscription, you can only see your Readiness score, sleep score, and activity, and you won't get all of the extra health insights. If you do want something more affordable, the Oura Ring 4 is still widely available and marked down.

If you want the benefits of a smart ring but don't want to pay a monthly fee for all of your health insights, there are other options than the Oura Ring. The Ultrahuman Ring Air has a shiny exterior and is ready to manage your health data.

It's focused on goal-oriented tracking, improving your workout performance, or increasing your activity. If you would like to share your health data with friends, it allows you to create 'Zones' that you can share with your friends who are also Ultrahuman users. While it certainly leaves some to be desired, the Ultrahuman is a solid alternative to the Oura Ring.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air uses PPG and 6-axis motion sensors to detect all activity, including continuous heart monitoring and activity detection. It tracks sleep, even monitoring how often you toss and turn at night. A no-contact temperature sensor is also available on the inside of the Ultrahuman ring, although I've found its accuracy to not be on point, falling about 10 degrees lower than my Oura ring reported.

To promote an optimized lifestyle, it tracks circadian rhythm, suggesting when to stop your caffeine intake for the day. The app also has a stress monitor that distinguishes when you're relaxed, engaged in activity, or stressed. Plus, it's compatible with Apple HealthKit, so all your information can be shared across apps.

It's incredibly lightweight, the best part of the ring's design. Otherwise, I'm not the biggest fan of the Ultrahuman Ring Air's design. While it's only .2 millimeters taller than the Oura Ring 4, it feels larger because of its hard right angles that often pinched my finger when gripping. Not to mention, its battery life falls about two days short of Oura's.

Like the ring, the app also has a clunkiness problem. It suffers from freezing and needs to be reloaded occasionally, which may result from how cluttered the UX design is. When logging in, you're met with big pop-ups of your stress and internal clock, which, while helpful, are not the usual things I'm looking to get a quick glance at. Getting to my vitals took a few scrolls of the home page. Plus, there's no option to customize the home page.

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Ring.

All of the rings on this list are compatible across platforms, except the Samsung Galaxy Ring. It's for Android users, but especially those with Samsung Galaxy smartphones. The Galaxy Ring offers all of the perks of an Oura Ring but is easily compatible with the Samsung family of devices, like how an Apple Watch is native to iPhones. Although, it should be noted that Oura Rings are also compatible with Samsung phones.

Using Samsung Galaxy AI, the ring gives you an Energy Score, which summarizes your activity and provides recommendations. When you score too low, it gives creepily accurate summaries of factors that might affect your overall readiness.

So, if you're a Samsung smartphone user, you should absolutely choose the Samsung Galaxy Ring over the Oura Ring. It offers all the same insights but is cheaper and doesn't require a monthly fee.

Mashable's former tech editor, Kimberly Gedeon, spent time with the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which had her ready to drop her Apple Watch Series 9. It departs from the classic ring design with a clever take; it has a curved surface to prevent scratches. In her weeks of use, Gedeon noted that it remained in mint condition — the same cannot be said for my Oura Ring.

It tracks heart rate, sleep, physical activity, step count, stress, blood oxygen, skin temperature, and menstrual cycles (like Oura, it's compatible with Natural Cycles). In addition to the Energy Score, it provides a sleep score, too (which gets factored into the Energy Score). It will even track snoring, but you'll have to pay extra through a third-party app, "Sleep Cycle: Sleep Tracker."

If you are transitioning over to the Samsung Ecosystem from Apple's, you'll be thrilled to see that Samsung's steps and exercise trackers look nearly identical to Apple's Fitness app.

The biggest downside to the Samsung Galaxy Ring is its lack of iOS compatibility. While it technically works with all Android systems, you have to use a Samsung smartphone for full access to its features. If that weren't the case, it might take the top spot on this list.

If you want the convenience of a smart ring but aren't looking to make an over-$300 investment, you do have options. The best of which is the Amazfit Helio Ring. This budget health tracker provides all the extensive metrics you get in a more expensive ring. The app is generally well-designed, so the biggest area you see sacrifices in is the actual ring design. It only comes in one finish that looks plasticky rather than a sleek metal finish, and is only available in three sizes.

However, it's not a bad option for under $200 if you don't mind its aesthetics.

In terms of health monitoring, the Amazfit has just about everything you'd want in a smart ring: tracking heart rate, step count, calories burned, and sleep. So, while this is the cheapest model we've tested, it still hits all the marks we'd want to see. Those data points were reasonably accurate when measured against the metrics from the other smart rings on this list. It also produces a readiness score like the Oura or Samsung rings. However, its algorithm isn't as transparent as the other brands.

Where you feel the budget cuts of the Amazfit is in the ring and app design. The ring itself was one of the most uncomfortable I tested. The stiff plastic build was awkward when my fingers naturally swelled throughout the day. It was the only ring I ripped off in the middle of the night because it was getting too uncomfortable. Plus, it only comes with one finish. While it has a metallic sheen, it doesn't distract from the fact that it's still plastic. Plus, it's only available in three ring sizes, so it won't fit everyone.

Plus, the Zepp app, which pairs with the Amazfit Helio Ring, is pretty buggy. Anytime you click into the app, it struggles to load, and it has a tendency to unexpectedly close. When the app does work, it's pretty good, even offering the ability to track meals and calories throughout the day.

While other rings are better designed with more advanced tracking, the Amazfit is good for its price.

Each company recommends which finger to wear a smart ring on, but overwhelmingly, it's recommended to wear it on your index, middle, or ring finger. Generally, it's advised against wearing the ring on either the thumb or pinky finger.

Which finger you choose should be based on where the ring fits best. We highly recommend buying a ring that comes with a sizing kit. In our experience, smart ring sizing varies from traditional ring sizes so you can't count on your normal ring size.

Instead, try various sizes from the brand's sizing kit, and wear a sample size for 24 hours to find your most comfortable fit.

Not all rings are created equally. We assessed the overall design of each ring and how consistent its sizing and design were. Plus, through daily wear, we considered its comfort for 24-hour wear.

Unlike a smartwatch or fitness tracker, which typically max out at a 24-hour battery life, smart rings should go for days. We noted each ring's battery life and how quickly they charged once plugged in.

We tested each ring's ability to monitor sleep, physical activity, cycle tracking, and other popular health metrics. Using our own health records, personal observations, and comparisons with other fitness trackers, we assessed the accuracy of each device.