RingConn Vs. Oura

RingConn Vs. Oura: Specs and Features

Since Oura and RingConn are fierce competitors in the marketplace, they are pretty similar in many ways, so much so that I would almost say many users won’t notice too much of a difference during day-to-day use. However, each ring has a few features that stand out from the competitors, which could make it ideal for certain people.

Sensors and Tracking

Oura and RingConn have essentially identical sets of sensors. They are:

• Infrared photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors to measure heart rate and respiration levels.
• Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensors to measure body temperature.
• 3D accelerometers to measure movement.

Both rings provide feedback on various stats by combining the data from these sensors, and they are pretty accurate and have similar performance. For example, I noticed little to no difference between the rings regarding sleep tracking, activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, and blood oxygen monitoring.

RingConn had one advantage over Oura in the form of its stress monitoring capabilities, but Oura recently introduced the same functionality. It doesn’t use any single sensor to detect the user’s stress levels—instead, intelligent algorithms calculate your stress level based on various bits of sensor data. Both rings do a good job, but it’s not a metric that can be easily compared.

However, Oura offers one function that RingConn doesn’t: recovery monitoring. Called Rest Mode, this feature will give you detailed insights and guidance when your body needs time to recover. You can activate it manually, but it is also set to trigger automatically when the ring’s sensors detect that your body is under strain.

In summary, the two rings are almost identical regarding sensors and tracking, except for the Rest Mode on the Oura Ring. Most users won’t notice a difference between the two options.

Water Resistance

The Oura Ring has a 10ATM water resistance rating, which means it can withstand water up to a maximum depth of 100m (approximately 330 feet). That’s more than adequate for most people’s needs.

The RingConn has an IP68 rating and is certified by RingConn to withstand continuous water submersion up to a depth of 50m (around 165 feet).

In other words, both rings are good against sweat, rainy weather, water sports, and recreational diving. The Oura Ring is the better option for any activities requiring greater depth.

Battery Life and Charging

The Oura Ring 3 and RingConn have nearly identical battery lives. Both are rated as being able to last for 7 days, but it varies based on how actively you use them.

They are slightly different in terms of charging, though. While it takes about 90 minutes for RingConn to get a full charge, the Oura Ring 3 is somewhat faster at just 80 minutes.

But RingConn has an ace up its sleeve that Oura doesn’t: a portable charging case. Like the charging cases you get with devices like AirPods, the RingConn case lets you charge your ring 18 more times while you’re on the go without a power plug. Arguably, this isn’t all that useful for a device that only needs charging every 7 days, but it’s still great to have that option.

Smart Features

Oura and RingConn are both smart rings, but they don’t really offer any “smart” features apart from their monitoring capabilities. Many smart ring brands attempt to be partial replacements for smartwatches by showing the time, displaying your step count, delivering notifications, and allowing you to control your phone’s volume.

Oura and RingConn aren’t focused on any of those functions, so don’t expect too many “smart” features from either.

Design and Aesthetics

RingConn is made of titanium, so it’s strong and lightweight, weighing only around 4g. The ring has slightly square-shaped edges on the outside, which is quite unique and different, but I find it appealing. The inside has a plastic coating to protect the electronics, which seemed solid enough during my tests.

The RingConn comes in 9 sizes (6 to 14) and has 3 color options: Moonlit Silver, Midnight Black, and Pale Gold. All the colors are slightly matte, so the rings aren’t shiny. I personally like that look, but some people find the matte finish less pleasing to the eye.

The Oura Ring 3 is also made of titanium and either a physical vapor deposition (PVD) or Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) coating, depending on your chosen finish. It weighs between 4g and 6g, so there isn’t much difference between Oura and RingConn in that regard.

Oura comes in two styles. The first is called Heritage and has a slight plateau at the top of the ring. The second style is Horizon, a perfectly circular ring at a slightly higher price. You can choose between various finishes: Silver, Black, Stealth, Gold, Rose Gold, and Brushed Titanium. Some finishes are only available in specific styles, and the ring only comes in 8 sizes (6 to 13).

In summary, both rings are well-designed and look great. Oura has a slight edge by offering more styles and finishes, some of which have a shinier and more polished look, so it’s easier to find one that matches your aesthetic.

Comfort

Both rings are pretty comfortable if you get the right size. The good news is that Oura and RingConn both offer to send you a free sizing kit when you place an order. If you fall between sizes, you can get ring adjuster stickers to adjust the size slightly for a better fit.

Smart rings tend to feel a bit bulky, especially if you’re not used to wearing a ring. That goes for the Oura and RingConn, too, but you get used to it within a day or two.

The only difference I noticed is that the RingConn’s inner finish wasn’t quite as smooth as the Oura Ring’s. It didn’t cause me any severe discomfort, but after being used to wearing the Oura Ring for a while, the difference was definitely noticeable.

User Experience

Smart rings are simple: you put them on and go about your day. The significant difference in user experience comes from the rings’ apps since the apps are where you will interact with your rings most often. Oura and RingConn have wildly different approaches to their app interfaces.

Oura’s app is polished and fine-tuned thanks to its many years of experience in the industry. The interface is simple, clean, and intuitive. It shows simple summaries of different sets of critical data, and you can switch between different metrics by swiping left or right on the screen. If you want more detailed info on a particular metric, swipe up on that metric’s screen to view more.

RingConn’s app is less clean but offers more data at a glance. It feels as if RingConn is actively trying to fit as much data as possible into a single screen, which isn’t a bad thing, to be honest. It means less swiping to get the info you need. However, combined with the much smaller font, it makes the app feel more cluttered and slightly less intuitive.

Both app approaches are good and make sense for different user types. Personally, I prefer Oura’s approach. RingConn’s app doesn’t feel cheap or low-quality at all, but my overall experience while using the Oura app is simply better.

Costs

Pricing and overall cost are significant factors when deciding which ring to buy since the companies have entirely different approaches.

Oura users have two prices to consider: the price to purchase the ring and the monthly Oura Membership subscription service. This is a point of much debate—why should a smart ring need a subscription service?

Remember that a smart ring isn’t a very powerful device. It simply collects information and syncs it with the Oura app on your phone, which sends it to Oura’s servers. These servers use various algorithms to calculate your 3 daily scores: Readiness, Activity, and Sleep. In other words, none of the advanced processing is done on the ring or your phone but directly on Oura’s servers.

That could arguably be done differently, but it would take up extra processing power and battery life on your phone if it were done natively since the algorithms are pretty complex, and there’s plenty of data to process. So, in some ways, it makes sense to have an online subscription plan since Oura has servers to maintain, which isn’t free.

It’s also worth mentioning that you get your first month’s subscription free when you buy the ring and that your Oura Ring will still work with limited functionality if you cancel your membership. The subscription only applies to the Oura Ring Gen3, which is the only one you can buy new. The Oura Ring 2 still has all the functionality it supports (which is more limited than the Gen3), free of charge.

This is where RingConn saw a gap in the market. Not only is the ring itself quite a bit cheaper than the Oura Ring, but you get all the online services free of charge, with no subscription needed. The fact that you can get a smart ring with nearly identical features without a subscription is probably the feature of RingConn that appeals to most users.

It’s unclear how RingConn offers these online services without a fee, which has raised concerns that a subscription service might be coming in the future and that the no-subscription feature is simply a marketing ploy. However, there is no evidence to support these theories at present.

Conclusion: Which Is Better?

To summarize, Oura Ring and RingConn are both excellent smart rings with nearly identical features and specifications. Most users won’t notice much of a difference between the two.

From my experience, the Oura Ring’s main differentiating features are its well-polished app interface and the variety of styles available. However, the fact that RingConn offers nearly identical functionality and a charging case at a much lower price, not to mention the lack of a subscription service, makes RingConn a worthy competitor and more than sufficient for most users.