As a veteran smartwatch and health tracker reviewer, it is uncommon that I get to strategy a product with a very recent set of eyes, however that is what occurred with the Ultrahuman Ring Air. This was the primary good ring I had ever examined, and in some methods, that made me the proper particular person to evaluate it. I approached it not as a seasoned biohacker, however as somebody experiencing it the best way most consumers would: curious, a bit of skeptical, and questioning whether or not it may exchange my smartwatch. Better but, wouldn’t it truly enhance my habits?Turns out, 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 carrying 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 exchange my smartwatch, but it surely complemented it in a means I did not anticipate.
7.4/ 10 SCORE Ultrahuman Ring AIR Pros
No subscription wanted for full well being knowledge
Lightweight and comfy for 24/7 put on
Nearly weeklong battery life, even on max settings
Aging metrics that truly assist flag unhealthy habits
Flexible monitoring for issues like shift work or being pregnant
Cons
Heart charge monitoring is inaccurate throughout exercises
Auto exercise detection is unreliable
No indicator for correct sensor placement on the ring
App could 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 interested by testing the good ring waters, particularly in case you’re in search of one thing extra delicate than a smartwatch. It’s designed for background, long-term well being monitoring quite 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 looks like barely much less of a dedication than opponents like Oura, which lock many key insights behind a month-to-month subscription.But this ring is not for everybody. You have to be able to dive into the info and do some sleuthing of your personal to interpret your metrics and work out which of them are useful for you. Some, like Cardio Age and Sleep Score, had been self-explanatory and helpful at a look, whereas others, like temperature monitoring and stress, are more durable to search out or decode. Sometimes, 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 aware of my sleep, stress and even surprising metrics like UV publicity. And truthfully, the consistency of logging — even with out excellent accuracy — was sufficient to push me towards higher habits. The Ultrahuman Ring Air in gold end. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETBetter design than a smartwatch, however not fairly jewelleryAfter ordering a wise ring, the subsequent step is discovering the precise dimension. I assumed I knew my ring dimension and was able to skip forward — however belief me, do not. Like most good ring makers, Ultrahuman sends a sizing equipment, and it is value doing correctly. I used to be between sizes, so I wore two of the included pattern rings for about 48 hours to determine the most effective 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 mild and comfy. It’s thicker (height-wise) than most rings I put on, but it surely would not scream “tech gadget” like different wearables. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETI went with the bionic gold end, which felt like a pleasant steadiness; it did not scream “fitness tracker,” but it surely additionally would not cross for a fragile piece of bijou. Compared to the large slab of a smartwatch I often put on, it was refreshingly delicate 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 3.6 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 children, energy strolling with steel dumbbells on the common and customarily dwelling the chaotic life of somebody who would not put on jewellery for a motive, it is held up surprisingly properly. Most days, I neglect I’m even carrying 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 stunning, contemplating my torture-tester tendencies, however value noting in case you’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. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETBattery 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 provides three battery modes: Turbo, Chill, and Critical, every adjusting knowledge assortment to increase battery life. I saved it in Turbo mode, which tracks the utmost quantity of information, and nonetheless averaged about six days per cost. That alone made me extra according to 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 a bit of black ring stand just like that of the Oura Ring. An LED indicators 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.Health monitoring: Decoding the info maze is just not for the faint of coronary heartThe Ultrahuman Ring Air tracks nearly all the things you’d anticipate — stress, sleep, coronary heart charge, pores and skin temperature, VO2 max and day by day exercise. But 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 present metrics (or basic pointers) 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 most effective instances to get daylight, drink caffeine and schedule exercises to enhance sleep and maintain vitality ranges up. There are additionally particular PowerPlugs for shift staff that alter 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 getting older. Healthy getting older has change into a significant focus for wearables generally, with corporations like Oura and Samsung leaning closely into age-based stats as a means to assist customers perceive their general wellness. The aspect profile of the Ultrahuman Ring is comparatively skinny in comparison with different good rings. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETThe 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 charge 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 is likely to be accelerating the getting older course of genuinely motivated me to make some modifications. Learning that my “Brain 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. Although I get as uninterested in notifications as everybody else, I admire that the app sends textual content alerts for a few of these metrics. Since the ring would not have a display screen of its personal, the alerts are the one approach to urge you to take fast motion on the info. Otherwise, you’d must wade by the maze of metrics retroactively within the app. Some alerts are apparent, like telling me I slept much less final night time (no want for shade, ring, I used to be there). Others are begrudgingly useful — like a well-intentioned nagging father or mother — comparable to telling me to chop off caffeine after 2 p.m. And a number of are literally welcome, like telling me the most effective time to get exterior to optimize my UV publicity and regulate my circadian rhythm.It’s unbelievable having this a lot knowledge actually at your fingertips — determining what to do with it’s one other story. Sure, each metric has a bit of “i” button explaining what it means, however that is not the identical as realizing what truly deserves your consideration. Whether as a result of means 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 would 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 heart rate variability dipped, your temperature spiked and your stress is elevated. Maybe take it easy today.” Right now, you solely see these flags in case you click on into every particular person metric, like Dynamic Recovery or Sleep. Does one flag imply one thing’s off? Or does it take three for me to contemplate skipping a exercise?It did not all the time line up with how I felt, both. One night time, the app flagged a temperature spike although I felt completely tremendous. But one other time, after I was truly sick, the one sign was a dip in my HRV. Fitness monitoring places accuracy into query It’s attention-grabbing how one inconsistency can plant a seed of doubt in the entire expertise — and that is precisely what occurred with coronary heart charge monitoring. During a 35-minute 5K run, the Ultrahuman Ring Air accurately detected the exercise however logged it as a 70-minute exercise. The ring can auto-detect sure outside actions like operating and strolling, then asks you to substantiate them when you open the app. Technically, I may alter the beginning and cease instances to raised match the run, however the coronary heart charge was off regardless. Heart charge knowledge from a 5K run on the Ultrahuman app (left) versus a Polar chest strap (proper). Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETMy Polar chest strap clocked me peaking at 176 bpm, whereas the Ultrahuman Ring topped out at 124 bpm, lacking two full coronary heart charge zones. For indoor exercises like Pilates, weightlifting or something that does not dramatically spike coronary heart charge, the ring will not even register it except you manually begin a exercise within the app. That second actually pressured the query: If it is not getting this proper, what else is it getting flawed, primarily when so many different metrics, like restoration, stress and sleep, depend on correct coronary heart charge knowledge operating within the background?It’s not simply exercises, both. Twice throughout my month of testing, the ring additionally gave me “extra sleep credit” 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 is no clear indicator to indicate once they’re correctly positioned in your finger, which might have an effect on accuracy. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETIt additionally highlights one other reality about wearables: accuracy relies upon closely on sensor sort and placement. Rings merely do not seize coronary heart charge in addition to chest straps (and even some wrist-based trackers), particularly throughout high-impact actions. Unlike 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 (prime of the finger versus the underside). The Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring each have a small line on the floor indicating which aspect the sensors are on. That tiny distinction issues, particularly when monitoring sudden coronary heart charge 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. If you go in with that mindset, your expectations will probably be much more grounded. The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a good smartwatch companion, however lacks accuracy for true health monitoring. Vanessa Hand Orellana/CNETBottom line: Should you purchase it?For $350, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is a strong first good ring for most individuals. It’s not flawless, particularly on the subject of exercise monitoring, but it surely’s a terrific wellness companion that may aid you enhance or undertake more healthy habits. The lack of a subscription alone makes it one of the accessible good rings on the market.It’s excellent for biohackers, knowledge nerds or anybody curious sufficient to geek out over their physique’s interior workings. Just be able to do some of the homework your self.The ring will not exchange my smartwatch anytime quickly, however I used to be stunned to understand how properly it enhances the watch. Where 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 quite a bit about what this ring can supply.