You Really Shouldn’t Buy a 'Cheap' Smart Ring

Smart rings are becoming more and more popular, and with the Galaxy Ring set to debut in late 2024, they are likely only going to get more so. Unfortunately, as tech becomes popular with the masses, cheaper versions often become available. Sometimes, this can be a boon—competition is a good thing in the tech industry, after all, and not everyone can afford to drop several hundred dollars on a piece of tech. The downside, though, is that it also opens the door for shady companies to get involved in the tech space, and that’s exactly what seems to be happening with smart rings right now.

If you look up lists of the best smart rings on the market right now, you’re going to see a few good options, like the Oura ring 3 and the Ultrahuman Ring Air. You’ll also likely see a ton of other lesser-known brand names, especially if you start looking at places like Amazon. The downside here is that these cheaper rings can open the door for companies to seriously mishandle your private health data.

Of course, smart rings aren’t the only wearable device with some concerns over the ethics of data collection and storage. Fitness trackers and smart watches all carry some of the same concerns, though on a much larger scale. This wasn’t as big of a deal with smart rings previously because there just wasn't as many options out there. However, because we’re seeing an uptick in the number of smart rings on the market, there are bound to be more companies pushing devices that don’t fully respect your data. Many of them appear to be building off the potential that companies like Oura have showcased, but underneath, they’re more like a cheap fitness tracker or smartwatch—not overly accurate, and riddled with a lack of information about what they do with your health data.

In short, purchasing a cheap smart ring might save you money, but it could also be putting your health data in danger. That’s because many of these smart rings are based on license deals, which allow the brand company to purchase the ring from someone else, then add their brand to it and ship it as their own product. This happens a lot with other parts of the industry, too—most notably the phone case industry (in case you’ve ever wondered why all those random brands on Amazon all look the same).

This is something that TechRadar covers really well in a report by author Becca Caddy, who details her investigation into the cheaper side of smart rings. Caddy notes that when talking to different smart ring providers and trying to get to the bottom of whether or not their products are licensed, many of them like to play coy and never really answer the question. That creates a lot of room for the company to abuse your trust in their systems, which is a good reason to steer clear of anything they are offering.

It’s because of these license deals that you really need to be careful about what kind of smart ring you’re purchasing. See, when you choose to buy something like the Oura Ring 3, you’re signing up to the Privacy Policy that Oura supports, which says that Oura can collect your data, but that it won’t share or sell that information to third parties or data aggregators. Other companies, like Samsung, also take a strict approach to data, and when the Galaxy Ring releases, it’s likely we’ll see some strict protection plans in place for your health data there.

Additionally, there’s also the question of accuracy and just how well the sensors included in the cheap smart ring you are buying will work. Many of the cheaper smart rings boast about their multitude of features, but they never really break down how accurate they are. This is a problem, as one of the biggest reasons to buy a smart ring right now has to do with its ability to act as a health and fitness tracker. If you aren’t getting accurate readings, it doesn’t really do you any good. 

If you do want to buy a smart ring, there are still some really great options out there right now. The Oura Ring 3, as I noted above, is one of the top smart rings. Oura does a great job of protecting your privacy, and the accuracy of the ring’s various reports are great, too. The Ultrahuman Ring is also another solid option for those who want more of a fitness-focused smart ring, so make sure to check out both of those and compare any cheaper smart rings you might be eyeing to the features, accuracy, and privacy policies those more expensive rings offer.

Now, this isn't to say that there aren't going to be good smart rings that fall into a cheaper price range. Inevitably, we're going to end up with some quality and more affordable smart rings. But if you’re going to buy something that gets access to your data, make sure you’re always aware of the risks that come with it.