Smart rings and heart rate variability trackers are among the latest health and fitness tracking wearables to hit the market, and they have been adopted by the likes of the UAE Team Emirates team and Mathieu Van der Poel during training and racing.
Both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 RingConn models are small and unobtrusive, which makes them much easier to wear 24-7 than a wrist-mounted device, and they have impressive battery life too.
With the tech involved being pretty new, prices are high for many models, but RingConn’s smart rings are much better value in these Black Friday deals. We’ve also got extra savings exclusively for Cyclingnews readers with discount codes that can be added at checkout.
While we’ve yet to test either generation of RingConn, our colleagues at our sister site TechRadar awarded the Gen 2 version 4 out of 5 stars in their review.
Most impressive was the number and depth of the health tracking functions provided by the RingConn Gen 2, which was comparable to far pricier alternatives.
The RingConn tracks sleep, activity, stress, heart rate, and blood oxygen level to determine an overall wellness score. Users also get tips on how to improve their score when linked to the companion app.
A wealth of health data and analysis is available from the RingConn smartphone app (Image credit: Future)
While all the health data is collected automatically, when it comes to activity data you’ll need to manually start recording via the app before beginning your ride. At present, only three activity types can be recorded: cycling, running and walking.
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After your activity is complete, the app gives you a breakdown of the distance and route travelled, calories burned and heart rate zones. The data is not as detailed as you’d get from a Garmin or similar training-specific device, but it’s still useful.
Unfortunately, there’s currently no integration with the likes of Strava (this is a problem that seems to be plaguing more companies of late), but RingConn can connect to Apple Health and Google Fit.
The RingConn Gen 2 is just 2mm thick and weighs 2-3 grams depending on the size required (Image credit: Future)
Both RingConn models are IP68 dust- and water-proof rated (can be submerged in water for 30 minutes), so are well protected against the elements. TechRadar’s test sample fared well durability-wise and remained scratch-free during the test period.
Battery life was also impressive with 12 days of constant use before a recharge was required (RingConn Gen 1 has a 7-day battery life). While the RingConn can be charged via a USB cable, a charging case (available separately) provides 150 days worth of charge.
