Watch your fingers: they are about to become the new control center for your vital signs. In 2025, smart rings will transform from a niche accessory to an essential tool for health monitoring: a shift that is not just about technology, but about the very way we think about personal well-being.
Rings as a tool for awareness
Tom Hale, CEO of Oura, calls them “an engine light for the body”. I like this metaphor because it conveys the idea well: smart rings are tools that allow us to better understand the dynamics of our biometric parameters in relation to our behaviors.
Hale's company, the Finnish Oura, she was a pioneer in this field, launching its first ring on Kickstarter a good ten years ago. Today it presents its fourth generation, with prices between 349 and 399 euros, and has just received a 200 million dollar funding round that brought it to a valuation of 5,2 billion. We are clearly on the eve of a boom.
Competition in the smart ring market
The sector is experiencing a real explosion of competitors. There is theUltrahuman Ring Air at 349 euro, the Samsung Galaxy Ring at 399 euros, RingConn (I ordered one, at my own expense – I underline – I'll let you know) just under 300 euros, and more specific devices such as the ring Virtuoso focused on longevity, at 200 euros.
Each company tries to distinguish itself with unique features: some focus on battery life, some on minimum thickness, some on the amount of data collected. However, they all have a common denominator, the basic features: step counting, temperature monitoring and heart rate detection.
The value of data over time
Il Dr. Daniel Kraft, a Bay Area physician-scientist, stresses the importance of consistency in monitoring. You don’t necessarily need FDA-certified devices; the value is in being able to observe trends day after day, learning about your body.
For example, he himself was able to observe an eight-point reduction in his resting heart rate after three months of daily exercise.
Projections show market growth of more than 20% annually through 2030. In the US, Ultrahuman has already started shipping its rings at major retailers like Best Buy, Verizon, Costco, and Walmart, with over 15.000 new monthly users in the US alone. The Department of Defense has a $96 million contract with Oura, and U.S. Air Force aviators are testing the rings to optimize their performance.
We will see them everywhere, in the same stores that host smartphones, but also in “transversal” stores such as jewelry stores. Soon they will be in common use.
Advantages and limitations of smart rings
Smart rings stand out for their discretion and battery life (about a week, often longer), but they also have some limitations. They are not ideal for sports such as weight lifting or running, they cannot receive calls or respond to messages, and they are still expensive.
However, according to the Dr. Umbereen Nehal, a pediatrician and founder in the fem-tech sector, the real value lies in the ability to collect accurate data for personalized care.
I love how people get engaged when they see results: 'Wow, I make these small, incremental changes and I see results in weeks, months, and years.'
Smart ring technology is just the beginning of a new era in personal health monitoring. As technology evolves and prices drop, these devices could soon become more common than wristwatches, forever changing the way we monitor and manage our health.
