The Oura and RingConn smart rings offer similar health tracking and data insights, but which one reigns supreme?

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I've been using my Oura Ring for almost three years now (and recently upgraded to the Oura Ring 4), and it's one of my favorite health and wellness purchases to date. I can't really get on board with a bulky smartwatch, so the sleek and metallic-gold Oura Ring fits the bill when it comes to reliably tracking and evaluating my sleep, temperature, activity, pulse, and more without looking obnoxious on my wrist. Plus, according to some experts, opting for a smart ring worn tightly on the finger may yield more accurate health results (especially in the cardiovascular department) compared to other health wearables like smartwatches because of their placement closer to the skin and arteries.

Of course, in addition to lacking a screen or touch buttons or triggers, the Oura Ring and its cheaper competitor, RingConn, also are not capable of taking calls and texts, providing GPS directions, or performing other cellular-specific functions -- they're merely health trackers. If you're a heavy user of those smartwatch features, neither ring will be a suitable replacement. But if your primary reason for investing in a wearable is tracking and monitoring your health metrics in real-time (with the accompanying app), these two smart rings may be what you're looking for.

Up until fairly recently, Oura Ring dominated the smart ring space -- meaning it was the only non-sketchy wearable of its kind on the market. That's changed in the past year, and RingConn's smart ring promises to be a close competitor with a more wallet-friendly price tag and no subscription required. Naturally, when I discovered a more affordable health-monitoring smart ring had entered the small market, I knew I had to give it a spin and test it against the O.G. Oura Ring.

Both rings are sleek, lightweight, and available in metallic finishes. Both smart rings offer users similar and consistently reliable health monitoring and data metrics, but there are some key considerations to take into account before investing in either option. Read ahead to find out my thoughts on both smart rings.

When it comes to design, Oura Ring takes the cake -- no questions asked. With its shiny metallic finish (compared to the RingConn's metallic, almost matte finish) and its interface on the corresponding app, from an aesthetic and design perspective, Oura Ring is the clear winner.

Price: Starting at $299 for the Heritage model, $399 for the Horizon model, and $349 for the Oura Ring 4.

Material: Titanium and PVD coating for the metallic colors and Diamond-like Carbon Coating (DLC) for black and stealth colorways.

Health functionalities: Sleep tracking, heart rate tracking (resting heart rate and heart rate variability), 24/7 body temperature (to help predict menstrual cycle and early signs of sickness), period prediction, calorie tracking, blood oxygen, stress monitoring, blood oxygen (SpO2 sensing), cardio capacity, cardiovascular age, steps, sickness detection, meal analysis, fitness zone tracking based on heart rate, and activity tracking.

Sensors: Optical heart rate, blood oxygen, body temperature, accelerometers.

The two biggest advantages that RingConn has over Oura Ring are that it's about $100 less expensive and doesn't require a monthly (or any) subscription to access the data in the app, which will save you an additional $72 a year.

Health functionalities: Sleep tracking, daily activity monitoring, and calories burned tracking, stress index for "relaxation guidance," skin temperature sensor, sleep apnea detection, oxygen saturation, heart rate, and heart rate variability measurement throughout the day (and on-demand), airway respiratory rate monitor, and standing time recording.

Sensors: Four photoplethysmography (PPG), four temperature sensors, and a 3D accelerometer.

Battery life: Full seven days off one charge (and charges fully in about 90 minutes).

Warranty: One year.

If you're looking to avoid monthly subscription fees and save $20-50 bucks, RingConn's highly comparable smart ring is a solid alternative to the Oura Ring -- especially if you prefer a matte and textured finish rather than a shiny metallic one.

While both rings' health monitoring, metrics, and evaluations are roughly on par in terms of their accuracy and insights, the interface on the RingConn app looks slightly less sophisticated than that of Oura Ring's (e.g., it uses a more juvenile font, emojis, etc.), but aesthetics aside, you're practically getting the same data with both.

While I can't say with certainty if the irritation while wearing the RingConn was the result of the inner molding not being non-allergenic like Oura Ring's, I suspect this was caused by my highly (and abnormally) sensitive and reactive skin type, combined with thrice-weekly infrared sauna sessions. However, if you are prone to getting reactions to metal jewelry, easily irritated, or have experienced turning green while wearing certain jewelry (this did not happen with either Oura Ring or RingConn), it may be worth further investigating before making a purchase.

I am highly impressed by the lower-priced RingConn -- both in terms of hardware and software. Because weight, comfort, and aesthetics are top considerations for me (if I can feel I'm wearing something, I simply won't use it at all), I would repurchase the Oura Ring. But if you prioritize value overall, there is no reason not to save an extra $50 upfront and $72 a year on subscription fees. For me, the Oura Ring is worth the extra cost, but all things considered, both devices are a solid choice.