Sylvia Storey
In 2025, smart rings are among the smallest wearable devices, packed with handy features, some of which – potentially lifesaving! They can be divided into 3 categories:
- 🧘♀️ Health & Fitness Rings
- 🔒 Payment & Access Rings
- 💌 Personalized NFC Rings & Jewelry
Smart Rings for Health & Fitness Tracking
Fitness tracker rings are generally made of Titanium and are fully water proof. Just like most smart phones, they can be charged via a wired or wireless charger, depending on the model. However, their battery life is considerably longer – about a week, on average.
They differ from similar wrist wearable devices and smart watches in the fact that they are lot more compact. However, they are much more limiting in terms of sizing and adjustment. Most models offer a fairly good range of sizes, with OURA currently having the widest range for their latest model (4 to 15). In addition, because of their lack of display, smart rings are dependent largely on their respective mobile app and its usability!
So what can a fitness tracker ring actually monitor?
- Heart rate
- Saturation
- Sleeping pattern
- Steps
- Calories burnt
The efficiency of smart rings, used for health and fitness tracking, usually depends on the price, which can vary greatly – from about $30 to $400. Furthermore, some, like OURA, require a monthly subscription fee. In 2025, the most expensive models are more accurate, as expected, and tend to have far more positive customer reviews. Those include Oura Ring 4, the Samsung Galaxy Ring, Ultrahuman Ring Air and RingConn Gen 2.
Watch the Oura Ring 4 in action:
Smart Rings for Payment & Access
Pay & Access rings represent the quickest, easiest and most convenient way of wireless payment and unlocking, to date! They allow you to pay as you go in exactly the same way you would with your phone or smart watch, but are a lot more discreet and straightforward. The same applies to unlocking your home, office, vehicle, or any other smart lock. Furthermore, absolutely no charging is required, as Pay & Access rings are not electric devices, unlike Fitness tracker rings. Most are made of durable ceramic and are water proof.
In terms of cost, they are relatively cheap. Some, like the Quantic Pay Ring (available only in the US), even come FREE for account holders. Others, like Cnick, offering combined smart rings for payment and unlocking, currently start from about $150, but with certain limitations, largely depending on your bank and/ or country of residence.
The main downfall in 2025, is that Pay & Access rings are NOT widely available yet.
Precisely the present limitations are what caused the world’s first PAYRING by McLEAR, to close down last year…
NFC Jewelry and Rings
NFC Jewelry and Rings are less popular, but also smart in the way that they allow tracking, identification and personalization. For example, through NFC technology you can ‘encode’ a love note in a piece of jewelry you give as a present, or digitally insert all of your pet’s information in their collar, in case they get lost. In the same way, it can be used as a certificate of authenticity of a jewel with a precious stone, for instance. There are loads of possibilities and useful applications, which is why chipping jewels is yet to spread and grow! 💎 👑 💍
So, SMART RINGS are pretty smart in 2025! And they keep on getting more ‘capable’, multifunctional, and accessible. Would YOU embrace smart ring technology and squeeze your essential belongings into a tiny piece of jewelry?
