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RingConn Gen 2 Air: One minute review
If you want to dip your toes into the smart ring space with a no frills, affordable option then the RingConn Gen 2 Air is the best smart ring for you
Yes it lacks the sleep apnea tracking and charging case of its fully fledged sibling – the RingConn Gen 2 proper – but it makes up for that with a $100 price cut, and in other areas it performs just as well as the competition.
It can handily track your steps, your sleep patterns, your heart rate and stress levels, and a few other key health metrics in a sleek and slim gold or silver colored package. What’s more, the stainless steel band is durable. I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks and it looks just as pristine as the day I received it, plus with its IP68 water and dustproof rating I know it’ll stand up to being underwater for a while.
There are some issues with the smart ring to consider. The charging stand isn’t as useful as the portable charging case you’ll get with the non-Air RingConn Gen 2, and like some other smart rings this one isn’t a great fitness tracker.
It’s too easy to forget to manually start a workout in the app, and currently it only tracks walking, running and cycling, and for the most in-depth tracking you’ll need to take your phone with you. Plus if you forget not only have you not tracked your run but your stress stats will be affected as the ring will believe your elevated heart rate is a bad sign for how you’re feeling mentally.
That aside the RingConn gen 2 air is an excellent budget smart ring, and the one I’d recommend to people who want to see what all the smart ring fuss is about who aren’t bothered about the bells and whistles you’ll get with pricier options for now.
RingConn Gen 2 Air: Price and availability
The RingConn Gen 2 Air is available for $199 from RingConn’s official website which not only makes it cheaper than RingConn’s Gen 2 ring (which costs $299) but also one of the cheapest smart rings out there.
And despite the lower cost you’re not missing out on any essential tracking tools beyond sleep apnea and sophisticated fitness tracking (though those features are absent in a fair few smart rings that cost more anyway).
RingConn Gen 2 Air: Design
- Comes in Gold or Silver, Sizes 6 to 14
- IP68 water and dustproof rating
- No charging case
The RingConn Gen 2 Air – like pretty much every other smart ring out there – looks almost exactly like a normal ring. Perhaps a little thicker but not noticeably so, and at around 2.5 to 4g it’s not distinctly heavier than a smart ring either.
Moreover it shares a lot of design similarities with its sibling – the RingConn Gen 2 – as well as a few notable differences.
Starting with similarities it comes in sizes 6 to 14, in a Gold or Silver colored stainless steel casing, and with an IP68 dust and waterproofness rating. As for differences it lacks the Gen 2 proper’s Black and Rose Gold color options (but comes with 7 colors of protective shells including green, pink and black), and boasts a shorter 10-day max battery life – instead of the Gen 2’s 12-day.
This battery difference was certainly the most noticeable. I wore both rings all the time (one on each index finger) with the same settings and I had to charge the Gen 2 Air more often, though once every 10 days isn’t too annoying.
My only gripe with the charging process is the Air swaps the Gen 2’s sleek charging case for a stand. The case is ideal for travelling as it can hold up to 150 days of extra charge without needing to be plugged in, it also offers a secure place to store the ring when you aren’t wearing it. The Air’s stand on the other hand must be plugged in to charge the ring, and doesn’t feel as secure of a storage spot.
RingConn Gen 2 Air: Features
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and step counting
- Basic fitness tracking
- No sleep apnea tracking
Features-wise the RingConn Gen 2 Air, as you’d expect, is almost identical to the regular RingConn Gen 2.
While wearing the ring the Gen 2 Air can track all various health and fitness stats – your heart rate is monitored 24/7, alongside your steps, your stress ( based on how your heart rate fluctuates), your SpO2 levels, and it can even help with tracking your menstrual cycle (though I can’t personally speak for that last feature’s accuracy).
You can also use the ring as a basic fitness tracker, if you remember to start your workout manually in the RingConn app, and your exercise takes the form of walking, cycling, or running. And through the RingConn app you can also access an AI-powered health program. Admittedly it’s a little basic right now because it’s in beta but it’s a helpful tool to keep on top of your daily health targets.
The biggest difference between the Air and the full-on RingConn Gen 2 is the lack of sleep apnea tracking on the cheaper model. This kind of downgrade is to be expected given the lower price, and while the feature is certainly handy to have on a sleep focused tracker it’s also the feature I miss the least – though I say that as someone who doesn’t have, nor is currently concerned that they might have, sleep apnea.
RingConn Gen 2 Air: Performance
- App tracks your sleep and vitals
- Includes an AI fitness plan, though it’s basic right now
- Can track fitness, if you remeber to manually set it up
The RingConn Gen 2 Air performed well in my tests, with it being as good a tracker as my RingConn Gen 2 proper in the stats that both smart rings measured.
It’s a solid step counter, it did a good job tracking my heart rate levels, and it was able to give me informative insight into my sleeping patterns every night so I can continue to build better bedtime habits. I also found the overall wellness balance the app provides to be super handy as it allows me to get a quick recap of my health across the four main categories the app monitors.
The only disappointment in the tracking department is fitness. It’s not a terrible tracker as long as you have your phone on you as it can provide some basic insight into your runs and walks like tracking where you went and your heart rate zones, but it’s too easy to forget to manually log it before you begin.
Not logging even walks can then affect your stress monitoring as the ring can believe your elevated heart rate is due to something stressful and not because you’re out being active.
So if you’re after a fitness tracker, this isn’t the one. But for more general healthy habits this smart ring is a fine choice.
Should you buy the RingConn Gen 2 Air?
|
Attribute |
Comment |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
The RingConn Gen 2 Air is excellent value for money when you focus on what it does give you and not what it lacks. |
5/5 |
|
Design |
The RingConn Gen 2 Air doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and while the charging case is missing the lower price makes up for it. |
4/5 |
|
Features |
The RingConn Gen 2 Air boasts some solid features but loses Sleep Apnea tracking, and when it comes to fitness tracking it could be a lot more useful. |
3/5 |
|
Performance |
Fitness tracking could be better, but in every other regard the RingConn Gen 2 Air seemed to be a capable health monitor, with a clean and intuitive app. |
4/5 |
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How I tested the RingConn Gen 2 Air
To put the RingConn Gen 2 air through its paces I made sure to wear it all the time (night and day) for a few weeks. I also wore it at the same time as the RingConn Gen 2 (I had one on each index finger) so I could directly compare the two models.
I took the Air with me when I travelled, wore it whenever I did a work out, submerged it in water to check the waterproofness claims, and made sure to let the battery run as long as possible between charges so I could could see for myself how long it can run for – and see how it stacks up against the RingConn Gen 2 proper.
- First reviewed March 2025
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
