Some of thebest fitness trackerstend to be among the top recommendations when it comes to tracking health and fitness but displays can be distracting. They leech away battery life, and, if you’re fashion conscious, may not necessarily fit your style.
So, there is an alternative. In fact, there are a few, and you don’t need to compromise on features either. We’ve put some of the best fitness trackers without a screen to the test. Here are our recommendations.
Samsung Galaxy Ring
Withings ScanWatch Light
Oura Ring 3
RingConn Smart Ring
Withings ScanWatch 2
Ultrahuman Ring Air
Circular Ring Slim (2024)
Stay focused with these fitness trackers
A solid debut
The Galaxy Ring is Samsung’s first attempt at making a wearable for your finger. No screen, no problem, as some of the same sensors and features from the company’s smartwatches apply here too.
The Galaxy Ring is Samsung’s first try at making a wearable that isn’t a smartwatch, putting it up against some established players, like Oura and RingConn. Unlike those brands, however, it comes into this nascent category with a pedigree and platform all in one. It stuck to a more traditional design resembling a wedding band — available in black, silver, and gold — ranging in size from 5 to 13 (U.S. sizes). It’s up to you as to which finger you wear it on, though the index finger might be best to utilize the gesture controls that work with the company’s latest foldable phones.
It’s got titanium in it but isn’t quite as premium given that it may be prone to micro scratches. It’s fairly durable otherwise, thanks to its IP68 protection, though swimming might not be a good idea in case it slides off. Many of the same health tracking metrics through Samsung Health apply here, where there is more of an emphasis over exercise and workouts. You’ll need to pull your phone out to start tracking a workout anyway since the Galaxy Ring only does it automatically for walking and running. And while Samsung makes the ring, you can use it with any Android phone.
Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is the best smart ring, for whatever that’s worth
For health nuts, but not fitness freaks
Samsung says the battery will last up to seven days per charge but that applies to the larger sizes. Wear something like a size 6 and you it knocks down to about six days. If you use it alongside a Galaxy Watch, you might be able to extand that another 30%. The charging case is a nice touch and much harder to misplace, except it only holds 1.5 charges, so you will need it handy. The good news is it supports wireless charging.
Whoop, there it is
When it comes to fitness tracking, few devices go as in-depth as the Whoop 4.0. This premium-level wearable isn’t for the faint of heart, but those who pick it up will find that the monthly subscription fee is more than worth it, especially when you start to dig into everything it can track.
The Whoop 4.0 is an interesting case because the idea is, in part, to commit to a subscription that would effectively pay for the device itself. At minimum, you’re looking at 12 months at $30 per month, or an average of $20 with a two-year deal. Why bother, you say? The device is loaded with sensors that cover a lot of ground, all the way down to sleep and menstrual cycles. But its real strength comes in catering to more athletic goals, particularly around cardio where it offers incredible insights despite lacking onboard GPS. Additionally, in our review, we observed it to be bit lacking when it comes to tracking strength-based workouts.
Whoop 4.0 review: This fitness tracker skipped leg day
Whoop is great for runners and swimmers, but if your workout regimen includes weightlifting, it’s not worth the price
In essence, the Whoop is a tracker that you could theoretically wear on your wrist, arm, and ankle — basically anywhere that’s comfortable and capable of tracking your activity. The wrist strap is the most common, but in any case, you’re able to swap out bands and take them with you for workouts or during trips. The five-day battery life is solid, as is the Whoop app for tracking all the activity and providing insights into when you can push a little more or take time off.
When fitness meets lifestyle
Don’t let the ScanWatch Lite’s lifestyle design fool you; it’s got all the essential fitness tracking functions built in. From step tracking to heart rate, you’ll even find 40 workout modes, including one to track your gaming hobby. The tiny but usable OLED panel up top conveniently helps you keep track of basic metrics, as well as phone notifications.
Tucked away under the ScanWatch Lite’s traditional analog design is a surprisingly capable fitness watch. The only thing giving away its fitness leanings is an embedded OLED display in the middle of the circular screen that shows off daily activity metrics, phone notifications, as well as the date. The side-mounted Digital Crown makes it a cinch to skip through the different panels and settings.
Withings' budget-oriented watch predictably goes light on the fitness features, but what’s here works well. In our ScanWatch Lite review, we found step and heart rate tracking to be reasonably accurate. You’ll also find 40 workout modes, including a surprising addition — gaming. However, outdoor workouts, especially runs, won’t be quite as accurate as the alternatives due to the lack of onboard GPS. You can, of course, connect the watch to your phone and use assisted GPS for better accuracy.
Withings ScanWatch Light review: Light by name, light by nature
A slim and slender take on Withings' analog-esque fitness trackers
The fitness features round off with granular sleep tracking. But there’s no ECG measurement or blood oxygen monitoring here. We weren’t too impressed by the battery life either. In our tests, the Withins ScanWatch Lite fell far short of the 30-day claims made by the company and would need a top-up every week or so.
With this ring…
The Oura Ring 3 is a premium-styled fitness tracker that fits right around your finger. This third-generation tracker is designed from the ground up to provide improved health-tracking functions, including continuous heart monitoring. If you want to keep up with your fitness journey but don’t want an annoying screen in the way, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Can a ring truly pack in that much data to track fitness, general activity, and sleep? The Oura Ring 3 proves it can, and as you might expect, being a third-generation product means the company fixed some of the previous functional challenges. In our Oura Ring review, we found it to be stylish and fairly discrete while still offering a full bevy of health metrics. Sensors inside can track the basics, like steps, heart rate, body temperature, blood oxygen, and sleep. The Oura app collects all the data and presents it with various scores, charts, and graphs.
Oura Ring Generation 3 review: Luxury health tracking on your finger
The third-gen Oura Ring is good at what it does, but it starts at $300
As much as it’s supposed to slide on your finger and fit into your everyday life while tracking everything, the Oura Ring 3 is thicker than most metal rings but doesn’t necessarily scream out “tech” to anyone noticing it. Unfortunately, there’s a pitfall. Not only is the ring pricey to begin with, but it requires a subscription to unlock all of its tracking features.
A feathery touch
Another great option, the RingConn Smart Ring offers all the things you’d expect from a great fitness tracker in a package small enough to easily forget you’re even wearing it. It’s available in three different colors, allowing you to really style how your fitness tracker looks.
RingConn is a tougher competitor to the likes of Oura and Circular than you might think, and one of the ways it undercuts them is by not forcing you into any subscription fees. Everything this ring does is available to see in the mobile app, so you know what you’re buying before sliding it onto your finger. The titanium body is fairly tough on its own, but RingConn also has silicone protectors (sold separately) as thin as phone screen protectors you can slip on during visits to the gym or other strenuous activities.
RingConn Smart Ring review: Simple yet sharp
A ring worth considering
All told, the RingConn can track a fair bit, too. It has a heart rate monitor, SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen, and skin temperature sensor, and backs that up with detailed health tracking and insights as we found out in our RingConn Smart Ring review. It can even look for instances of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and uses all the onboard sensors to check stress levels at varying times. It can also track exercise, including steps, calorie burn, and even sleep when it’s time to pass out. On the flip side, exercise modes are pretty limited. The IP68 rating is high enough to keep the ring safe in clear water up to depths of 50 meters, but beware of saltwater because the ring doesn’t have much to defend against it. Don’t forget to check the app from time to time, as the watch does not support background syncing. As for battery life, you may expect it to go along with you for up to a week before it needs a recharge.
Back to the basics
The Withings ScanWatch 2 is the company’s latest high-end hybrid smartwatch featuring an upgraded PPG sensor and high dynamic accelerometer. It also comes with a temperature sensor for 24/7 temperature variation monitoring. All this and more in a timeless design.
The ScanWatch 2 is like putting on a classic timepiece and discovering it has gadgetry underneath. That might be overstating it a bit, as it’s definitely not a James Bond watch, but it’s a hybrid smartwatch with the ability to track various health and fitness metrics. It bears similarities to theWithings ScanWatch Light, only is considerably more feature-laden. Two reasons why are the ECG and pulse oximeter, which keep tabs on both heart activity and breathing during sleep, respectively.
Withings ScanWatch 2 review: The smartwatch you wear to dinner
It’s not perfect, but the ScanWatch 2 offers digital features with an analog aesthetic
Taking a chance
The Ultrahuman Ring Air is a fantastic fitness tracker that embodies the power of a traditional tracker right from your finger. Built for comfort and flexibility, this tracker can keep up with your activity, body temperature, and sleep quality, all without ever getting in your way.
The Ultrahuman Ring Air is yet another alternative to the Oura that, while not undercutting it on price, still manages to do so on the residual side with no subscription required to get all the features. It’s also packed with the right gear inside to track health and fitness data, like a PPG sensor for blood circulation, skin temperature sensor, heart rate monitor, SpO2 for blood oxygen, and others for motion. The Ring Air aims to find a balance between those who want to get more active and those who are already in the thick of training, which explains why the Ultrahuman app focuses just as much on recovery as it does being active.
Ultrahuman Ring Air review: A subscription-free Oura alternative
Unobtrusive health tracking without a fee in sight
Something that stood out to us in our Ultrahuman Ring Air review was the fact that you have baby the ring as it is susceptible to the odd scuff or blemish if you go too hard with it on, like contact with the bar while lifting weights. When you’re spending this much, that might be a tough thing to see. So might the sketchy sleep tracking, which sometimes misses the mark on timing, but can make up for it with insightful information on how to sleep better each night. Then there’s battery life that can last up to a week depending on how you use it — not bad for a smart ring. Sure, you might end up spending a bit more than the Oura, but the lack of a subscription fee makes the Ultrahuman a credible choice.
Slim, light, yet full-featured
Weighing in at a mere 2 grams, the Circular Ring Slim might as well not be on your finger. The thin and lightweight design is comfortable yet feature-packed. From movement to fitness to heart rate and even sleep tracking, the Circular Ring Slim can do it all. Meanwhile, the five-day battery life guarantees that you won’t be worrying about charging the ring overnight.
Smart rings are the new go-to for those who want all the fitness tracking without strapping on a bulky smartwatch. Taking on the Oura and Ultrahuman, the Circular Ring Slim builds on the success of the Circular Ring Pro and opts for an even lighter and more comfortable design.
The Circular Slim Ring fails to fulfill its incredible potential
The Slim fails at the same things as the Pro
The Ring Slim swaps high-grade stainless steel for aluminum and shaves off its weight by 50%. Clocking in at just 2 grams, you’ll barely feel the weight. The slimmer design means that some compromises had to be made. For example, battery life is now shorter at five days. Additionally, the watch can store 20 days of data compared to the 40 days that the Pro 1 is capable of storing. Neither of these limitations should be deal-breakers, though, especially once you factor in the drastically reduced price. The Circular Ring Slim is a great choice for all but the most demanding users.
No screen, no problem
If you’re struggling to choose between the models above, we recommend closely examining our top three. The Galaxy Ring isn’t just one of thebest smart rings, but an excellent fitness tracker with a design that doesn’t add much bulk to your daily fitness routine. It focuses more on tracking health data with ways to take a closer look at your fitness journey. No subscription fee, either, which is nice.
If you really want to dig deep into your fitness journey, the Whoop 4.0 is a premium choice. This fitness band tracks everything you do — from your sleep pattern to the steps that you take. It’s an expensive option, though, as it comes with a costly monthly subscription that is required for all the band’s best features.
Finally, if you like an analog aesthetic, and need only the essentials of health metrics, it’s hard to go wrong with the Withings ScanWatch Light. Rated for up to 30 days of battery life and matched with an excellent design, the ScanWatch Lite delivers top-tier step and sleep tracking. Moreover, it is equally capable of displaying notifications from your phone — all this and more without breaking the bank on subscription fees.
Samsung finds ways to stand out in the crowd with its first Galaxy Ring. The first-generation device is tastefully designed and offers solid tracking capabilities, including integration with all Android phones, regardless of brand.
