Why I still recommend this Oura Ring alternative with no subscriptions in 2026
RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring: The Subscription-Free Wearable That Outlasts the Competition
Smart rings have become the minimalist’s answer to health tracking, offering sleep monitoring, activity tracking, and vital sign measurements without the bulk of a smartwatch. But most suffer from one critical flaw: terrible battery life. Enter the RingConn Gen 2, a $299 smart ring that promises to revolutionize the market with up to 10-12 days of battery life—and delivers on that promise with impressive results.
First Impressions: Design and Build Quality
The RingConn Gen 2 immediately stands out with its square-edged design, a departure from the perfectly circular rings we’ve come to expect. I found this unique shape surprisingly comfortable, fitting snugly without rotating or feeling loose during daily activities.
Available in silver, black, and gold finishes, the ring maintains its appearance even after weeks of continuous wear. Unlike some competitors that tarnish quickly, the RingConn’s finish holds up remarkably well against daily exposure to water, soap, and the elements.
Sizing ranges from 6 to 14, covering most finger sizes. The ring comes with a charging case that’s a game-changer—it can power the ring for over 150 days without needing to be plugged in. As someone who constantly manages charging cables for multiple devices, this feature alone makes the RingConn worth considering.
Battery Life: The Real Winner
Here’s where the RingConn Gen 2 truly shines. While most smart rings claim week-long battery life but deliver only five to six days, the RingConn consistently lasted seven days in my testing—still significantly better than competitors and approaching its advertised 10-12 day range.
This marathon battery life means you can wear the ring continuously for sleep tracking without the anxiety of nightly charging. It’s the kind of reliability that makes health tracking actually useful rather than a chore.
Health Tracking Features: Comprehensive but Different
The RingConn Gen 2 monitors the essentials: sleep, activity, stress, and vitals including heart rate and SpO2. However, it takes a different approach to overall wellness assessment.
Instead of the popular “readiness score” found in Oura and Ultrahuman rings, RingConn uses a “Wellness Balance” feature. This presents your health data as a flower graph—longer petals indicate areas where you’re meeting or exceeding benchmarks, while shorter petals show where you need improvement. When all petals are balanced, your wellness is considered optimal.
It’s a creative visualization that makes understanding your health status intuitive at a glance. I particularly appreciated seeing all my key metrics displayed together in such a digestible format.
Sleep Tracking: Accurate but Conservative
The sleep tracking capabilities are robust, including a sleep apnea detection feature with 90.7% accuracy. The app provides detailed graphs showing SpO2 fluctuations throughout the night, along with timelines highlighting significant breathing events.
In side-by-side testing with the Oura Ring 4, I noticed the RingConn tends to be more conservative in its measurements. Where Oura recorded eight hours and two minutes of sleep with a 94% efficiency score, RingConn logged seven hours and 45 minutes with 91% efficiency. This pattern held across multiple nights—RingConn consistently subtracted about 15 minutes from my recorded sleep time.
Activity Tracking: Underestimates Steps
The RingConn also tends to underestimate daily step counts compared to other trackers. While this might be frustrating for step-count enthusiasts, it’s worth noting that all activity trackers have some degree of inaccuracy, and being conservative isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
App Experience: Room for Improvement
This is where the RingConn Gen 2 shows its weaknesses. The user interface feels underdeveloped compared to competitors. While the Wellness Balance visualization is excellent, the detailed insights lack the personalization and depth found in apps from Oura or Ultrahuman.
On good sleep days, for instance, the app might simply display “Good sleep makes you happy”—a generic statement that doesn’t leverage the specific data it’s collected about your sleep patterns. The recommendations feel impersonal and could benefit from more tailored, actionable advice.
Health Insights: Mixed Results
The app does provide context alongside scores, which is helpful. During a period when I was ill and spent an entire day sleeping, the app warned that excessive sleep could slow metabolism and potentially lead to weight gain. While this information is technically accurate, it felt somewhat tone-deaf given my circumstances.
Pricing and Value Proposition
At $299, the RingConn Gen 2 undercuts most competitors significantly. Oura’s Gen 3 starts at $299 but requires a $5.99 monthly subscription for full feature access. Ultrahuman’s rings start at $349 with similar subscription requirements. The RingConn’s one-time purchase model, combined with its superior battery life, represents excellent value.
Who Should Buy the RingConn Gen 2?
This ring is ideal for:
- Users who prioritize battery life over granular readiness scores
- Those who want comprehensive health tracking without subscription fees
- People who appreciate visual, intuitive data presentation
- Anyone frustrated with constantly charging their wearable devices
Who Should Look Elsewhere?
Consider other options if you:
- Rely heavily on readiness scores for training decisions
- Want the most sophisticated app experience with personalized insights
- Need the absolute most accurate step counting
- Prefer circular ring designs
The Bottom Line
The RingConn Gen 2 isn’t perfect—the app needs significant refinement, and some measurements skew conservative. However, its combination of competitive pricing, exceptional battery life, and comprehensive health tracking without subscription fees makes it a compelling option in the smart ring market.
For users who want reliable, long-lasting health tracking without the ongoing costs or charging hassles of competitors, the RingConn Gen 2 delivers impressive value. It’s proof that you don’t need to spend $400+ or commit to monthly subscriptions to get quality health insights from a smart ring.
The battery life alone—lasting a full week where others barely make it to day six—makes this ring worth serious consideration. Factor in the no-subscription model and the convenient charging case, and you have a smart ring that solves many of the pain points that have plagued the category.
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