Best Smart Rings for 2026: Expert Tested and Reviewed


The Ultrahuman Ring Air: Following a lawsuit filed by Oura Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air has been banned in the US. It was not at the time of my testing, after which we awarded it the superlative “best smart ring if you like working out.” But if you own a ring or purchase one, you can still use it exactly as intended. The company is working on a new design and plans to launch it as soon as possible. In the meantime, the Ultrahuman Ring Pro is available in the US.

The Ultrahuman Ring Air came out in June 2023. Verizon teamed up with it to be the first carrier to sell a smart ring. The light ring, which costs $349, is available for iOS and Android. It uses infrared photoplethysmography or PPG sensors to track sleep, recovery, stress levels, caffeine intake, calories burned, steps and reproductive health for those who menstruate (cycle, ovulation and pregnancy insights). There is no extra subscription fee to use the Ultrahuman ring, so that’s a plus. Unlike the Oura and Evie Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air has a more masculine look and a thicker band. If you prefer daintier jewelry, this may not be the smart ring for you.

I wasn’t a fan of the app layout for this ring because it looks busy, which makes it difficult to read. Between the dark backdrop of the app and each data marker being a different background color, it’s displayed in a way where there’s too much information to take in at once. The key data markers are also not always in the same order. For example, at points when I open the app, the caffeine permissible window is shown as a line graph at the top, depicting the window that it’s okay to drink caffeine.

Right after that is the dynamic recovery data, then sleep and sleep debt, followed by data on your light exposure window as a countdown, and that’s just the first half of the page. Perhaps the app would benefit from a more consistent and simplistic approach when showing all this data. Someone who loves data may like this but I thought it could be presented in a more digestible manner. I was also reminded that wearables can be inaccurate: When I compared the sleep data and other data markers across the rings, they were never the same. In some cases, the readings were close and in others they were off by a lot.

One of the features that stood out to me was this smart ring’s ability to record different types of workouts. Unlike the other smart rings I tested, the Ultrahuman Ring Air seemed to have a better version of workout tracking but it can still use some improvement. I think it could benefit from the auto-detection feature that the Oura Ring has for movement, and even take it a step further so that it can accurately detect the type of workout you’re doing based on your exercise habits. The Ultrahuman Ring Air also lets you create zones, which you can share with other friends who own the ring. The zones are meant to share your movement stats for the day as a way to connect. If you own the Ultrahuman M1 Live Glucose Monitoring patch, you can even connect your data to the ring, which would probably give you a more detailed reading.

I mainly used this ring to record some of my strength training workouts. As I mentioned, the Ultrahuman ring has a long list of workouts you can choose from to record, ranging from outdoor running, functional strength training, outdoor walking, household chores, cross-training, hiking, Pilates and a lot more. The Ultrahuman ring’s data mainly looks at your average heart rate, heart rate recovery, calories burned and the heart rate zone you’re in (zone 1 to 5). This can be helpful in some circumstances, like if you’re pregnant and want to avoid overexerting yourself or keep track of your training zone.

At one point, I wanted to see how similarly the rings collected data during a run. I usually use my Apple Watch to record my runs, so I’m familiar with how it calculates distance and pacing. I compared the results from the Oura and Ultrahuman Ring Air to my Apple Watch, as the Evie Ring can’t record any workout in real time. The Oura and the Ultrahuman Ring Air captured similar data (heart rate, pace, distance), but it was surprising to see that even though each wearable provided its own estimates for these respective factors, the Ultrahuman ring was the most inaccurate.

For example, the Apple Watch logged me at 10 minutes, 25 seconds per mile pace for the 30-minute run, but the Ultrahuman Ring Air captured it at a pace of 17 minutes per mile, which is a vast difference and makes me question its accuracy if I were to rely on it as a wearable. Whereas the Oura Ring captured it as a 10:32 minute/mile pace, which is closer to the Apple Watch reading. If you don’t mind the ring not capturing the most accurate data when running and want a basic reading, you may not mind the Ultrahuman Ring Air. However, if you’re training for races and care about accurate metrics, then you’re better off using another type of wearable.

As far as sleep tracking goes, I don’t think it captured my reading as accurately as the Oura Ring. Similar to Oura, Ultrahuman Ring Air uses its own scores for sleep. The Ultrahuman ring seems to provide me with a more generous reading than the Oura. With the Oura Ring, I can tell the difference if I’m not as well-rested. Besides the ease of recording a workout in real time, I liked that the Ultrahuman ring gives you a caffeine window that’s easy to follow. I am sensitive to caffeine and I usually don’t drink a lot of coffee to begin with but I have referred to Ultrahuman’s recommendations and tried to stick to the window. I notice when I drink caffeine outside of the window, it’s harder for me to wind down.

Like other rings on this list, the Ultrahuman ring went through some updates during the testing period, but I didn’t notice anything significant from the data I received. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, you may like the Ultrahuman Ring Air. But before I go smartwatch-free, I would like to see some improvement in a few of its wellness features.

The Evie Ring: The Evie Ring is the first smart ring on the market designed with those who menstruate in mind to help them track their sleep and other wellness factors. The ring retails for $269 (the cheapest on this list), is iOS and Android compatible and comes in three colors: silver, rose gold and gold. No subscription is needed to use this ring. The ring design is also a touch more stylish than that of the Oura and Ultrahuman rings, but that depends on your personal preference. The charging case is ideal because you can take it anywhere, it has up to 10 additional charges before needing the charging cable, and it’s a good way to store the ring when not in use. It has a four-day battery life, though I would argue it’s more like three days, like the other rings.

What is supposed to make Evie unique is that it can track menstruation cycles and automatically track your sleep, heart rate, exercise and more. However, unlike Oura or Ultrahuman, where you are provided with suggestions to improve certain aspects of your health based on the data it collects, it seems that Evie is lacking in that department. While it can log your menstruation symptoms daily, whether you have a heavy or light flow, a workout or even read sleep data, Evie doesn’t make recommendations based on this information. It functions more like a health diary than an actionable piece of wearable tech.

I didn’t find Evie did anything different to make it stand out from the other two rings I tested, even with the various software updates it went through. The app itself is basic and easy to follow but lacks in its design. I will give it credit that one of the latest updates includes an AI chatbot, which asks about health goals you have in mind and offers recommendations based on your answers. I found it more generic than I would’ve liked because the ring should be familiar with your habits based on the data it’s collecting. You can easily lie to a chatbot and this defeats the point of wearing a smart ring that observes your health habits.

Like the other rings, I had to log a workout after the fact because it only records certain activities. It also tracks how active you are, your steps and the calories you burn throughout the day. This is fine, but I could just wear a smartwatch and get the same data. As far as the features being targeted toward menstruating people, I didn’t think it was anything revolutionary. I could easily use Apple Health to track when I’m ovulating or to log my period. I would’ve liked to see Evie take it a step further. For example, skin temperature readings could offer more information than just telling me my average at night. It left me wanting more because tracking body temperature is how some people can tell they’re ovulating or most fertile, especially if they’re trying to get pregnant.

The Evie has potential, but until it revamps its software functions and readings, you’re better off with a different smart ring that’s already ahead of the curve.

Reebok Smart Ring: Reebok launched the Reebok Smart Ring in October 2025. I was excited to see an activewear brand release its own smart ring and hoped that it would be reliable for tracking fitness data. This ring fell short for me due to the cheaply made design and lackluster app. It didn’t collect as much information as I would’ve liked from the fitness perspective, and I thought it could use improvements.





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Recent Reviews


Québec City in winter asks for a different kind of travel mindset. Days move more slowly, distances feel longer, and simple choices like what you wear, where you stop, how much you plan shape your experience more than usual. This is not a destination you rush through or try to out-optimize.

We arrived thinking we understood winter travel. After all, I was a professional skier for over 20 years. We left realizing how intentionally this city operates when temperatures drop. Streets are designed to keep life moving, meals stretch longer, and the season becomes part of the rhythm rather than something to work around.

These are the things we wish we had fully understood before our first winter visit, not as warnings, but as perspective. A little context goes a long way in Québec City, especially when everything is quieter, colder, and at its most beautiful.

Winter Isn’t a Downside — It Is the Experience

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Quebec Canada
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

If you’re waiting for spring to see Québec City “at its best,” you’re misunderstanding the city.

Snow doesn’t just decorate Old Québec, it transforms it. Winter softens sound, slows foot traffic, and changes how the city feels. Locals don’t retreat indoors; they adapt. Fire pits appear. Ice slides reopen. Outdoor spaces are reimagined instead of abandoned.

Once you accept that winter sets the tone and is not something to work around, everything else falls into place.

Pack Functional, Not Fancy (Style Can Still Exist)

Snowy Quebec City Canada
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

This isn’t the place for sacrificing warmth for aesthetics. But that doesn’t mean you need Arctic expedition gear either.

Think intentional layers:

  • A real winter coat (insulated and wind-blocking)
  • Wool socks (you’ll walk more than you expect)
  • Insulated boots with grip
  • Gloves you can still use your phone in
  • A hat that actually covers your ears

Québecers dress well in winter, but nothing is accidental. Warmth comes first, style follows. Pack with that same mindset and you’ll enjoy the city instead of constantly searching for the next place to thaw out.

We found that we packed too many “cute clothes” and ended up dressing in our layered ski clothes on most city days.

Ice Cleats Are a Secret Weapon

Christmas night in Quebec City
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

Sidewalks are cleared efficiently, but winter reality still applies. Packed snow turns glossy. Stone steps remember every freeze-thaw cycle they’ve ever endured.

Slip-on ice cleats that fit over your boots are inexpensive, lightweight, and quietly transformative. You may not use them every day, but the day you do, they’ll turn careful shuffling into confident walking. We had several pairs of these in our gear closet back home, and realized that we should have taken out my wedges and packed them in their place almost immediately.

Old Québec Is Basically a Stair Workout

Lower Quebec City Canada
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

Upper Town. Lower Town. Repeat. Ville haute. Ville basse. Répéter.

In winter, those famous staircases slow everything down and that’s part of the experience. You’ll pause more often. Catch your breath. Turn around to admire views you might rush past in warmer months.

Plan breaks. Use handrails. Don’t rush the climbs. Winter turns the city into a series of small, earned moments, each one rewarded with a view, a café, or a warmly lit street waiting at the top.

Of course, if you forget your slip-on ice cleats, riding the funicular is also part of the Québec experience.

You’ll Walk More Than You Expect, Even in Winter

Mural Quebec City
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

Québec City is compact, especially inside the walls. Winter doesn’t change that. It simply adjusts the pace.

You’ll still walk everywhere, but you’ll do it more deliberately. Fewer stops per day. More wandering without an agenda. More lingering once you finally warm up.

Build buffer time into your days. Over-planning works against winter here. The city reveals itself best when you let things unfold slowly. We are compulsive over planners and one-more-thingers. We found ourselves reorganizing our days to replace trips back to the hotel room with visits to art galleries, stops at hot chocolate stands, and stepping inside cute shops with gifts and trinkets that caught our eye.

Book a Walking Tour Early (They Know the Tricks)

Walking tour of lower Quebec
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

A winter walking tour isn’t just about history; it’s about strategy.

Good guides know how to:

  • Plan efficient routes
  • Time indoor stops to warm up
  • Adjust pacing for snow and ice
  • Keep the experience comfortable without breaking the flow

We booked a walking tour with Israël from Cicerone Tours for our first morning in Québec, and it gave us context, orientation, and confidence, which made everything else feel easier and more intentional. Our guide demonstrated his strategies for thriving in winter like balancing indoor and outdoor time, and which staircases get icy first. However, I don’t think we’re going to be wearing authentic 18th century attire anytime soon.

Restaurants Become Destinations, So Plan Accordingly

L'Échaudé Restaurant Quebec Canada
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

Cold weather changes how you eat.

Meals stop being refueling breaks and become anchors in your day. Long dinners. Rich Québécois comfort food. Warm bread, soups, and wine that feel genuinely earned after a snowy walk.

Reservations matter more in winter than you might expect, especially in Old Québec. Don’t assume you can wander in last-minute. Planning a few meals ahead keeps hunger from dictating your evenings.

We found ourselves on a European style cadence. Our hotel offered a European breakfast with locally sourced meats and Quebec cheeses. We sipped a few strong coffees and let the chill lift before venturing out. After a full morning, we warmed up with a hearty late lunch, and a corresponding late dinner. Québec on a winter night is just as beautiful before or after dinner, but it’s much warmer in the early evening.

Winter Festivals Actually Matter

Homage to hocky in Quebec City
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

Events like the Winter Carnival aren’t just visitor attractions. The locals participate fully, especially for hockey. Families bundle up. Friends meet outdoors. The city feels energized rather than shut down.

Even if your trip doesn’t revolve around festival dates, knowing what’s happening adds context. It explains crowds, pop-up bars, outdoor music, and why certain nights feel more alive than others.

Check the calendar before locking in plans. Winter events subtly shape the rhythm of the city. Maybe you want to target the festivities. Maybe you want to avoid the crowds. Either way, you need to plan accordingly.

The Countryside Is a Winter Wonderland

Montmorency Falls Quebec Canada
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

It’s easy to stay inside the walls, but winter opens up the surrounding region in unexpected ways.

Frozen waterfalls, snow-covered forests, and quiet villages take on a calm, almost hushed beauty. Day trips feel less rushed, with fewer crowds and more room to breathe.

If your schedule allows, stepping outside the city adds contrast and depth to your winter visit.

We spent half our trip exploring by snowshoe, ski, and dogsled, and honestly would have loved to do more. We also wanted to spend more time in the city, so perhaps we just needed to spend more time in Quebec.

You Don’t Have to Stay at the Ice Hotel, But You Should Visit

Hôtel de Glace Quebec Canada
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

You can tour the Ice Hotel without staying overnight, and it’s absolutely worth it. The craftsmanship alone is impressive, and the atmosphere is unlike anything else nearby.

That said, staying the night is a completely different experience. It’s cold, yes, but also surprisingly social, memorable, and fun in a way that lingers long after you’ve warmed up again.

Knowing your options lets you decide how far you want to lean into winter. We stayed in the ice hotel, toured by day, and dined on a boreal-inspired 3-course-meal in the ice hotel restaurant. Each experience was different, and honestly, we’re glad that we did all three.

Why Winter In Québec Just Makes Sense

Quebec City Canada at night
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.

Winter strips Québec City down to what actually matters. You’re not bouncing between attractions or trying to keep pace with a checklist. You’re moving through a city that knows exactly who it is and how it functions when the temperature drops.

The cold forces better decisions. You dress with intention. You plan fewer days but use them well. Meals become anchors instead of afterthoughts. Wandering replaces rushing. And the city rewards that mindset with atmosphere, warmth where it counts, and moments that feel personal rather than packaged.

Québec City doesn’t shut down in winter — it sharpens. Streets are quieter but never empty. Experiences feel more deliberate. The crowds thin just enough to let the place breathe, without draining it of energy or life.

If you come prepared, winter isn’t something you work around here. It’s the reason everything else works so well. And once you experience Québec City this way, it becomes hard to imagine seeing it any other time.

Ready to Book Your Trip? These Links Will Make It Easy:

Airfare:

Lodging:

Insurance:

  • Protect your trip and yourself with Squaremouth and Medjet
  • Safeguard your digital information by using a VPN. We love NordVPN as it is superfast for streaming Netflix
  • Stay safe on the go and stay connected with an eSim card through AloSIM

Our Packing Favs:

  • We LOVE Matador Equipment for their innovative products and sustainability focus. Their SEG45 is a game changer when you need large capacity while packing light.
  • Travel in style with a suitcase, carry-on, backpack, or handbag from Knack Bags
  • Packing cubes make organized packing a breeze! We love these from Eagle Creek

Attractions/Activities:

  • Save on tickets to attractions, sightseeing tours, and more with Tiqets
  • Get Your Guide and Viator for guided tours/excursions, day trips, and activities
  • Want to learn a city from the ground up? Take a small group walking tour with Walks – 5-star rated with a Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence
  • Want to book an epic adventure experience with top-notch companies like Intrepid Travel, G-Adventures, or Backroads? Check out Travelstride
  • Find information on local trails with the All Trails App.
  • Need something else to plan your perfect trip? Visit our Resources Page for more trusted partners

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Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman aka Coleman Concierge. In a nutshell, we are a Huntsville-based Gen X couple sharing our stories of amazing adventures through activity-driven transformational and experiential travel.



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