RingConn Gen 2 Air review: No subscription, no frills, just solid health tracking

There is a lot of commotion on the cheaper end of the smart ring market, with many no-name brands trying to carve out a little slice of the ever-increasing wearable pie for themselves. RingConn isn’t one of those brands, but it’s true that the company is going after the same price-conscious shoppers – albeit with a decent product.

I found the RingConn Smart Ring Gen 2 a perfectly fine product that improved on its predecessor and doesn’t cost the earth. It can’t compete with the best smart ring, which still is the Oura Ring 4, but it gets the basics right. This is why I was slightly puzzled by the release of the RingConn Gen 2 Air, an even more affordable version of the wearable.

The most significant omission is the sleep apnea tracking, something the Gen 2 is capable of. You don’t get the handy charging case either; plus, battery life is somewhat limited compared to the watch’s most expensive sibling. Is the RingConn Gen 2 Air worth the money, though? Let’s find out.

RingConn Gen 2 Air review

Price and availability

The RingConn Gen 2 Air was launched in Feb 2025 and is available to buy now at RingConn for a recommended price of $238.80 (approx. £184.11/ AU$376.08). It’s available in two colours only: Dune Gold and Galaxy Silver.

Specifications

• Weight: 2.5-4 grams
• Thickness: Not specified
• Available sizes: 6-14
• Battery life: up to 10 days
• Water rating: IP68/ATM 10
• Colours: Dune Gold, Galaxy Silver

Design and build quality

The RingConn Gen 2 Air has a more rectangular approach, with the four corners of the ring clearly visible. Of course, these corners are rounded, giving the wearable a somewhat recognisable look.

Made from “titanium steel,” the brand says the Gen 2 Air has a “more fashionable and eco-friendly design.” It is the company's first smart ring with customisable accessories, including seven ring protectors in a variety of colours. I haven’t been sent any, so I can’t comment on these – they look vibrant on the website.

The RingConn Gen 2 Air weighs only 2.5 grams (the smallest version; the larger models are around 4 grams) and has a thickness of 2mm at its thinnest point (again, the smaller version). There are two small bumps on medical-grade epoxy resin that covers the inside of the ring, and the ring is thicker where the sensors are to help you align it on your finger without looking.

RingConn claims it reworked the PPG sensor layout to achieve a smaller footprint. Similar to the Oura Ring 4, the layout is said to help optimise battery life, presumably by ensuring not all LEDs are firing continuously. The Gen 2 Air is equipped with a skin temperature sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer to track movement (e.g. when you are standing, steps, etc.).

I like the magnetic USB-C charging dock, which is the same for all ring sizes. This allows people to share chargers, which, I hope, might reduce unnecessary tech waste. Sadly, the Gen 2 Air doesn’t come with the charging case the Gen 2 has, which is a shame, but I understand that would increase the price.

Features and the RingConn app

The RingConn Gen 2 Air misses out on sleep apnea tracking, so if you need that function, you’re better off with the Gen 2. I personally don’t have apnea and as such, I don’t find this feature all that useful, so I don’t mind. I appreciate some people might do, though.

You get all day stress and also sleep tracking, as well as heart rate, heart rate variability, and activity tracking. I found the sleep tracking fine; not quite the same level as Oura, but the ring recognised my bedtime and when I woke up, and took a decent crack at portioning my sleep into different sections (e.g. deep, REM, light, etc.)

One thing it did better than Oura was noticing when I was awake. Everyone wakes up during the night, even if you don’t get out of bed, which must be hard to detect for rings. The RingConn Gen 2 Air seems to be capable of tracking these moments. Plus, unlike the Apple Watch, it gives you a sleep score.

I liked that stress tracking uses language that doesn’t make me feel like I’ve done something wrong. Oura keeps saying I’m in the ‘Engaged’ or ‘Stressed’ zone and shows dark red colours, which makes me stressed. RingConn stress levels are called ‘Normal’ and ‘Moderate’ with a little smiley face on a slider. I found it a much better way to handle the subject.

The RingConn app compiles your main health and activity stats to create what it calls ‘Wellness Balance’. The box sits at the top of your dashboard, allowing you to glance at your day's overview quickly. The goal is to fill the four-leaf clover-like icon at the top as best as you can (gamification for the win).

Exercise tracking is one of the weak points of RingConn’s ecosystem. Not only does the Gen 2 Air doesn’t recognise workouts automatically, but it also only has a few workouts in track at all: Outdoor Run, Indoor Run, Outdoor Cycling and Outdoor Walking. Worse still, you’ll need your phone on you to track outdoor position (the ring piggy-backs on the back of your smartphone’s GPS).

Probably the clunkiest feature is the AI chat, which is featured prominently on your toolbar at the bottom of the app. It will only tell you stuff that you can already gather from the app anyway; for example, it’ll say your sleep is over that you started your day with some activity. You can only ask three questions, and neither are helpful.

On the flip side, you can check trends and sign up for health improvement plans to improve your scores. Admittedly, the plans are basic and only provide you with certain goals to hit, but it’s something and it’s free.

Battery life and charging

The RingConn Gen 2 Air has a slightly reduced battery life compared to the Gen 2, which might not be a fair comparison because the latter has the longest battery life of all smart rings worth mentioning at up to 12 days.

The new ring ‘only’ can only function for 10 days on a single charge, which is still leaps and bounds better than the Amazfit Helio Ring (4 days) and Ultrahuman Ring Air (6 days). The Gen 2 Air also charges fast, so even though you don’t get the swanky (albeit quite large) charging case, you won’t have to worry about your ring running out of juice.

Verdict

RingConn did it again. The Gen 2 has already been one of the best value-for-money smart rings on the market, but the Gen 2 Air raised the bar of what to expect from affordable finger wearables.

Sure, it can’t really be used for exercise tracking, and the app’s AI functions are clunky at best. But if you’re looking for a no-fuss smart ring with no subscription that does the basics well, the RingConn Gen 2 Air is probably the model I’d recommend.

It might only come in two colours, but you get the ring protectors to give it more personality if you want to. Plus, offering fewer colours might help people decide quicker – no one likes to ponder for ages over which of the six colours to choose from.

It’s a cheap(ish) ring that provides some useful health insights without being distracting. It has a long battery life and a cool little magnetic charger stand – what more can you ask for from a $200 dollar wearable?