Sleep, fitness, mood, even fertility... they all track them so which smart ring is for you?

Ditch the smartwatch, rings are the thing! HANNA GEISSLER road-tested the must-have new wearable health tech

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From sleep tracking to calorie counting, stress analysis and heart-rate graphs, we have never had more health data quite literally at our fingertips. Smart rings - such as those made by Oura, Samsung and Luna - are soaring in popularity. Less bulky than watches and boasting almost a week-long battery life, these bands are packed with sensors to measure biometrics including temperature, blood oxygen and physical activity.

Data is synced to a smartphone app which provides a wealth of insights and can reveal long-term trends or changes.

Rings lack the GPS tracking capabilities of watches and cannot display notifications, but the absence of a screen is a key attraction for many, says Annika Bizon, vice president of product and marketing at Samsung UK & Ireland.

She says: “They offer discreet, stylish health tracking. That discretion can matter more than you think as many people prefer to monitor their progress quietly. It’s more than just a fashion statement, it is a powerful way to stay connected to your wellbeing that delivers vital health insights in a form factor that works for real life.”

Swapnil Vats, product and business head at Luna, says many New Year's resolutions fail because we set ambitious targets without understanding what our body needs, and smart rings can help decode your physiology to identify what holds you back.

He adds: “They are being adopted more by people who seek to also monitor sleep and recovery.”

Oura's recent Year in Review report, which gathered data from thousands of users worldwide, revealed the UK and Northern Ireland topped the league table for activity, averaging a daily score of 85.19 out of 100. Meanwhile, New Zealand and Australia ranked highest for sleep, averaging 80 and 79.4 out of 100, respectively.