how the Ultrahuman Ring Air replaced my Apple Watch

a 3-month reflection on my experience

Jul 20, 2024

For regular readers of the blog, you’ll know that I enjoy technology. For the past 8 years, I’ve saved my pennies and bought specific products to fulfill various wants and needs.

For a long time, the Apple Watch has been a staple on my wrist. I loved the integration into the Apple ecosystem, seeing notifications on my wrist, and being able to track my fitness. So, why did I switch from a perfectly good product to something that can’t do any of the “Apple stuff?”

how I switched to the Ring Air:

I had been aware of these new wearables for a few years. Yet, they had not hit the mainstream in tech until this July, when Samsung unveiled their first fitness ring. All that to say, I’d been dreaming for a while. Through a pretty specific set of circumstances, my wife and I had some extra money we needed to spend on health items, and after band-aids, this ring was my first choice.

The process was relatively simple. We ordered this sizing kit on Amazon for $1. After sleeping a night or two with the fake rings on our fingers to make sure it was a good fit, we placed our orders. A few weeks later our new toys arrived.

I was replacing my wedding band, which was a basic heavy ring I had had for a few years. My wife wore hers on her index finger but later switched to her other ring finger due to her pregnancy. I immediately noticed it was lighter, looked sharper, and felt more upscale.

During the first few weeks of wearing it, people were able to identify it as a fitness tracker, but I think that was just because it was new. Lately, no one has said anything. It’s just a gold wedding band… on the outside.

“there’s more to them than meets the eye” – Optimus Prime

This little fitness tracker is an impressive little tool. Boasting a 6-day battery life, heart rate monitoring, step counting, and sleep tracking it does a lot with a little. These advertising claims are mostly true. It has an impressive battery life, tracks all my steps no matter the activity, and has brought so much awareness to my sleep life.

Every morning, I check my sleep score, drop it on the charger while I shower, and once I put it back on, I forget about it. Throughout the day the app will send me notifications including caffeine intake updates, movement prompts, and circadian rhythm insights. Then, at the end of every week, I get a summary of my health insights with trends to help me live better. Or not.

why I switched from the Apple Watch.

It’s not that I disliked the product. In fact, in my life, I’ve owned two Apple Watches. I loved the step tracking, the ability to unlock my computer when it’s unlocked on my wrist, and the ability to take quick phone calls.

But… because it tried to do so many things, I found that it never had enough battery for sleep tracking, the notifications became a distraction, and the value it added was not equal to what it cost.

Also, they broke WAY too easily.

why I’ll most likely not go back.

Yesterday I hand washed my car. Didn’t take my ring off.

Went on a 4-day cruise. Didn’t pack my charger.

Moved across the US. Tracked my body's response with low effort.

The simplicity and usefulness of this item have been game-changing. I am much more aware of the ways my screen time impacts my sleep quality. I know how eating sugar and big meals near bedtime negatively influences my deep sleep. I know when to cut caffeine and when to move my body and seeing sunlight can help me wake up earlier.

These functions reveal what the product is more accurately than just a sleep tracker. It’s a circadian rhythm tracker. It wants you to be aware of how your body adapts and changes throughout the day. It wants to show you when your stress is helpful and when it’s not. More than the Apple Watch can, the Ring gives you deep insight into the ways your body works and encourages you to build momentum in taking care of yourself.

final thoughts

I’ve found that simplicity is one of the greatest things I can do for my health. I’m not a highly motivated person when it comes to working out, eating well, and sleeping soundly. Yet, through simple tools, I’ve found momentum in those exact areas. It’s made me more attentive as a husband and more capable as a leader.

I’ve merely enjoyed life.