I have now tried four different smart rings from four different brands (reviews soon), and the new Renpho Lynx smart ring has been able to separate itself from the pack, practically, among other things. It does all the main things you want a smart ring to do, like sleep tracking, overall health monitoring, look discreet, but most importantly, it does not try to reinvent the wheel. After spending a few weeks with the Lynx smart ring, here is everything you need to know and why you should consider it.
Before we get into the review, lets talk some specs.
So it does a lot and has a lot going for it. There is one spec there that sets it apart from the rest but we will get into that.
How you think it looks is entirely subjective, so this is just what I think. The Lynx Smart ring, which I have in carbon black, is surprisingly sleek. I am not one to wear any ring aside from my wedding ring. I had never worn anything on my fingers until I started testing bright rings a few months back. The ring has a matte and minimal finish with a slim glossy strip that gives it a bit of character without being showy. The inside of the ring does have some sensors that protrude into your finger for better accuracy. I was not a fan at first, but you forget that they are there in a few hours and actually helps you find the charging orientation much easier.
For me, the number one selling point is the battery life. This thing claims 12 days of uninterrupted use. Now, do I get 12 days out of it? No, but I easily get 9-10 days of consistent use. Then you also have an AirPods-like carrying case that gives you an additional 7 daysâ worth of charge. I have tested other rings, and you are lucky to get 3 to 4 days before you have to charge it again. So, the absolute best thing about this ring is the battery life and how you almost never have to worry about needing to recharge it at all. If you have tried other smart rings, then you will know just how bad battery life can be on these because rings are tiny to begin with. So the 10ish days plus the battery case make this an easy recommendation because it makes it a practical product.
What is nice about this Lynx Ring is that it is part of the Renpho ecosystem. I have used Renpho scales for years, so I was already familiar with the app. Renpho is known as the best-selling smart scale company on Amazon. Now, adding a new smart fitness device allows it to have even more health data from your day-to-day life. The app is very easy to use, read, and understand. When you open the app, it begins to sync with your ring. One thing to note is that it is not actively syncing in the background. So you need to open the app to sync and see all of your data, which takes about 5-10 seconds. The Renpho app gives you data like:
One big thing I would love is if we got a push notification when the ring battery is low. Some other smart rings do that, but this one doesnât. So while the battery does last a long time, the only way to see battery level is when you are in the app and synced.
The way I use smart rings is mostly for passive health tracking. Iâve mostly been using the Lynx to track sleep and recovery, especially on workout days. The sleep data goes deeper than expected for a sub-$200 ring, showing sleep cycles, sleep efficiency, and even sleep latency. Iâve also been keeping tabs on my stress levels throughout the day, which the app visualizes nicely in a timeline format. When I go on runs or walk the dog, I donât need to open anything; everything just syncs when I open the app. That kind of âset it and forget itâ tracking is exactly what I want from a smart ring and what makes it so practical.
Then again, I cannot stress enough how impressive the battery life is. I just have not had to worry about it. Every 5 or 6 days (even though it last longer) I just plop it on the charging case that is on my desk, just to make sure I have some charge. But even after those 6 days, I still have 35+ percent battery left. Its fantastic.
One thing I do want to note about smart rings in general is that I do not use them for active workouts. Especially weight training. I find that I always use my Apple Watch. For runs, it works well, but for actual weight training, where you are holding dumbbells and barbells, itâs just too uncomfortable. But again, that is not specific to the Lynx ring, thatâs all smart rings in general (at least for me).
My goal with smart rings was to still track my health data when I wasnât working out so I could wear normal watches and not feel like I was missing out on tracking my data (I know thatâs a weird issue to have).
The RENPHO Lynx Smart Ring is available now for $179 on Renphoâs site. You can choose between a Carbon Black or a more premium-looking Titanium Silver finish. Both come with a battery case and a USB-C cable. The best part is that there is no upselling, subscription fee, or in-app purchases. You buy it once and get to use it. Itâs hard to find this much functionality in this product category for this price.
I also want to mention that you can order the sizing kit for free (and get to keep it) to make sure you get a snug fit. Not all size 10 rings are created equal, so this is great in order to make sure it fits correctly.
What do you think of this? Do you wear smart rings? Which ones have you tried in the past? Would you ever try one? Do you think Apple would ever make one? Letâs discuss below!
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Fernando Silva started off his professional career in the enterprise Tech space with his primary focus being moving large organizations from onsite legacy technologies to a more modern cloud infrastructure. All the technologies he dealt with were mostly in the Microsoft arena but he was always a lover of Apple at heart.