Smart Rings / RingConn Gen 2 (2024) vs Circular Ring 2 (2025)
RingConn Gen 2 (2024) vs Circular Ring 2 (2025)
RingConn Gen 2 (2024)
The cheapest way to get sleep-apnea screening on a finger with no monthly bill.
Wins overall by 1.3 points
Quick Verdict
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) takes this by a clear 1.3 points. The cheapest way to get sleep-apnea screening on a finger with no monthly bill. The Circular Ring 2 (2025) only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) and Circular Ring 2 (2025) are both closely matched smart Ring models, and the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) is $30 cheaper than the Circular Ring 2 (2025) ($269 vs $299). On App & Data, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads (7.3 vs 4.5/10) — app stability, insight depth, platform parity and whether you can get your history out. On Durability, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads (8.0 vs 5.5/10) — finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied. On Value, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads (8.7 vs 7.0/10) — what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price. Overall, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores 8.4/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.1/10 for the Circular Ring 2 (2025). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | RingConn Gen 2 (2024) | Circular Ring 2 (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $269.00 | $299.00 |
| Release Year | 2024 | 2025 |
| Battery Life (claimed) (days) | 12✓ | 8 |
| Battery, In Practice | RingConn publishes 10-12 days for the ring and 150 days including the case. There is no vibration motor to switch off, so the figure is less conditional than the Gen 3's. Ring charges in about 90 minutes. | Circular publishes two numbers, not one: 8 days in power mode and 5 days in performance mode — performance mode is the one that samples more often. Tom's Guide's tester got a week or more in practice. |
| Subscription | None. Sleep-apnea monitoring, continuous SpO2, cycle tracking and every other metric are included with the hardware. | No mandatory subscription today; core features come with the ring, and some advanced screens are unlocked with in-app coins earned by wearing it. Circular has said a premium tier covering blood glucose and blood pressure is coming, with neither price nor date published — so the no-subscription position is provisional, not guaranteed. |
| 3-Year Cost of Ownership ($) | 269✓ | 299 |
| Sizes Offered | US 6-14, no half sizes; RingConn sizing differs from standard US ring sizes | US 6-14 |
| Sizing Kit | Free sizing kit selectable at checkout, shipped ahead of the ring; the kit round trip adds one to two weeks before the ring is dispatched. | Two routes: a camera-and-credit-card digital sizing flow that needs no kit at all, or a $5 physical replica-ring kit. This is the only brand here that lets you skip the kit wait entirely. |
| Returns & Size Exchange | 14 days for returns and exchanges, in line with RingConn's other rings. | 14-day no-questions-asked return policy, 1-year warranty (2 years in the EU). |
| Measured vs Inferred | Optical heart-rate sensor, skin-temperature sensor and accelerometer. Heart rate, SpO2 and temperature are tracked continuously rather than spot-sampled. The sleep-apnea figure RingConn quotes (90.7% accuracy) is a risk indicator derived from those signals, not a clinical sleep study. | The only ring in this comparison with actual ECG electrodes: a 40-second single-lead reading screened for atrial fibrillation. Everything else — the 140+ 'biosignals' across 13+ health features — is derived from the same PPG, temperature and motion stack every other ring uses. |
| FDA Clearance | None published. Sleep-apnea monitoring is marketed as a wellness risk indicator; it is not an FDA-cleared apnea diagnostic. | Circular states, and Tom's Guide's review confirms, that the ring is FDA-cleared to monitor for irregular heartbeats indicating AFib. That clearance covers the AFib feature, not the other 140 biosignals. |
| Water Rating | IP68 (100m/328ft) | Sources conflict: Circular's own store page lists IP68 only, while Tom's Guide's review states 50m water resistance with IP68 — either way, half the 100m rating Oura and RingConn claim |
| Phone Support | iOS 17.0+ and Android 10.0+ | iOS and Android |
| Charger & Data Export | Magnetic charging case included, good for about 150 days of ring charges. Export: not published by the manufacturer. | Proprietary charger. Export: not published by the manufacturer. Tom's Guide reported sync failures that lost whole nights of sleep data, so what reaches the app is not always complete. |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Royal Gold, Future Silver, Matte Black, Rose Gold ($359) | Obsidian Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold |
Category Scores
Subscription Freedom
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 8.0 — a 1.5-point margin on how much of the ring keeps working with no recurring payment — the category's defining trap. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sleep Tracking
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 8.3 against 7.0 — a 1.3-point margin on sleep staging depth, overnight accuracy and how usable the morning report is. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Health Sensing
The Circular Ring 2 (2025) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.8 — a 0.7-point margin on what the sensors genuinely measure — heart rate, SpO2, temperature, ECG — rather than infer. If that is what you are buying for, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Battery Life
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 8.7 against 8.0 — a 0.7-point margin on real days between charges with continuous sensing on, plus what the charging case adds. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sizing & Fit
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 8.0 — a 0.5-point margin on how many sizes exist, how good the sizing kit is, and how forgiving the exchange policy is. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Data
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 7.3 against 4.5 — a 2.8-point margin on app stability, insight depth, platform parity and whether you can get your history out. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Durability
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 5.5 — a 2.5-point margin on finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) leads clearly here, 8.7 against 7.0 — a 1.7-point margin on what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price. If that is what you are buying for, the Circular Ring 2 (2025) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) if…
- • App & Data matters most to you — the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores 7.3/10 here (app stability, insight depth, platform parity and whether you can get your history out).
- • Durability matters most to you — the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores 8.0/10 here (finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied).
- • Value matters most to you — the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores 8.7/10 here (what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price).
- • Subscription Freedom matters most to you — the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores 9.5/10 here (how much of the ring keeps working with no recurring payment — the category's defining trap).
- • Sleep Tracking matters most to you — the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores 8.3/10 here (sleep staging depth, overnight accuracy and how usable the morning report is).
Choose the Circular Ring 2 (2025) if…
- • Your main use case is heart-health.
Pros & Cons
RingConn Gen 2 (2024)
Pros
- +Sleep-apnea monitoring included with no subscription — the Gen 2 Air drops this feature entirely
- +$269 on sale from $299, and three-year cost is that same $269
- +2mm thick and 2-3g, thinner and lighter than any Oura
- +150-day charging case means one wall charge a season
Cons
- −The apnea figure is RingConn's own 90.7% accuracy claim, not an FDA-cleared diagnostic — it flags risk, it does not diagnose
- −Rose Gold is $359, $90 above the sale price of the other finishes
- −Bluetooth 4.0-class radio and a 2024 sensor stack; the Gen 3 adds vibration alerts and vascular trending
- −14-day return window, and RingConn sizes do not map to standard US ring sizes
- −No published data-export route, so your history lives in RingConn's app
Circular Ring 2 (2025)
Pros
- +The only ring here with real ECG electrodes and an FDA clearance for AFib detection
- +Digital sizing by phone camera removes the one-to-two-week sizing-kit wait every rival imposes
- +$299 with no mandatory subscription, against $608.97 over three years for a base Oura Ring 5
- +Advanced screens are earned by wearing the ring rather than billed monthly
Cons
- −The app is the weak link: Tom's Guide hit sync failures that lost sleep reports outright, and could not get the ECG feature to run during testing
- −Circular has announced a future premium tier for glucose and blood pressure with no price or date, so the no-subscription promise is not locked in
- −Water rating is half the category norm, and sources disagree on whether it is 50m or IP68-only
- −Titanium finish was described as scratch-prone, and the interior sensors protrude enough to leave marks on the finger
- −Fitness tracking is thin next to Samsung and Oura — this ring is aimed at cardiac screening, not training
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) or Circular Ring 2 (2025) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for App & Data, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) or the Circular Ring 2 (2025)?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores higher on App & Data (7.3/10 vs 4.5/10) — app stability, insight depth, platform parity and whether you can get your history out.
Which is better for Durability, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) or the Circular Ring 2 (2025)?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores higher on Durability (8.0/10 vs 5.5/10) — finish scratch resistance, water rating in practice, and whether the finish is warrantied.
Which is better for Value, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) or the Circular Ring 2 (2025)?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores higher on Value (8.7/10 vs 7.0/10) — what the ring delivers against its total cost of ownership, not just its sticker price.
Which is better for Subscription Freedom, the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) or the Circular Ring 2 (2025)?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) scores higher on Subscription Freedom (9.5/10 vs 8.0/10) — how much of the ring keeps working with no recurring payment — the category's defining trap.
Is the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) worth the price difference over the Circular Ring 2 (2025)?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) is the cheaper option at $269 versus $299. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in App & Data.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) is the better fit if you mainly care about no-subscription or sleep-tracking. The Circular Ring 2 (2025) is the better fit for heart-health.
What's the warranty on the RingConn Gen 2 (2024) vs the Circular Ring 2 (2025)?+
The RingConn Gen 2 (2024) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Circular Ring 2 (2025) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
RingConn Gen 2 (2024) — $269.00
Premium Option
Circular Ring 2 (2025) — $299.00
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.