Reebok is the first big sports brand with its own smart ring

In a surprise twist, Reebok is getting in on the fitness tracker trend but not with a typical smartwatch – instead, the company is getting into the smart ring market with the simply titled Reebok Smart Ring.

The ring is now available to buy via Reebok’s own website in sizes 6-14, beating the likes of Nike and Adidas to market, but it’s only being shipped to customers in the US.

Priced at $249 (roughly £186 converted), the Reebok Smart Ring comes in a lot cheaper than rivals such as the Oura Ring 4 (from $349) and Samsung Galaxy Ring ($399).

The other catch, apart from US-only availability, is that using with the Reebok Fitness App isn’t free. The subscription costs $99 per year, but you get your first year free when purchasing the ring.

You can choose from three finishes (Matte Black, Matte Silver and Shiny Gold) with no mention of what it’s made of.

According to the brand, it is designed to provide 24/7 fitness tracking across a range of metrics. Curiously, the only indication that it’s Reebok-branded is on the inner surface, where it will be covered up.

The ring is listed as tracking your heart rate, HRV (heart rate variability), skin temperature, SpO2, stress and more. It can even keep tabs on your sleep, and you’ll get a “unified daily “One Score” that simplifies how they train, rest, and recover.”

According to Reebok, the ring should last for up to a week on a single charge, during which its data can be synced to the accompanying Reebok Fitness App so you can check in on your progress.

Even though the popularity of smart rings is on the rise, it is surprising to see a company like Reebok get in on the action, given that it doesn’t have any prior experience in the wearables industry, although the ring has been developed in conjunction with F45 Training and manufactured by The Original Fit Factory.

With Reebok getting in on the action, the fight to have the best smart ring is certainly heating up with excellent options already available from the likes of Oura, Ultrahuman and RingConn.

The benefit of having a smart ring is that they are far more inconspicuous than a smartwatch, which makes them preferable to those who either don’t want to be bogged down by tech, or generally don’t enjoy wearing a timepiece.

There are some downsides to the technology, however, as one Samsung Galaxy Ring user discovered last month when his unit’s battery expanded and had to be removed at a hospital.