I’m stopping you from buying the RingConn 3 (even though it’s nice)

I would have bought a wearable health tracker a lot sooner if they weren’t all so ugly.

I don’t want a glowing, woven screen on my wrist whoop The bracelet looks like something I would have made at summer camp. But in the last few months, both RingConn and Ora It has launched slimmer devices that actually blend in with the jewelry, so you don’t have to shout to the world that you’re currently monitoring your blood oxygen level.

So, against my better judgment — and knowing that I was giving a tech company my health data for no reason — I purchased my first daily wearable health tracker: Ringcon 3. About ten days later, I was relieved to learn that I was still within the two-week return period and dropped it off at the post office.

Between RingConn 3 and Oura ring 5I chose RingConn simply because it is less expensive, starting at $349 compared to the Oura, which starts at $399. That’s not a huge difference, but Oura also requires users to pay for a $6 monthly subscription to use a device they’ve already paid for, which is the kind of blatant money-grabbing tactic that I think a CFO would come up with while twirling his mustache and jabbering. I don’t want to appease the man who twirls the mustache.

At first glance, the rose gold RingConn 3 exceeded my expectations. It’s actually beautiful! Matching the Oura Ring 5’s 2.3mm thickness, it’s still a little larger than your standard ring, but it’s still comfortable to wear.

It actually makes for a casual piece of jewelry, especially if you pair it with it Another stackable ring. When you order the ring, you’re sent a size chart first, which is worth the extra step – I was tempted to order just my normal ring size, but found that I actually had to choose a larger size for a comfortable fit.

The RingConn 3’s design feels sturdy. While some people online say their rings developed scratches quickly, I found that the brushed metal version was more resistant. I haven’t had the ring long enough to confirm its claims that its battery can last 14 days on a single charge, but I haven’t encountered any battery issues.

While the ring is waterproof, you can even wear it while swimming! -I decided to put it in its charging case when I take a shower.

Aesthetics aside, the RingConn 3’s Less screen The form factor appealed to me because it’s something I can wear passively, check once a day at most, and think about the data later. I’m not the only one with such preferences: American spending on fitness trackers has increased 88% on an annual basisThis is largely due to screen-less wearables like the Oura Ring and Whoop wristband, according to market research firm Circana.

But in terms of health tracking, the RingConn 3 wasn’t as useful as I would have liked.

For the first few days, the data recorded by the ring was like a shiny new toy. I enjoyed checking the app to see if my heart rate or stress levels changed during my day. My stress levels seemed to remain stable, but they spiked when I did my laundry (accurate, if I’m honest).

I found the sleep insights interesting, but they mostly confirmed what I already knew without spending $349: I sleep poorly when I drink, and better when I maintain a consistent bedtime.

However, I was disappointed to find that the RingConn 3 required a significant amount of manual intervention. It only detects workouts if you’re physically moving through space — so if you’re at the gym or doing Pilates, the ring won’t automatically recognize that you’re working out. Meanwhile, any two-minute walk through your apartment building will be referred to as short exercise. (I promise that my heart rate will not be significantly affected by receiving mail.)

I thought RingConn would have been worth it if only for that Headache detection The feature is supposed to warn you of an upcoming headache by monitoring your heart rate variability. I suffer from unpredictable migraines, so if I had been told to take my migraine medication proactively, the episode would have been revolutionary for me. Definitely worth the $349.

But after about a week of RingConn ownership, I had the worst migraine attack of my life. It lasted all weekend, and the pain was so bad that I sold my ticket to see one of my favorite bands.

All the while, the ring told me I was at a “highest level.” If the headache detection feature didn’t work for me, I couldn’t see myself wanting to wear the RingConn every day. I decided to return it while I could still get my money back.