I wanted to love the Amazfit Helio Ring but it has one big flaw: I can't wear it

Having tested a bunch of them by now, I’m always the first to celebrate every new smart ring arrival. Whether the product is a home run or a work in progress, I am simply excited to see the field expand. However, I’m not sure the Amazfit Helio Ring should have shown up to the party just yet when currently only larger hands (read: not me) can give it a try. But I have a duty to review it, so I had to think outside the box for this one.

This is my review of the Helio Ring: a smart ring I can’t wear.

Update, November 2024: We’ve updated this review to note that Amazfit has removed subscription fees for some advanced features and dropped the price by $100.

A big ring that turned into a big-ish ask

The kind-hearted, midwestern counterpart to my abrasive, New York upbringing, there are a lot of things my partner puts up with in our marriage. When I became a fitness-focused wearables reviewer and then quickly tore through knee ligaments in a ski accident, I upped the ante of being my biggest supporter, asking him to test devices on runs and rides while I cheered from the comfy couch. Despite his positive attitude, once I recovered enough to do my own fitness tracking reconnaissance, he was happy to relinquish the role.

…and then the Amazfit Helio Ring arrived on our doorstep.

Skipping to the punchline, the Amazfit Helio Ring is only available in two very large sizes. The company plans to release additional models going forward for a total of seven sizes, but the current availability is limited to size 10 or size 12. These choices are entirely too big for me to test, but I was eager to learn more about the device (especially with the Samsung Galaxy Ring about to drop). If you haven’t figured out where this is going, I’ve reenlisted my favorite assistant to wear the device for the past ten days, registering everything from his workouts and sleep to heart rate and recovery.

To be clear, the ring isn’t a perfect fit for him either. The smallest option, the size ten, only fits on his middle finger when he would have preferred to wear it on his ring finger. Given the titanium alloy build and overall design of the ring, it is well-suited to swap in for a wedding band (as opposed to wearing two similar rings at once). Generally speaking, though, he found the ring comfortable for everyday activity. It’s unobtrusive enough for typing throughout the workday and lightweight enough for sleeping at night.

On the other hand, it’s bulky for gripping things like weights or the handlebar of our rowing machine, making it a tough fitness companion. I also spied my partner taking it off when playing guitar. In other words, the physical act of wearing the ring hasn’t been much of a burden but also hasn’t been seamless. I’ve heard the ring bang on a few surfaces and items, though a close inspection shows minimal wear and no noticeable scratches. This speaks well for the Helio Ring’s durability, especially when other smart rings have proven highly susceptible to scratches. I also appreciate the ring’s subtle dotted pattern that effectively hides imperfections while delivering a bit of interest.

My partially-second-hand experience

Secondhand testing a device feels a lot like stalking mixed with nagging. Much of the review period is spent combing through someone else’s sleep stats one minute and asking them to go for a run the next. Fortunately, smart rings are designed to be minimalistic, making this a slightly easier ask than other devices. Overall, my partner found the Helio Ring much more convenient than a smartwatch, with longer battery life and few action items beyond checking the companion app when he felt interested.

On the other hand, while the Helio Ring’s battery life is certainly better than his Apple Watch, it only lasts about 3.5-4 days between charges which is actually quite short compared to other leading smart rings. The first time it died completely caught me by suprise. After that, I found myself pulling the device off his hand at odd intervals just to slip it back on his finger before bed.

The ring’s charger is similar to that of the Oura Ring 4 with a cradle design and USB-C cable. I don’t love these types of chargers, as they tend to flip over when bumped. I wish more companies would move to the case-like design of the RingConn and Galaxy Ring. The Helio Ring’s charger does have a helpful indicator light and a small indent identical to that of the ring to help you orient the device on its charger. It takes nearly two hours to charge the ring from zero to 100%, which is a commitment, so as I mentioned, I preferred to top it off as much as possible rather than running it all the way down to zero.

Within its tiny thumbprint, the ring packs an optical heart rate sensor, temperature sensor, and an EDA sensor. It does not boast built-in GPS, though that’s not unusual for smart rings. It pairs with the Zepp Life app, which covers all the basics of health and fitness tracking but also focuses on training readiness and recovery. Users will find plenty of detail worth diving into. Highlights in this household included Readiness (which often gave my partner permission to “Take it easy”) and sleep regularity, which I leveraged to prove what I’ve been saying for the past ten years: the man needs a bedtime routine.

You can edit the home screen to display the data you’re most interested in, tap into fields to access more details, check battery life, adjust goals, and review insights. At launch, Amazfit kept a few tools behind subscription fees. If you were interested in max insights and features, you’d need to pay for Zepp Aura for AI sleep insights and Zepp Fitness for personalized health and fitness tools. As of September 2024, though, those subscription fees for the Zepp Aura and Zepp Fitness services are gone, and if you were one of the early adopters who’s already paid for Zepp Aura or Zepp Fitness, those with active subscriptions can apply for a refund. Subscription fees will always be disappointing to me, and Amazfit’s move does give it an advantage over the Oura Ring.

On the fitness front, you can also use the ring to record a handful of activities, though you’ll need to initiate the workout on your phone and bring your phone along for GPS data. Generally, my partner’s heart rate data during workouts loosely aligned with his Apple Watch Series 9, but the ring wasn’t as accurate as either of us would have hoped. This is possibly due to its loose fit. I am intrigued by a ring attempting to branch further into fitness tracking, even if the experience needs work. Meanwhile, Amazfit’s larger intention is that users adopt both the company’s smart ring and an Amazfit smartwatch.

The idea is that you can sport the ring on a regular basis for passive tracking and then equip a smartwatch from the ecosystem for something like a race, event, or training session. The app will combine all the data from both devices into one place, automatically prioritizing whichever wearable is worn at any given time. It’s an interesting approach if you are prepared to fork over the cash for two separate devices. Personally, I would need to see the Amazfit smartwatches advance before swapping one in for my go-to’s from Apple, Samsung, and Garmin. That said, I can see this type of integration within the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem having a lot of success very soon.

Amazfit Helio Ring review: The verdict

The Amazfit Helio Ring delivers some very real benefits. It’s a lightweight, comfortable fitness tracker that offers background data collection to anyone not interested in wearing a smartwatch around the clock. The jewelry-inspired design blends into any wardrobe, and without a screen or haptics, it won’t disrupt your day or your sleep. Its passive approach to health monitoring makes it an easy device for a non-reviewer to wear at his wife’s request.

Yet, I can’t let go of how strange it seems to launch any device that will only fit such a limited audience until an unspecified point in time. If Amazfit hopes to compete with an established maker like Oura or an incoming rival like Samsung, I would think hooking a large user base out of the gate would be paramount, and it’s hard to recommend a product that so many people can’t actually use. I also can’t help but feel that as women tend to have smaller fingers than men, it’s a very specific audience left waiting. I hope that the decision to start with the larger sizes has only to do with fitting in sensors and batteries and doesn’t reflect gendered priorities.

Beyond band size, the Helio Ring delivers the basics, including reliable sleep tracking. Its battery life is also short compared to competitors. The ring’s most interesting distinguisher is its integration with Amazfit smartwatches. Correlated data in a single app will always be beneficial, offering the ability to sync data from multiple devices across an ecosystem.

There’s also the price, which has dropped from $299 at launch to $199 permanently. That’s a significant saving over a lot of other smart rings, and definitely makes it more of an option for anyone looking for a smart ring on a budget. Just be very sure it fits you first!

Amazfit Helio Ring review: FAQ