It's no secret that smart rings are quickly becoming the en vogue choice for those looking to track their health and wellbeing. Gone are the days when smartwatches were the popular choice, as droves of users flock to something more discrete and unobtrusive.
By and large, these companies also have a subscription element, which can drastically alter the overall cost of using one. Enter the Leep Ring – a British designed smart ring with the key difference of no monthly fee.
I've been putting the device through its paces over the last couple of months to see what it's all about.
Leep Ring app
On the face of it, there's really not much which can't be tracked on this device. You'll get detailed access to sleep insights, step tracking and other activity metrics, heart rate and blood oxygen and stress tracking.
That's all accessible with the brand's app, which has been the biggest upgrade in my time using the device. When I first kitted up, it was a little lacklustre, and didn't seem to be as well-designed as it could be.
Since then, the app has updated and it now feels a lot more premium and intuitive. The layout includes buttons at the bottom for sleep, stress and activity, as well as a tab for articles and insights from the brand.
There's also a home button in the centre, which gives an overview of the sleep and activity sections, and a heart section which doesn't appear anywhere else. Personally, I'd prefer that to be on the base menu level, rather than the articles, which could be hidden elsewhere for those really searching.
I'd also like to see more consistency in how the widgets in the app work. Clicking some of them takes you to graphs and deeper insight, while others aren't clickable. It takes some memory to recall what sends you where.
Leep Ring design
As for the ring itself, there's not too much to write home about. It's crafted from titanium to ensure a lightweight wearing experience, and is just 2.22mm thick. That's impressive, and ensures it sits nicely on the finger without weighing you down.
The only mark of design flair is a diagonal cut-out section, which has a practical application, too. That sits on the inside of your finger, to ensure the sensors are correctly placed, but adds a touch of minimalist design in the process.
The brushed finish follows a similar theme – smart, but not overly eccentric.
Leep Ring battery life
One thing which all screen-free wearables need is a good battery, and this model is present and correct there. The ring itself is said to be good for eight days, with the case offering a further 60 hours.
In my testing, I've found that to be broadly right. The ring lasts around a week before I get range anxiety and pop it into the charging case, but the case has proven to be a significant gamechanger. I've only charged the case once, and it's still going strong, which is a significant achievement.
My one gripe here is that the notifications around battery life simply aren't that good. In fact, I only ever seem to get them when I open the app, which is really rather pointless. I'd much prefer for the app to push a notification properly when I hit, say, 10% battery.
Leep Ring verdict
If you've been reading my reviews for a while, you'll know I'm hardly the most sporting member of the T3 team. But that doesn't mean I don't want to be able to keep track of my health and fitness, which is exactly why a device like this makes sense.
Would I continually pay a monthly fee for more features? Not a chance! But I'll buy this once and enjoy a little extra peace of mind when it comes to my wellbeing. That's enough for me, and it may well be enough for you too.
