Smriti is a true tech aficionado and WearableXP’s resident review specialist. Her approach to technology is anything but ordinary. After years of research and expertise...Read more
Backed by an impressive $60M funding in their first round led by ARCH Venture Partners back in August 2022, Happy Health is set to launch its first product, the Happy Ring. Co-founded by Tinder founder Sean Rad, Happy Ring is set to helping people swipe their way to a better mood.
The ring is described as a “clinical lab wrapped around your finger.” Using EDA sensors and AI syncing biofeedback from one’s sleep, temperature, mood, and heart rate, the Happy Ring is seemingly perfect on paper. But with the updates dating back to August 2022, the reason why the ring hasn’t hit the market yet, remains uncertain.
With Oura dominating the smart ring space, apart from their delays, Oura’s impeccable sleep and period tracking qualities are daunting tasks for Happy Ring to compete with. The question remains: will Happy Ring be able to deliver their promise of a ring that puts mental health at the forefront, or will they be stomped at by a competitor like Oura? Let’s find out.
Specifications
| Specifications | Happy Ring | Oura Ring Gen3 |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Scratch-resistant ceramic exterior, medical-grade platinum skin sensors | Titanium with PVD coating |
| Water-Resistance | Up to 1 meter (IP67) | 100 m (IP68) |
| Sizes | US 6-13 | 6-13 |
| Sizing Kit | Yes, free | Yes, free |
| Dimensions | 2.4mm thick x 8mm wide | 2.5mm thick x 7.9mm wide |
| Weight | 4-6 grams (depending on size) | 4-6g (depending on size) |
| Compatibility | iOS 15 and above (Android coming soon) | iOS 15 and higher or Android 9.0 and higher |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth Low Energy | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Colors | 2 colors – Glossy White, Glossy Black | 6 colors – Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Titanium, Gold, and Rose Gold |
| Battery Life | Up to 36hrs normal use; up to 7 days on low power | Up to 7 days |
| Charge Time | N/A | 80 mins |
| Warranty | N/A | 1 – 2 years |
| Price | N/A | Starting $299 |
| Subscription | $20 USD/ month | $5.99 USD/month |
| Availability | US only | Worldwide via authorized retailers |
Features
| Happy Ring | Oura Ring Gen3 |
|---|---|
| HR | HR |
| HRV | HRV |
| On-finger Detection | RHR |
| SpO2 | SpO2 |
| Respiratory Rate | Respiratory Rate |
| Sleep Stages | Sleep Stages |
| Sleep Onset/ Naps | Nap Detection |
| Sleep Quality | Sleep Efficiency |
| Autonomic Events | Daytime Stress |
| Apnea/ Hypopnea/ Hypoxia | Activity and Workout Tracking |
| Stress 24×7 | Steps |
| Cognitive Performance/ Focus | Skin Temperature |
| Activity | GPS (via phone) |
| Steps | Sleep Latency |
| Skin and Ambient Temperature | Movement During Sleep |
| Sun (or light) Exposure | Sleep Pattern |
| Scratch | Find My Ring (iOS) |
| Tremor | Sleep Score |
| CRS Onset Detection | Calorie Tracking |
| Seizure Detection | Readiness Score |
| Geolocation | Body Clock |
| Phone Use | Period Tracking |
| Sharing and Downloading Data | Guided Meditations, Breathing Exercises, and Sleep Audio |
| Sharing and Downloading Data |
Hold Your Breath for the Happy Ring If:
1. Mindfulness Over Metrics Is Your Motto
Beyond metrics such as activity, sleep, and recovery, Happy Ring is set to focus on mood, stress, and sleep in real time, using special EDA sensors, the electric changes that occur on the hand in response to sweat produced on the palms of the hand, and adaptive AI to capture brain signals and translate them into measurements to tackle emotional well-being.
On top of swiping your way to a happier mood, the Happy Ring will be able to detect mental health and anxiety triggers such as tremors, seizure detection, 24×7 stress monitoring, sleep apnea, hypopnea, and hypoxia.
Happy is banking on its breakthrough technology embedded into its hardware and not on third-party apps. It also has guided breathing exercises and CBT-baked journal prompts to unwind and de-stress.
2. You’re an iPhone User
The Happy Ring will be launched with its app only compatible with iOS. So, if you’re an Android user, your choice is set for you. The app and its data will sync with Apple Health for a seamless view of your health and wellness.
It is mentioned on the website that compatibility with Android is “coming soon,” although with the ring launch itself in question, it might be a long wait.
3. You’re Based in The US
The Happy Ring is also set to launch in the US initially, so if you’re residing anywhere other than the States, you might need to wait a long time before its international release.
4. You Don’t Mind Paying $20 as Monthly Subscription
The Oura app’s subscription model stings with the added cost on top of the product, but the Happy Ring, with no word on its product price, is set to have a monthly subscription of $20 with an option for annual or a 24-month billing cycle.
I will have to wait for the launch and its initial response to figure out if the Happy Ring will actually make me happy or if the hole in my pocket will completely reverse the initial intent of buying the ring.
Sensors
| Happy Ring | Oura Ring Gen3 |
|---|---|
| Broad-spectrum PPG | Infrared photoplethysmography sensors (PPG) for heart rate and respiration |
| Continuous EDA | 3D accelerometer for movement |
| Accelerometer | Negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor for body temperature |
| Skin and ambient temperature |
Go for the Oura Ring If:
1. You Are an Android User
Oura integrates with iOS and Android, both. So you do not have to have a particular device to base your smart ring purchase decision on. It is compatible with the device you have, along with many third-party app integrations, making the user experience seamless and informative.
2. You Don’t Want to Be Stuck to The Charger
After using the Oura Ring for a year, the battery life is something I never knew I would be so impressed with. It lasts me a good 6 days before needing a charge, and I usually top it off between showers, and I almost never run out of battery.
The Happy Ring, though yet to set foot in the market, claims a battery life of 3 days, and I don’t want to be stuck to a charger or not have the ring do its job because I forgot to charge it.
3. You Want the Ring Outside of The US
The Oura Ring is available via their official website, in 46 countries, and worldwide via authorized retailers such as Amazon, BestBuy, and Target.
The Happy Ring will only be launched in the US, and there is no word on international releases yet.
4. You Focus More on Prioritizing Sleep and Movement Throughout the Day
Yes, the Oura Ring does not have a dedicated EDA sensor for stress tracking, and it will not monitor your mood by catching your brain waves, but when it comes to overall health and wellness, the Oura Ring does it all.
It pulls more focus on sleep and recovery by providing sleep data in such detail yet, so simple to understand and comprehend. It also has helped me focus on movement throughout the day, counting steps even while performing day-to-day tasks and not just hitting the gym for an hour and calling it a day.
The data provided by Oura has helped me understand how and what affects my sleep, has almost made me quit binge eating and having movie marathons till 3 in the morning, and generally has made me a healthier person. It might not be the most comfortable to track my workouts at the gym but dare I say, it has been the best investment I’ve made in my health journey.
5. You Need an Impeccable Device for Period and Fertility Tracking
Oura’s period tracking abilities are nothing short of wizardry. It takes 60 nights to set up a baseline body temperature, and the deviations thereafter are what predict my next period, the cycle phase I’m in, and my ovulation.
It has integrations with several period tracking apps such as Flo, Clue, and Glow, and the most important for people looking to take their fertility into their own hands without the use of non-intrusive, non-hormonal pills and devices, the Natural Cycles app.
Final Verdict
For people who suffer from mental health issues such as anxiety, ADHD, depression, schizophrenia, etc. Happy Ring seems to be a ground-breaking device on paper. My issue lies with the fact that their first funding was back in August 2022, and there have been no updates since. The silence on the launch date and what is going on behind the scenes is concerning, to say the least.
Oura, a well-established brand name in the industry, has much to offer. From its easy-to-comprehend data to it being a motivational life coach encouraging me towards better habits, there’s a reason why Oura has stuck the landing.
Personally, I feel waiting for the Happy Ring is like waiting for rain in this drought. Useless and disappointing. (Bonus points if you got the movie reference.)
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Smriti is a true tech aficionado and WearableXP’s resident review specialist. Her approach to technology is anything but ordinary. After years of research and expertise in cutting-edge consumer technology, she is now exploring the world of smart wearables only to evaluate and bring her unique insights.
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