The Swiss are known to make quality products that last a lifetime. This reputation extends to wearable technology with the introduction of the Velia Smart Ring. While still in the testing phases, raising crowdfunding of +$1.5M and selling over 10,000 rings on pre-orders, the Velia has been breaking records as the no.1 crowdfunded smart ring.
Oura Ring being an established market leader in this space, boasts a loyal customer base. With impeccable data tracking abilities and a sleek design, redefining comfort and wearability, Oura is well-loved by the likes of celebrities and health enthusiasts alike.
When the Swiss-made Velia Smart Ring (formerly Iris smart ring) made a buzz with their promising claims even before rolling out the product, we had to pit it against the market giant, the Oura Ring, to see if you should wait or stick with the tried and tested.
Oura vs. Velia Smart Ring: Specifications and Features
| Specifications | Velia Smart Ring | Oura Gen3 |
|---|---|---|
| Photodetectors | 6 | 3 |
| PPG Sensors | 18 LEDs | 4 LEDs |
| Material | Medically Graded Titanium | Titanium |
| Width | 5.2 mm | 7.9mm |
| Thickness | 2.5 mm | 2.55 mm |
| Weight | <5g | 4-6g |
| Colors | 3 colors – Gold, Silver, and Black | 6 colors – Silver, Black, Stealth, Brushed Titanium, Gold, and Rose Gold |
| Sizes | 9 sizes (US 6 – US 14) | 8 sizes (6-13) |
| Wireless Docking Station | Yes, with a battery for 4 full chargers | No, USB-C connected wire |
| Water-Resistance | Up to 330ft | Up to 330ft |
| 3D Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Battery Capacity | – | 15-22 mAh |
| Battery Life | 3-4 days for US 6, Up to 5 days for US 14 (subject to improvement) | Up to 7 days |
| Charging Time | 20 – 40 mins | Up to 80 mins |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS | iOS 15 and higher or Android 9.0 and higher |
| Price | $280 | $299 – $549 |
| Availability | First shipment at the end of Q4 2024 | Ships to 46 countries |
| Subscription | $10, currently lifetime free for backers | $5.99/ month |
What makes the Velia Ring stand out is that it has 6 sensors instead of 2 like any other smart ring in the market. The idea behind this, according to Dr. Assim, is that the 6 sensors will record each metric accurately, even if the ring rotates on the finger.
| Features | Velia Smart Ring | Oura Gen3 |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Heart Rate Variability | ✅ | ✅ |
| Blood Oxygen Sensing | ✅ | ✅ |
| Activity | ✅ | ✅ |
| Respiratory Rate | ✅ | ✅ |
| Body Temperature | ✅ | ✅ |
| Blood Pressure | ✅(over the air) | ❌ |
| Stress Monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sleep Tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fertility | ✅(post update) | ✅ |
| Pregnancy Insights | N/A | ✅ |
| Vo2 Max | ❌ | ✅ |
| Snoring Analysis | ✅ | ❌ |
| Find My Ring | ❌ | ✅(Only in iOS) |
| Steps | ✅ | ✅ |
| Low and High Heart Rate Alerts | ✅ | ❌ |
| Personalized Optical Feedback | ✅ | ❌ |
| Guided Sessions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Chronotype | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cardiovascular Age (CVA) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Body Clock | ❌ | ✅ |
Design, Dimensions, and Durability
When it comes to looks, the Velia smart ring is much more sleek than the Oura ring. With a significant difference in width, the Swiss-crafted Velia smart ring lives up to its promise of looking like a delicate jewelry piece.
We all know how comfortable the Oura Ring is to wear. Even while doing everyday chores, I barely feel like I have it on. It looks so sleek and goes with every outfit. I love the fact that it doesn’t look like a “gadget” while still being very diligent in its tracking abilities.
The Velia comes in 3 colors, while its counterpart, the Oura ring, presents 6 colors in their Horizon variant.
When it comes to battery life, the Oura Ring takes the cake again. It easily lasts me a week on a full charge while the Velia co-founder, Dr. Assim Boukhayma, says the smallest ring size will last 3-4 days and the biggest size up to 5 days. As per their latest update, they have entered their EVT phase (Engineering Validation Test); Assim said the battery life is subject to improvement.
Metrics
Both the Oura and the Velia rings boasts great features. While the Oura has personally been put through tests, many of the Velia features are unclear since they have not started shipping their product yet.
The company is crowdfunding via Kickstarter and Indiegogo, much like Oura did in the beginning, but their consistency in going against deadlines is not looking good for the company and is resulting in frustration among their backers.
Fitness
Along with steps, calories burned, and total activity throughout the day, the Oura Ring has automatic activity detection for 40 types of activities. Along with this, Oura also has over 50 workouts that can be manually added via the app.
Although tracking day-to-day activities is an area Oura shines in, the fact that it’s not the most comfortable to wear at the gym while weightlifting is a drawback that Velia can learn from.
The Velia Smart Ring tracks total activity (calories burned), and steps, along with distance traveled while walking. It also features the detection of automatic workouts; the number of activities and workouts it can detect is currently unknown.
Sleep
Sleep is a metric where Oura truly shines. From total sleep time to sleep stages and sleep latency, everything is displayed so meticulously on the app that it doesn’t take me more than a glance to understand how well I slept.
Oura tracks my total sleep time, time in bed, sleep stages, and the number of times I woke up in the middle of the night and calculates my sleep efficiency based on the same. The metrics are also combined to give me a Readiness score in the morning, which tells me how ready I am to take on the day.
The Velia smart ring promises all that and much more. Dr. Assim, in a video, shed light on the three axes they are focusing on- sleep, stress, and hypertension detection.
It is unclear from the app previews if sleep latency or detection of signs of sleep apnea will be a feature, but along with all that the Oura does, the ring will also detect blood pressure to assess signs of hypertension throughout multiple nights.
Hypertension Prevention
Dr. Assim highlighted the Hypertension tendencies when one is sleeping. This is one feature that is really tempting and almost too good to be true. Even if they get it close to a sphygmomanometer reading, it’s a big win.
How this will work is that the ring is embedded with an AI-powered algorithm that will look for patterns in the data collected, such as systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean (MBP), over a significant amount of time, and notify you to look into it and prevent a potentially lifelong problem.
Oura, despite being in the market for 9 years, has highlighted no such feature.
Stress Monitoring
Oura’s daytime stress is a sought-after feature by many, but for me, personally, it’s a little inconsistent. You see, stress is a metric determined by various other factors, such as HR and HRV. The HR in the Oura Ring is deeply affected by movement during the day, therefore recording stress incorrectly.
The body also responds to stress in the same way, be it a good workout session, intermittent fasting, body in ketosis, or actual stress and anxiety.
While the Swiss brand promises the same, I wonder if the increase in the sensors will have any impact on the reading. I do hope they have a different EDA sensor for stress rather than estimating the same based on various metrics.
Cycle Tracking
I’ve tried a number of apps and trackers throughout the years, and nothing comes close to Oura’s cycle-tracking feature. From accurately measuring the phases of my cycle and predicting my next period, their integration with Natural Cycles is a boon for women who want to take control of their fertility without invasive hormone-disrupting pills and procedures.
An over-the-air update on the Velia Ring also promises a similar feature by recoding HR, HRV, and body temperature to analyze one’s basal body temperature (BBT). It will be interesting to see if they can integrate a “digital birth control” without the need of an external app.
Personalized Optical Feedback
Another interesting feature of the Velia Ring is the optical feedback. This feature will enable users to personalize the LED lights on the ring to shine in different colors (blue, green, or red) as per their needs.
Oura sends immobility reminders via the app, but that’s about it. The Velia Ring, on the other hand, sends a visual reminder.
For example- I can set an alert to shine a blue light when my heart rate goes beyond a certain point while working out.
Additional Key Features in both, the Oura Ring and the Velia Ring
- HR
- HRV
- Personalized Recommendations
- Breathing Rate Monitoring
- Blood Oxygen Levels
- Body Temperature
Data Transfer
Both the Oura app and the Velia app allow you to export data in a CSV format along with looking at the trends in the app itself.
Additionally, Oura lets you look at more detailed data, differentiated clearly on ‘Oura on the Web.’ with trends and comparisons of various metrics, Oura on the Web provides more clarity than the app.
This helps in studying trends in one’s personal health and detecting if the patterns are inching us towards a better lifestyle or if a consultation from a professional is required.
What Could Make the Velia Ring Shine Bright at its Launch?
After trying out a fair share of wearables, I think I can pour my two cents to the makers of the Velia ring to help them truly shine bright whenever they launch. If a member of the Velia team is reading this, I would really appreciate the credit.
- A seamless menstrual tracking along with accurate predictions of my cycle phases. Additionally, an integration with apps such as Natural Cycles to act as a birth control and a pregnancy log.
- A tap-to-pay feature, reducing the need to carry cards and wallets.
- A separate EDA sensor for stress tracking and not providing estimates based on other metrics.
Price and Availability
The Oura Ring, starting at $299, is available on their website and with major retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and Amazon.
The Velia Ring is currently available at a 25% discount for backers and is open for pre-orders for $280 (original price $392). According to their latest update, the sizing kits should be delivered around the end of Q3/ beginning of Q4 2024.
This leads me to believe the actual ring will start shipping around the beginning of 2025, that is, if there aren’t any more delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wrap Up
The Velia Ring is a Swiss-born smart ring with promising claims. Although the delays can be a little frustrating for the backers, the ideas that the founders Nino and Assim have are revolutionary. Such ideas require a lot of funding and approvals.
The one good thing about the Velia is that the founders are actively engaging with their backers and replying to their concerns. If they are able to bring their vision to life, it could be a game changer.
As for the people who want to know if they should invest in the Oura Ring or wait for the Velia, as promising as the technology is, it won’t be very quick to launch in the market. They also have certain updates to roll out all their features, which would further delay the complete working.
Personally, I have been enjoying the Oura ring, but I also can’t wait to see the new features that the Velia comes out with. If I were looking to buy a smart ring, I would probably invest in Oura because of the brand’s industry expertise.
