$349<\/p>\n The Good<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n The Oura Ring is the more stylish of the two. It\u2019s the better option if you\u2019d prefer to keep your wrist free or would rather notifications stay on your phone. I vouch for shelling out a smidge extra for the ceramic version. (In my years of testing, I find the metal finishes scratch easily. Whatever you do, skip rose gold. It doesn\u2019t hold up well.) It\u2019s a little more annoying to get, and I don\u2019t advise skipping the sizing kit. Your fingers will swell and shrink depending on the weather, so you want to see how a ring size fits over 24 hours. I\u2019d also keep this in mind if you plan on losing a significant amount of weight. I hate that it comes with a $6 monthly subscription, but it\u2019s a good product, and as far as wearable subscriptions go, it\u2019s among the most affordable.<\/p>\n $120<\/p>\n The Good<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n Go for the Fitbit Charge 6 if you\u2019d like to see the time or stats while exercising. This is also the pick if you want a few notifications or don\u2019t want to rely on your phone quite as much. It\u2019s much easier to leave your phone in a gym locker with a Charge 6 and lift weights \u2014 you don\u2019t want to do that with a smart ring. Oura is the more premium feeling of the two, but there are plenty of ways to dress up a Charge 6 with third-party straps. None of the metrics are behind a paywall anymore, though if you want access to Google\u2019s experimental AI coach, that\u2019ll set you back $10 a month or $80 a year.<\/p>\n Honorable mentions: <\/strong>I dig Withings\u2019 hybrid smartwatches<\/a>, which are a great blend of simple tracking and style. The new Pebble watches<\/a> also feel right for those yearning for 2015-era simplicity.<\/p>\n This type of person needs a bit more functionality from their fitness tracker. It\u2019s about feeling alright leaving your phone behind because cellular and emergency calling are options. When you\u2019re not being active, it\u2019d be nice to easily set timers, check a weather widget, unlock your laptop, or perhaps quickly view the feed from your doorbell camera. In that case, a smartwatch is the way to go.<\/p>\n This is when your phone matters. If you\u2019ve got an iPhone, I\u2019ll point you to the Apple Watch SE 3<\/a>. Android users, may I interest you in a Google Pixel Watch 4<\/a>?<\/p>\n $219<\/p>\n The Good<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n I recommend the $249 SE 3 because it offers the best bang for your buck feature-wise of all the new Apple Watches. If you want the bigger screen and advanced health features like EKGs, look for a refurbished Series 10<\/a> in a nicer material. (The Series 11<\/a> is fiiiiine, but the difference from the Series 10 is negligible and you might as well save a lil extra.) However, I don\u2019t recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 3 for most people unless that\u2019s the look you\u2019re going for, you work out a lot, and you want the biggest battery \/ screen possible.<\/p>\n $310<\/p>\n The Good<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n Now for Android. Arguably, if you have a Samsung phone, you could go for the Galaxy Watch 8<\/a>. But I was more impressed by the Pixel Watch 4\u2019s approach to repairability, feature updates, and AI implementation. As a caveat, I\u2019m not a fan of AI fitness<\/a> and<\/a> health features<\/a>, but of the ones I\u2019ve tested so far, Google\u2019s is among the best.<\/p>\n Honorable mentions: <\/strong>For Android users who want superior battery life, check out the OnePlus Watch 3<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fitness fiends, you know who you are<\/p>\n Hi, friends. How\u2019s your Whoop band or eight-year-old Garmin holding up? I\u2019m guessing you already know what you want to buy and don\u2019t really need me to list out the pros and cons of a Garmin, Coros, Polar, Whoop, or one of the Ultra smartwatches. Game recognizes game, and yeah, I agree, the price increase starting with the Garmin Fenix 8<\/a> is banana-balls bonkers.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t really need my opinion here, especially since I suspect a good chunk of you keep DC Rainmaker bookmarked. (He\u2019s great! I\u2019m also a big fan.) Just in case, here are some of my thoughts on some of the products and brands in this space.<\/p>\n $350<\/p>\n The Good<\/p>\n The Bad<\/p>\n Follow topics and authors<\/strong> from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.<\/p>\n Victoria Song<\/p>\n Senior Reviewer, Wearable Tech<\/p>\n Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All by Victoria Song<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Buying Guides<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Buying Guides<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fitness<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Fitness<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Gadgets<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Gadgets<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Smartwatch<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Smartwatch<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Verge Shopping<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n![\"Close](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/247314_Oura_Ring_4_AKrales_0041.jpg\"\/)
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