There’s a lot to say about Samsung’s new wearable, the Galaxy Ring. It’s a low-key way to track heart health, blood oxygen levels and sleep metrics without wearing a smartwatch. It’s waterproof enough to swim in, and if you’re ovulating, the ring paired with Samsung Health can better predict your cycle based on the difference in skin temperature. But wearing the ring and getting its benefits depends on getting the right size from the start.
I wrote about my experience sizing the Galaxy Ring for its initial launch. I mentioned that I was super pumped when Samsung put the set on me at an event. The ring they had sized for me was almost three sizes too big for me usually I wear on my ring finger. (I skipped wearing my wedding rings that day because I felt uncomfortably bloated. I was unable be sized for a ring.)
When Samsung sent Gizmodo’s Galaxy Ring to review in size 10, it was exactly what I expected. The ring was loose on all ten of my fingers, including both thumbs. I put the ring on anyway, expecting it to rise again enough to justify the size. I wore it day and night. My fingers remained thin.
The next morning I noticed that I had clutched the Galaxy Ring in my dream. By the afternoon I wasn’t gesticulating as freely as I usually do while wearing it because it felt too loose. So, I took it off and emailed Samsung to exchange it for a smaller size.
Getting the right size for the Galaxy Ring is critical for the various sensors to get accurate readings.
I ordered a size 9 Galaxy Ring, which is still two sizes larger than I normally wear. But I have some experience with wearing clever size 8 ring and this one tightens a few times a month. I remember what the Samsung rep told me as I fitted it: The Galaxy Ring should be somewhat snug if you try to take it off without feeling like it’s cutting off your finger’s circulation.
A size 9 doesn’t feel as loose to me as a size 10. It’s summer in the northern hemisphere and the heat has increased my baseline so there’s enough flesh to keep the ring. I felt nervous swimming with the Galaxy Ring after my fingers shriveled up in the pool and I could feel the device sliding around. But the second size I requested for everyday wear seems to be the right one otherwise. I also usually wear rings loose because I know I have room to expand.
Can you guess which finger wears a size ten and which wears a size 9?
I share this parable because size is critical to wearing smart a ring. If you are uncomfortable wearing it, it is an expensive thing; you won’t want to wear it to sleep or workout and you’ve wasted your money. Unlike a gold ring, which can be trimmed and expanded, most smart rings are a set size, which is why they are not sold in half sizes. Smart ring brands offer sizing kits before sending you the product to encourage you to spend a few days wearing different sizes before dialing in the right fit. When I asked Samsung about this scenario in practice, explaining that I went that large due to water retention, they shared the same sentiment: wear the ring in different sizes for at least 24 hours before committing to a number.
Last week I mentioned that the Galaxy Ring return policy on Samsung.com would be 15 days. But take it from me, it’s a hassle to change rings of different sizes. If you’re buying a Galaxy Ring and are hesitating about the size, order closer to when you normally inflate so you can use the sizing kit and get at least two nights’ sleep with it.
Stay tuned for more on the Galaxy Ring
The Galaxy Ring charging case lights up to show battery capacity.
I only wore the ring enough for two days. It’s comfortable to wear at night and throughout the work day while typing on the computer. I washed dishes with it and pushed a broom. I mostly wear it on my index finger, but I prefer it on my thumb when I’m working out. I don’t like wearing it on the yoga mat or with dumbbells; I feel the same way when I wear any kind of jewelry to the gym.
I mentioned that I wore it during a day of activity, including a little hike with my kid and a swim in the pool. Both times, the Galaxy Ring detected that I was moving my body enough to track the activity. But since there’s no display on the device, the prompt for this popped up on my phone, and it wasn’t until I went to check it after completing the relevant workouts that I noticed I could log them into Samsung Health. My lap swim session initially appeared as a walk, and although I was able to swap it out after the fact for the actual swim workout, it only registered me doing this for 39 seconds.
I also noticed that if I wear the Galaxy Ring with another third-party wearable, the data is consolidated when it reaches Google Fit. Of course, I’m still figuring out some of the nuances around this, as I also use a third-party Android app called Health Sync to keep track of the data from the various Android wearables. That’s the trade-off for being able to wear what we wear when I want.
I’m postponing the full review of the Samsung Galaxy Ring to gather more data and see if there are any real benefits to be gained from just wearing the clever a ring. This is my first full-time experience with one, and I would do you a disservice, dear reader, by hastening. I’d like to see how the Galaxy Ring performs alongside other devices – I’ve got a few competitors on the way – and whether there are any real benefits to using the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch at the same time. For now, I’m looking for an easy way to track my sleep and daily steps around the house without wearing a smartwatch to collect the same numbers.
Updated on 07/19/2024 at 5:00 p.m: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the return policy was 30 days on Samsung.com. Sorry for the mistake.
