Most tech products are made for the average customer, but have you ever wondered what someone with a lot of money buys? Smartphones, computers, cars, and houses have all had the luxury treatment, but health tech products have mostly escaped this.
That changed at CES 2025, where Ultrahuman debuted the world’s first luxury smart ring. It brings the luxury treatment to the smart ring category for the first time, but it also comes with a luxury price tag that means it’s unlikely to be purchased by the average person.
Starting at around $1,800, Rare by Ultrahuman brings the same features as the Ultrahuman Ring Air but swaps out the build material for a set of luxury finishes. At CES, I had an opportunity to check out Rare by Ultrahuman, and here’s what I saw.
The world’s first luxury smart ring
What makes this ring rare? That answer is pretty straightforward: the finishes. The Rare ring is built from precious metals and comes in three finishes: 18K gold, 18K rose gold, and PT950 Platinum. The choice of 18K gold versus 9K means more durability and a more premium experience, while PT950 Platinum — a marker that denotes its purity — is one of the most luxurious precious metals you can buy.
The luxury treatment doesn’t just apply to the ring but also to the entire experience. Instead of a regular wireless charging dock, you get one with a pattern-like finish in the same color as your ring. You also get upgraded packaging that is far more akin to a luxury product than the white box that the regular Ring Air comes in.
Ultrahuman says the Ring is designed to incorporate “subtle, shimmering elements,” and under the bright lights of a trade show environment, the finishes on the Rare caught the eye. One thing is also clear: Ultrahuman sees this as a ring first and as a smart ring second. That distinction is key considering the positioning and who the company believes will buy this luxury smart ring.
A ring first, a smart ring second
I asked the company why it made a luxury smart ring, and the answer surprised me. The best analogy is that of the Apple Watch: Many people wear an Apple Watch during the day but replace it with a more stylish analog watch when going out for dinner or attending a dressed-up affair.
The same applies to smart rings but with one additional caveat: This category is designed to be worn all the time, and most people in the same scenario will take it off during evening events. Crucially, this is usually when you may have a drink or two, dance, or eat more than you expect, and this data is lost when you’re not wearing a smart ring.
Rare is designed to combat this and appeal to those who want a regular ring with some smart features. Most smart rings cost $400 or less, but traditional wedding rings can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and it’s this target market that Ultrahuman is hoping will buy the Rare.
Underneath the luxury finishes, Rare is ultimately the same smart ring as the Ring Air. This means it’s designed to track your sleep, recovery, and activity and provide suggestions for improving your health in the app. Like the Oura Ring 4, there’s also a tie-in for glucose tracking. Unlike Oura — which recently announced a partnership with Dexcom — the Ultrahuman Ring Air syncs data from the Freestyle Libre series of glucose monitors.
The regular Ring Air doesn’t require a subscription, and the Rare smart ring continues this trend but also comes with a host of extras to help justify its price tag. These include access to UltrahumanX, a protection plan that’s designed to protect your (very) expensive purchase against loss, theft, and damage. There’s also priority support, trade-in deals, and access to the entire suite of PowerPlug extras. The latter also applies to future releases, meaning you’ll have lifetime access to everything Ultrahuman adds to its software.
Much better than I expected
When Ultrahuman reached out to discuss the Rare, my first reaction was that it’s just another luxury product designed for affluent people. As it turns out, that was a mistake, and the Rare is a far better smart ring than I expected. The choice of the three luxury finishes is deliberate: These are three of the most popular finishes in the traditional wedding ring category. The entire experience has also been upgraded to ensure that it blends into your daily life in a way that a silver smart ring band may not.
The choice of finishes and the positioning as a ring first mean this could equally apply to those who want a luxurious smart ring and those who want a wedding ring with a difference. While the Rare is exceptionally expensive compared to the rest of the best smart rings, it’s considerably cheaper than most wedding rings that use these finishes. Yes, there are no diamonds or gemstones — which usually make up the bulk of the cost — but the Rare could easily be a wedding ring with a difference. The charger looks fantastic, and the packaging is more akin to a luxury leather good than a smart product.
Whether as a wedding ring or a gift for the tech fanatic in your life, the Ultrahuman Rare is a smart ring that’s designed to stand out. It’s now ruined the design of regular smart rings for me, which leaves just one question: Who wants to buy me one?
