Samsung Galaxy Ring: I’ve been tracking my son’s movements, sleep and health

When it comes to fitness, my son runs rings around me – so it was only right that he put the latest tiny monitoring tech in Australia to the test.

Samsung's Galaxy Ring might appeal to those who want to keep a really close eye on their health but don't want to wear a watch all the time. But it's steep price tag is a big hurdle.

When it comes to fitness, my son runs rings around me – so it was only right that he put Samsung’s latest health monitoring tech to the test.

The fact that it was hard to find a Galaxy Ring to comfortably fit my fat fingers had nothing to do with it. Really.

My son, who is 20, was just a far better candidate.

He has already done his first marathon with a time of just over three hours and recently joined his mates on a 60km run from Caloundra to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast.

The youngest of my three was the only one to finish the last and decidedly more steep 10 kilometres.

Like many his age, he became something of a gym junkie into his teens.

He loves running, though has already learned the need to ensure he gives his body time to recover.

He’s used a variety of devices to track his steps and heart rate including an Apple Watch and more recently a very impressive Garmin watch which can last up to two weeks before needing a charge.

Samsung's Galaxy Ring charges quickly and lasts about six days before needing a recharge but at $699 it doesn't score well on bang for buck. Photo: Mark Furler

One of the selling points of the Galaxy Ring is that it lasts for about six days on a charge.

It’s also comfortable to wear so might appeal to those who just don’t like wearing watches all the time.

But at $699, it costs almost the same as some smart watches, without any of the bells and whistles.

In the bang for your buck department, it scores poorly.

Samsung Galaxy Ring has a concave design and is comfortable to wear. Photo: Mark Furler

Where it probably excels the most is tracking your sleep and overall health.

For those into fitness, it might be a nice addition.

And it would be handy for parents who might just want to keep a track of where their kids are (through find my) and whether they are sleeping enough.

Diving into my son’s data was quite fascinating.

With his permission, I left the Galaxy Ring connected to my Samsung Health on my phone so I could check his numbers every time he reconnected.

In one week, his average daily active time was 108 minutes while he averaged more than 10,000 steps a day.

His average sleep duration was 9 hours and 27 minutes – something that surprised me given he goes to bed quite late.

That week, though, was probably better than most.

Samsung Galaxy Ring has a cool looking charger and works well with Samsung Health to provide key details on your health and sleep. Photo: Mark Furler

His lowest heart rate was 37bpm for the week while his highest was 192 – when he was doing a ‘speed test’ going up a hill.

His average resting heart rate varied from 54bpm to 63bpm.

Going through the energy score, which looks at how much good sleep you are getting, is really interesting.

Generally, my son’s consistency in bed/wake time was excellent, along with the timing.

Samsung's Galaxy Ring helps you track your energy score providing detailed reports via the Samsung Health app.

But there were some red flags around sleeping heart rate variability which could be down to stress or even too much exercise.

The advice on one of his scores said: “Though your activity level has decreased recently it appears to be a positive change. It’s important not to over-exert and strain yourself. Keep prioritising rest and recovery and hold on to that right balance.’’

It’s good advice that his mum has also given him.

Samsung Health is a pretty good app for tracking your sleep, energy score, heart rate and other indicators and can be used with the Galaxy Ring.

The ring also measures things like skin temperature variations during sleep (he ranged from 33.4 to 36.5 degrees) to respiratory rate during sleep.

Apparently my son breathes from 14.5 to 15.7 times a minute. Good to know and I hope he keep its up for many years to come.

The Galaxy Ring, which is available in sizes 5 to 13, weighs just 2.3 to 3.0 grams.

The titanium Samsung Galaxy Ring comes in black, gold and silver.

My son described it as being very comfortable to wear with the concave design ensuring it doesn’t dig into your fingers. It’s still a wider ring than most so that may take a little getting accustomed to.

My son tried the silver ring, which doesn’t look as premium to me as the black or gold designs.

After our testing, we’re not convinced you really need a Galaxy Ring, especially given the hefty price tag.

Given it is a very new and niche product, Samsung is offering an extended change of mind policy giving customers 30 days to use it and see if they really like it.

Would I buy one? Probably not but it’s a clever piece of technology and it will be interesting to see where it goes next.

Originally published as Samsung Galaxy Ring: I’ve been tracking my son’s movements, sleep and health