Two of the bestselling smart wearables released in 2023 are the Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Ultrahuman Ring Air. Quite a crowd favorite among fitness circles, so you may be wondering which is better for your needs. In this Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air review, we break down the differences between the two devices and find out which one should you get.
Smartwatches and smart rings are changing the lives of their wearers one feature at a time. These devices are so popular nowadays that you can easily spot them around the wrists and fingers of several fitness enthusiasts. They help ensure that the person wearing them is on top of their health and well-being.
Garmin Vivoactive 5 comes from a very renowned technology brand affiliated with several other big companies such as insurance providers. This smartwatch is purpose-built with advanced health and fitness features, designed to support all your wellness goals.
Meanwhile, the Ultrahuman Ring Air is not a smartwatch, but a smart ring that hails from Ultrahuman, a health-tech company based in India. Ring Air is touted as the world’s most comfortable and compact smart ring capable of monitoring the wearer’s sleep, movement, and recovery, among various others.
ALSO READ: APPLE WATCH SE 2 VS. ULTRAHUMAN RING AIR: WHICH IS THE BEST HEALTH AND FITNESS DEVICE?
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air Quick Comparison
Before diving into this Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air review, take a quick look at their specs and functionalities:
| GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 5 | ULTRAHUMAN RING AIR | |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Heart rate monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Activity tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Recovery monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Stress management | ✅ | ❌ |
| Blood oxygen monitoring | ✅ | ✅ |
| Period prediction | ✅ | ✅ |
| Blood sugar monitoring | ❌ | ❌ |
| Battery life | Up to 5 days with smartwatch mode | Up to 6 days |
| Water protection | Water-resistant up to 50 meters | IP68 (Water-resistant up to 100 meters) |
| Monthly membership | n/a | n/a |
| Price | $299.99 | $349 |
| GET IT HERE | GET IT HERE |
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Features and Functionalities
Let’s compare the two devices based on four categories: sleep tracking, fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring, and blood oxygen monitoring.
Sleep Tracking
First, Garmin Vivoactive 5’s sleep tracking capabilities. This smartwatch works like a sleep coach. Wearers, through this smartwatch, get their sleep scores, as well as personalized coaching to guide them on how much more sleep they need and how else they can improve. It also keeps track of your various sleep stages and naps, providing several other key metrics related to your sleep, such as heart rate variability (HRV) status, so you can understand your health better. And, as you wake up in the morning, you get a morning report, which informs you about your sleep, recovery, daily calendar, HRV status, and more.
Meanwhile, Ultrahuman Ring Air also has sleep-tracking features similar to Garmin Vivoactive 5. For one, it also correlates sleep data with the wearer’s HRV status. Furthermore, the smart ring also readies data about your sleep health that you’ll see as you wake up in the morning. It assesses your total sleep duration, resting heart rate, and restfulness, providing you with a clearer picture of the quality of your sleep.
ALSO READ: GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 5 VS. OURA: WHICH IS THE BEST HEALTH TRACKING WEARABLE?
Fitness Tracking
Garmin Vivoactive 5’s features for fitness are also powerful and promising. For instance, this smartwatch tracks all your movements with over 30 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, which include running, swimming, walking, cycling, and even activities for wheelchair users! Plus more. The smartwatch also gets in-depth as it studies how your workouts affect your body, plus how much time you still need to recover, gearing you up for your next fitness journey.
Meanwhile, some of Ultrahuman Ring Air’s features for fitness are somewhat similar to Garmin’s. For instance, it also helps you during your recovery periods, preparing you for your next activities. The ring presents a Recovery Score to help you plan your future activities. And it can do more. It presents a Movement Index that tracks how sedentary or active the wearer’s lifestyle is. A low score means you are living a sedentary life. High scores mean you are doing okay.
ALSO READ: OURA VS. GARMIN VENU 3: WHICH SLEEP TRACKER IS BETTER?
Heart Rate Monitoring
Garmin Vivoactive 5 has a very special way to monitor your heart rate. This smartwatch belongs to the line of Garmin devices that offer all-day insights based on heart monitoring data via the Garmin Elevate heart rate technology sensor. How about that?
The Garmin Elevate heart rate technology sensor is an optical PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor built into the rear end of the smartwatch. This sensor detects your heart rate by shining a green light through your skin. This way, the red cells in your blood vessels reflect the light, providing insights about your heart rate.
It is interesting to note that the Ultrahuman Ring Air also makes use of a PPG sensor, thereby helping the wearer stay ahead of their body’s vitals, specifically their heart rate and HRV. So, whichever of the two you choose, you’ll get the best.
ALSO READ: AMAZFIT GTS 4 VS. OURA: WHICH IS THE BEST SLEEP TRACKER?
Blood Oxygen Monitoring
Let’s start with the Garmin Vivoactive 5 smartwatch. It has a wrist-based pulse oximeter capable of gauging your blood’s oxygen saturation. It doesn’t rest. It tracks this all day, whether you are wide awake or in deep sleep.
For the Ultrahuman Ring Air, it is a different story. It utilizes its PPG sensor – the same sensor it uses for heart rate monitoring – to provide you with data about your blood oxygen saturation.
ALSO READ: OURA VS. GOOGLE PIXEL WATCH 2: WHICH IS THE BEST SLEEP TRACKER?
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Specs and Design
You’ve learned about the most important features of Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Ultrahuman Ring Air. This time, let’s see how each of the two fares in terms of design and specs.
Design
Garmin Vivoactive 5 has an AMOLED display. You can choose from various colors, such as Black, Ivory, Blue, and Orchid. For the Ultrahuman Ring Air, your color options are Aster Black, Matte Grey, Bionic Gold, and Space Silver.
Which should you choose, you ask? Well, it actually depends on your preferences. If you don’t mind ditching the display screen and want to be simpler, choose the latter.
Battery Life
Garmin Vivoactive 5’s battery life is up to 11 days, while that of Ultrahuman Ring Air is up to 6 days.
Water Protection
Garmin Vivoactive 5’s water resistance is up to 50 meters, while Ultrahuman Ring Air has a water resistance of up to 100 meters.
ALSO READ: OURA RING VS. APPLE WATCH SE 2: WHICH IS THE BEST SLEEP TRACKER?
Garmin Vivoactive 5 vs. Ultrahuman Ring Air: Pricing and Availability
Garmin Vivoactive 5 is priced at around $299. You can buy yours from official Garmin stores, such as those in shopping malls, or from accredited online stores in your country, among various other outlets.
The price of Ultrahuman Ring Air isn’t too distant. It is currently at $349. You can buy it from the official Ultrahuman website, from Amazon, and other stores.
The Verdict: Which Is the Best Device for Sleep Tracking?
So, which is the best device for sleep tracking? Knowing their sleep-tracking features, you know it can be difficult to make the choice. Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Ultrahuman Ring Air do similar things, such as tracking your sleep and providing you with sleep data as you wake up.
The two are also neck and neck in terms of other features like fitness tracking, even regarding their prices. At the end of the day, it will depend on which of the two you are most comfortable with.
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