Amazfit Helio Ring in testing

The Amazift Helio Ring is a minimalist alternative to the smartwatch and a cheaper alternative to the competition. The test shows how well the smart ring performs in practice.

With the Helio Ring, Amazfit is bringing its first smart ring to the market to scare away competition from the Galaxy Ring or Ora Ring. In terms of price, the Chinese significantly undercut the Korean model – when it comes to features, there is a parity.

The smart ring is mainly suitable for monitoring sleep, recording daily activities, and continuously measuring pulse. If you don’t like wearing a smartwatch or fitness tracker, you’ll find a compact solution for health tracking here. even if the ring comes off 145 euros Testing shows that it does what it promises.

At first glance, Helio is a simple ring. However, in detail, there are some differences between the models from Samsung or Ora: a dotted pattern at the top and a small notch, which indicates the location with the sensor, which should be under the finger. Overall, the Helio appears to be a bit more spacious than competing models. The color is between silver and gold.

The ring consists of a titanium shell with integrated sensors inside, covered with a layer of plastic. Before purchasing, you should take careful measurements as the ring is only available in three sizes: size 8 is suitable for a finger circumference of 60.3 mm, size 10 is suitable for 66 mm and size 12 is suitable for 71 mm, at 4 grams, It is pleasantly light – an advantage of titanium.

Amazfit generally recommends wearing the ring on your index finger, but this is impractical in everyday life. You are constantly bumping into objects or, in the worst case, scratching them. According to Amazift, you can also wear it on your ring and middle fingers. We used the largest model. On a thin man’s hand, it was still quite loose on the index finger.

In theory, the Helio Ring is a stripped-down fitness tracker. There was no room for a GPS module or NFC in the limited space. The ring is equipped with a PPG sensor (photoplethysmography) for optical pulse measurement, a temperature sensor and an EDA sensor (electrodermal activity) for measuring skin resistance. It also has a 3-axis acceleration sensor and 3-axis gyroscope. This means that movement data in the form of step counts is possible. In addition to activity, the ring also measures sleep. Additionally, the ring records your heartbeat every 10 minutes by default.

Using the Ring requires the Zepp app, which is also used for Amazfit smartwatches. It is compatible with Android and iOS and processes data extensively. The app counts steps taken and heart rate. Sleep is divided into light, deep and REM sleep – just like a smartwatch.

Based on sleep and activity data from the last 24 hours, the app shows readiness levels – that is, how fit and flexible you should be. The PAI value in the Zepp app, in turn, combines heart rate, daily activities and physical data into one health indicator. According to Amazfit, a value of 100 or higher is considered health promoting. Additionally, PAI serves as a motivational gamification element for training.

The ring is less suitable for sports – for example, during weight training, it interferes with dumbbells. It would also be impractical to monitor heart rate during cardio training, as you would have to check it in the app every time. There is no automatic recognition of activities, so you have to start a training session in the app. The Helio Ring allows you to record activities like jogging, treadmill training, walking or cycling.

The greatest strength lies in its use while sleeping, where a ring is far more comfortable than a bulky watch. However, the green glow of the PPG sensor (photoplethysmography) at night slightly disturbed the partner of the author of this test. However, like most of the fitness trackers in our tests, the Ring has difficulty reliably identifying waking stages.

Due to the lack of GPS, route recording is only possible with a smartphone. The step count seemed pretty accurate to us. The heart rate measurement was also good, even if it was a little above fitness tracker levels. We did not always understand the measurement of stress levels. Sometimes the app surprises us with a hint of an “emotional” response – for example when we were lying on the couch and enjoying a boring television program.

With a paid subscription we also get access to Zepp Trainer and Zepp Aura. Zep Trainer is an AI-powered chatbot that answers questions about our training. Zepp offers sleep and meditation aids, such as relaxing music and background noises, through the Aura app. Aura also has a chatbot that helps us choose the sound scenario. Zep Trainer costs around 4 euros per month, the annual subscription is cheaper. Zepp Aura Premium costs 10 euros per month.

Perhaps Samsung’s biggest weakness compared to the competition is battery life. Battery capacity ranges from 16.5 to 20.5 mAh, depending on the size of the ring. We tested the larger model and had to charge it every three days. Fitness trackers, on the other hand, last up to two weeks. The Galaxy Ring will arrive in less than a week. If you also measure the estimated blood oxygen, the running time is again significantly reduced.

The ring can be charged in about two hours with the charging pad. You have to pay close attention to making sure it is aligned correctly. A white LED lights up when charging is in progress. Amazfit does not supply a power supply, only a charging pad. It has a USB-C port, but requires a power supply with a USB-A port. In our testing, we had problems with USB-C to USB-C power supplies, which is probably due to the fact that they support Power Delivery (PD), but the Helio Ring charger does not.

With an impressive RRP of €300, the Amazfit Helio Ring was only half as expensive as Samsung’s Galaxy Ring when it launched. The price has now fallen to around 170 euros. Ring price only during Black Friday week (deals) 145 euros – A good deal.

The Amazfit Helio Ring is a compact alternative to smartwatches and fitness trackers, which especially earns points for sleep monitoring and everyday tracking. Thanks to its lightweight titanium housing and comprehensive Zepp app, it offers comprehensive sleep analysis and inspiring health statistics like PAI values. The ring is an option for minimalists who do not want a bulky wearable item on their wrist. The app is clear and comprehensive, and most of the measurements are fairly understandable.

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However, Helio Ring has some weaknesses that make it less interesting, mainly for sports fans. These include a short battery life of only three to four days, the lack of GPS or NFC, or limitations in sports tracking. Ultimately, the Ring doesn’t offer all the features of a cheap fitness tracker, but it does offer a very compact format.