Smart ring maker Ultrahuman took the wraps off a trio of extra shiny high-tech trinkets at CES 2025 on Tuesday, adding a premium jewelry collection to its range of wellness wearables. It’s given the Ring line the brand name Rare, a neat verbal echo of the company’s mainstream smart ring, the Ring Air.
The Indian startup is touting the new “luxury” smart rings as a world first because, while smart rings are always jewelry, the materials that wrap the tracking technology inside the Rare Rings are a cut above the norm: two of the models (or “pieces”) are coated in 18K gold (sourced from London Bullion Market Association approved refineries and hallmarked by the Bureau of Indian Standards, per Ultrahuman), while a third, silver-hued band is pt950 (95%) platinum.
Founder and CEO, Mohit Kumar confirmed to TechCrunch that the luxury line is “a whole new category” for the smart ring maker. This isn’t a limited edition foray into the high end, such as you might see via a designer collaboration. Rather it’s an ambitious attempt to push smart rings to new aspirational heights, with, naturally, pricing to match: Rare Rings will retail between £1,500 and £1,800 (excluding local taxes).
That’s in the region of $1,900 to $2,250 based on current exchange rates — considerably more than the $349 starting price for Ultrahuman’s Ring Air. Hence the “luxury” label.
Will consumers want to shell out so much for such a dinky gadget? That remains to be seen, but the Apple Watch has already broken ground when it comes to premium wearables. And Ultrahuman’s smart rings don’t require a subscription to access the main tracking features like Oura’s rings — you’ll only have to splurge once.
Smart jewelry
“We expect the ideal buyer to be someone who not only prioritizes their health and well-being but also desires products that reflect their personal values and sophisticated designs,” Kumar told TechCrunch. “Rare speaks to those who seek exclusivity and purpose in the choices they make. This is the beginning but there’s so much more to come. Imagine the best of jewelry designers in the world expressing their art in a unique way with the best of technology.”
He said the company was inspired to take things up a gear by user requests to make the device even more of a “prized personal possession.”
“We’ve seen people using Ring Air in engagement proposals, gift to their loved ones and many other social occasions. If you see Ultrahuman’s Instagram page, you’ll see many stories of people pairing the ring with their favorite dress or coupling it to make their preferred ensemble with other things they cherish,” he said. “From an industry perspective, we see significant potential in the luxury smart ring category, driven by a confluence of growing health awareness and the appeal of luxury.”
Sand and silicon
The first trio of Rare rings are being styled as the “Desert Collectio,n” with each piece apparently inspired by natural elements, as their names suggest: “Dune” is a gold-toned band; then there’s “Desert Rose” (pictured above in close up), which is rose gold in color; and “Desert Snow,” the silver-colored platinum ring.
Aside from the use of premium metals, another notable design element is the brushed finish of the bands, which sport “finely crafted grooves.” Ultrahuman’s marketing suggests the effect achieved is both “smooth yet textured” to the touch, as well as possessing light-reflecting “crystalline” qualities as the wearer moves. (But note there’s no actual gemstones, as yet. Something for a future collection, perhaps?)
Under the surface bling, the Rare trio packs the same tracking tech as Ultrahuman’s Ring Air — including photoplethysmography and 6-axis motion sensors — allowing them to serve up a wealth of metrics on the wearer’s sleep, movement, heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), stress, skin temperature, and more. (For a deeper dive into Ultrahuman’s kit, read our 2023 Ring Air review.)
There is an added perk in the form of an “exclusive suit of benefits” for Ring Rare users — including lifetime access to “UltrahumanX,” the company’s coverage and benefits program. Rare owners also get complimentary access to all PowerPlugs — software add-ons that can further dial up customization — including current paid ones (such as AFib detection) and future launches.
Availability
The Ring Rare will debut in Europe in Q1 2025 starting in the U.K. and France. It will only be available in select premium retail locations. The first two retailers to stock the collection are luxury high-end department stores: Selfridges London, where the company’s Ring Air has already been ranged, and Printemps Paris.
Kumar also confirmed it plans to expand availability to other markets following launch, noting: “There will be more locations added such as New York, Milan, and India, too.”
