Smart rings have arrived. They’re no longer the preserve of Finnish pioneer Oura; we’ve tested rings from Ultrahuman, Ringconn and Movano in recent months, and our review of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is in the works. These finger-based trackers are easy to wear and offer potentially valuable insights into our health and fitness. As perhaps the dominant Chinese player in fitness tracking, Amazfit should be well placed to jump on the trend, but the Helio Smart Ring feels like a work in progress.
Amazfit evolved from Huami, which was founded more than a decade ago. The company has a lot of experience in making affordable devices, and Amazfit is a sub-brand that released its first smartwatch in 2016. Huami was renamed Zepp Health in 2021, and the Amazfit app became the Zepp app, although the Amazfit brand was retained for the devices. (Please choose only one name.)
We’ve tested a few fitness trackers from Amazfit, including the Amazfit GTR Pro (5/10, WIRED review) and the Amazfit Balance (5/10, WIRED review). Amazfit loved the ring and watch combo, as the Zepp app collected data from both, so they sent me the Cheetah Pro along with the Helio. (Amazfit also sells the ring bundled with other models.) The duo works well, but when I tested the Helio ring on its own, its shortcomings quickly became apparent.
Hurry Ring
Photo: Simon Hill
The Amazfit Helio is only available in one color and two sizes. Amazfit calls the color titanium. It’s a titanium alloy, but the finish looks bronze, with a subtle, classy-looking dot pattern on the top and a tiny indentation on the other side to help you align the sensors properly. The Helio weighs just under 4 grams, is 2.6 mm thick, and is comfortable to wear. It’s chunkier than a regular ring, but not terrible.
The Amazfit Helio is water resistant up to 10 ATM, so you can swim or shower with it. It comes with a small wireless charging mount, just like Oura’s, and a USB-C cable, but you’ll need to bring a power adapter. Amazfit offers sizes 10 and 12. (Luckily, I’m a size 12.) Eventually, sizes 7 through 13 will be available, too. The limited options reinforce my impression that Amazfit rushed the ring to market.
The ring seems durable. Mine is mostly pristine after a few weeks, and I’m usually hard on smart rings, although I did manage to scratch my porcelain bathroom sink. (You’ll need to remember to take your ring off before cleaning, weight lifting, or other activities where it’s likely to touch a hard surface.) Like most smart rings, the Helio works best on your index finger, but that makes it more likely to come into contact with… well, everything.
Powerful metrics
The Helio has the usual sensors, including a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, temperature sensor, and electrodermal sensor (EDA). It can record your heart rate and heart rate variability, active minutes, total steps, calories burned, and a few other things. You’ll need to install and link the Zepp app (iOS, Android) to check your data.
Photo: Simon Hill via the Zepp app
