Wearable rings packed with sensors are gaining popularity for effortlessly tracking health metrics 24/7. The Prevention Circul+ is a sensor-laden smart ring providing extensive biochemical feedback on sleep, activity, readiness and more. Offering medical-grade insights at an affordable price, it emerges as a formidable Oura Ring alternative for the health-concious.
Product Design
The brushed titanium Circul+ ring contains multiple embedded sensors and silicon contact points. It packs EDA, ECG, heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, sleep, and motion sensors for comprehensive bio-tracking. The design looks discreet on the fingers, similar to typical rings just slightly wider. It’s comfortable enough for 24/7 wear. The ring is sweat, water and scratch-resistant.
Despite the packed-in sensors, it weighs just 8 grams in the medium size I tried. Each ring comes with a USB-C charging case good for up to 14 days per charge. Two tactile buttons on the band let you control syncing, phone locking and other functions. Overall the ring has a clean, premium look and feel while housing advanced health tech.
Health Tracking Sensors and Data
The Circul+ continuously tracks an extensive range of health signals and biomarkers. The onboard sensors let you monitor:
– Sleep stages, restfulness, and HRV
– Overall health readiness score
– Activity like steps, calories and workouts
– Continuous heart rate and rhythm
– SpO2 blood oxygen levels
– Skin temperature variation
– Electrodermal activity indicating stress
– Respiratory rate based on chest motion
– Posture and fall detection
That’s an expansive biosignal dataset accessible conveniently through the Circul+ mobile app. Data integrates neatly with Apple Health, Strava, and Gyroscope. Each metric offers medically validated guidance on improving health over time.
Sleep and Readiness Tracking
Sleep and readiness get top billing in the app. Each morning you wake up to a readiness score based on sleep quality plus resting heart rate and HRV. The app breaks down your sleep stages, disturbances, and time in each phase, offering feedback on improving duration and consistency.
I found the sleep tracking highly accurate and insightful compared to my Fitbit and Oura. The readiness score provides helpful context on whether to take on a tough workout or have a rest day. Sleep and readiness insights really helped me optimize training, recovery and lifestyle choices.
Continuous EDA Monitoring
One unique Circul+ feature is constant EDA monitoring which detects electrodermal activity indicating your body’s stress response. When EDA is high, the app guides you through breathing exercises or relaxing activities to counter mounting stress before it becomes overwhelming.
Having an objective measure of stress levels throughout the day is invaluable self-knowledge for identifying triggers and maintaining resilience through stressful periods. No other consumer wearable offers continuous EDA tracking like Prevention.
Heart Health Features
The ECG sensor lets you manually screen for atrial fibrillation, an important early indicator of heart issues. You can also monitor metrics like continuous heart rate, average resting heart rate, and heart rate variability for gauging cardiovascular fitness. Enabling medical-grade heart tracking sets it apart from wellness rings.
Monthly Premium Subscription
The Circul+ costs $399, which includes 3 months free of the required Premium subscription ($9.99 monthly thereafter). Premium unlocks full health guidance, trend analysis, and training programs optimized to your stats. Without the subscription, the ring functions only as a basic tracker. If you want actionable health insights, Premium is essential.
An Impressive Health Ring with Room to Improve Software
For a first generation product, the Circul+ hardware delivers advanced tracking capabilities rivaling medical wearables. The extensive range of 24/7 biometrics provide uniquely holistic health insights. I especially appreciated the sleep tracking, continuous EDA stress monitoring and cardiovascular metrics.
My main gripe is the app remains a work in progress. Navigation can feel unintuitive with health metrics scattered across different tabs. I would like to see more customized guidance and lifestyle coaching based on my biometrics. Syncing was also hit-or-miss at times. However, software kinks are easily fixable. For the sensor innovation alone, the Circul+ impresses as a research-grade health tracking wearable. While the subscription is essential for guidance, the upfront cost beats competitors. If you’re serious about biohacking your body, the Circul+ provides invaluable 365-day insights.
