Gabit Smart Ring review: Wear ‘fitness’ on your finger

Rating: 4/5

Smart rings are emerging as a discreet alternative to smartwatches, offering a unique set of features and benefits. These wearable devices pack technology into a compact form, necessary to track health metrics. Unlike smartwatches, which can be bulky and attention-grabbing, smart rings offer a more subtle way to stay connected.
While the smart ring market is still emerging, Gabit is establishing itself as a pioneer with its comprehensive and innovative product. Priced at Rs 13,800 (Rs 13,110 after discount), Gabit smart ring can be one for those into health tracking and exercising. We used the smart ring for a few weeks and here’s our take on this ‘smartwatch competitor’.

Design

Gabit smart ring is just like any other ring: it’s round, comes in multiple sizes, and pretty much resembles a band tied around a finger that’s 8mm wide and 2.7mm thick. On the inner surface that comes in contact with the skin, there are multiple sensors behind a resin shield. Just like smartwatches, the sensors are in close contact with the skin allowing for accurate tracking of heart rate, sleep patterns and even blood oxygen levels.

Its minimalist design blends seamlessly with everyday accessories, appealing to those who prefer a less obtrusive wearable than a smartwatch. While smartwatches boast larger displays and more extensive app ecosystems, smart rings excel in continuous health monitoring.

One size “doesn’t” fit all

Smart rings do not follow the “one-size-fits-all” approach. When you purchase Gabit smart ring, you’ll get a sizing kit that has multiple options available — from 6 to 13. You can select and order the one that matches your size. The company recommends wearing it on either of the index fingers. There are three colour options available: Matte Black, Silver and Gold.

The Gabit smart ring is made from Titanium, which makes it resilient against daily wear and tear. Moreover, it is feather-light, weighing only 3.1 grams. The smart ring is also 5ATM water resistant, which allowed us to keep wearing it during our workouts and even showers.
We found the ring comfortable and unobtrusive for everyday wear, even during sleep. The only exception was when our hands were sweaty. This contrasts with some smartwatches, whose larger screens can be uncomfortable to wear at night.

All in all, the ring’s design is well-considered, especially the three small bumps, guiding proper wear to ensure the sensors maintain contact with the skin. These sensors, visible through a transparent resin layer on the inside.

Performance and tracking

The Gabit Ring boasts a comprehensive suite of sensors, including PPG, SpO2, skin temperature, and a 3D accelerometer, enabling it to track a wide range of health metrics and activities.
This means that we are able to monitor steps, workouts, sleep patterns, heart rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, VO2 max, stress and SpO2. Since the smart ring doesn’t have a screen, the data is visible in the companion app.

While most metrics are tracked automatically, heart rate and SpO2 can also be measured on-demand — which can be represented by different coloured light. Currently, the ring does not offer any features specifically tailored to women’s health.
One of the questions that we were asked during our review period was about the accuracy of the vitals and whether a smart ring offers more than what smartwatches do. A short answer to both questions is, “Yes”.
To check the accuracy, we tried comparing the results with Google Pixel Watch 3 that itself has a bunch of sophisticated sensors, providing accurate results. We measured steps, heart rate and SpO2 on both the devices and found that the data from both the devices was near accurate.

In our testing, the Gabit ring’s data closely aligned with the Pixel Watch 3’s measurements. For instance, the step count difference was usually just one step (e.g., 100 on the Pixel Watch vs. 101 on the Gabit ring). Similarly, heart rate and SpO2 readings typically differed by only 1-2 points between the two devices.

App and battery

The Gabit app, compatible with both iOS and Android, serves as a central hub for managing and interacting with the smart ring. It is organised into five tabs: Home, Smart ring, fitness, nutrition and skincare.
The home tab is information-dense, which means all the basic and go-to data (Sleep, stress, activity and nutrition) is presented in a neat, clear and intuitive manner. Visualisations, colour coding and trend graphs make it easy to understand metrics and track progress over time.

For the detailed data and analysis, we accessed the “smart ring” tab in which the metrics and data is presented in a list format with an option to tap and get insights on our ‘performance’. For example, in the case of sleep tracking, we got data like minutes awake, light sleep and deep sleep.
Gabit app not only complements that data from the smart ring, it also offers options to track nutrition. It allowed us to log food and calorie intake for nutritional tracking via Voice and Text. Logging food via voice was a bit tricky, therefore, we mostly used the text option.
Why? It is because the feature is not proficient in understanding every dish we speak. For example, we tried to log in “Methi Ke Parathe” and it searched “Aloo Methi”. In the text option, we wrote “Methi” and quickly got a list, including “Methi Paratha” along with calorie count in one paratha.

It also allowed us to choose the meal — breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and others for more accurate results. Furthermore, there’s also a recipe for “better diet” that segregates each nutrient (Carbs, Fats, Proteins and Fibre).
When it comes to battery, Gabit Smart Ring has a fantastic battery life. The ring fully charged in under two hours via a compact charging case (USB Type-C) and lasted up to 10 days during our review duration.

Verdict

The Gabit smart ring offers a compelling blend of comfort, comprehensive health tracking, and impressive battery life. While some may feel that it lacks the app diversity and standalone functionality of smartwatches, its accurate data tracking make it a strong contender in the emerging smart ring category, particularly for those who prioritise health monitoring and a less obtrusive wearable experience.
While the app’s voice recognition for food logging needs refinement, its overall user-friendly interface and detailed data visualisations enhance the user experience. Priced competitively at Rs 13,800, the Gabit ring is a compelling alternative to traditional smartwatches, especially for users seeking a comfortable and discreet way to track their health and fitness journey.