A smart ring for just 70 francs – with a feature you won’t find on any other
20.10.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
Pictures: Lorenz Keller
This is the first time I’ve tested a smart ring with a small display. It may be well made and unique-looking, but it uses way too much power. When I test the Felixx SR21, the ring turns out to have other weaknesses too.
«Hang on, that ring has a little screen – and it only costs 70 francs!» I think to myself when I spot the Felixx SR21 in our range. I want to test it! Luckily, it comes in my size, so I order one in silver. The ring apparently displays your health data on the screen and starts monitoring from the word go. It sounds promising.
Well made – with no account necessary
When I take the ring out of the box, I’m in for three pleasant surprises:
- Quality: Despite its low price, the ring looks to be of decent quality. It’s even dust- and water-resistant according to the IP68 standard. In fact, I took several showers with the ring on my finger and it wasn’t a problem. After more than a month of continuous wear, it showed no visible signs of use.
- Charger: The compact, partially transparent charging case is a real eye-catcher. It uses LEDs to indicate the battery level and can charge the ring about ten times while on the go.
- Login: You can pair the Felixx Ring with the JRing app without having to create a login. Your data isn’t stored in the cloud either; the app only transmits a few kilobytes of data per month. I guess that’s mostly to check whether an update is available.
The ring comes in two colours and various sizes. You’ll find the full selection here.
The app is a letdown – something I notice just a few days into the test. Not only are the graphics terrible, but the menus are sometimes sluggish to respond. The FAQs and user manual are stored as images that take several minutes to download before I can view them.
Poor data presentation, plausible numbers
It all looks like cheap, no-name software. Manufacturer Beafon, which owns the Felixx brand, has evidently bought some off-the-shelf software in China. At this price point, that isn’t exactly damning. On the bright side, Beafon provides well-translated user manuals in a variety of European languages, complete with a statutory warranty and a declaration of conformity. Basically, the brand has made the product Europe-friendly.
It’s just a shame the app didn’t get the same treatment. I can live with the ring displaying only basic data without any in-depth interpretation. But the app’s numerous bugs are a pain. Text is cut off, my data takes three attempts to synch and the step counter on the home screen is often set to 0, despite the detailed overview saying that I’ve taken thousands of steps.
At times, I get the sneaking suspicion that the ring, instead of taking real measurements, is simply spitting out random figures on physical activity, sleep, blood oxygen and heart rate. With this in mind, I decided to double-check the data. I only managed to check my blood oxygen level and heart rate sporadically. Each time, the ring produced readings similar to those taken by my Coros sports watch. For instance, according to my watch, my heart rate hit a daily maximum of 130 bpm, hovering at 72 bpm on average. According to the ring, it was 134 bpm and 78 bpm respectively. I also did a spot check on my sleep data. This time, my sports watch recorded six hours and 21 minutes, while the Felixx recorded six hours and 15 minutes. I didn’t find any major step count discrepancies either. For example, the watch recorded 7,100 steps, while the ring recorded 7,300.
The screen is a battery guzzler
Unfortunately, the ring’s teeny display turns out to be a not-so-teeny problem. Next to the screen, there’s a touchpad that you can use to turn it on. If you tap it once, it shows you the time. Tap it twice and you’ll see your step count. Tapping three times displays your most recent heart rate reading and starts a new measurement two seconds later. A fourth tap starts a blood oxygen measurement. Tapping five times makes the screen reveal how long you slept for the previous night, while tapping six times shows the battery level as a percentage. With seven taps, you turn off the screen.
When I first started wearing the ring, I was surprised to find that the battery ran out after 12-16 hours each time. «Surely not?» I thought. I had to slip the ring into its fancy charging station every day. Upon closer inspection, I figured out what was eating up the ring’s battery power: the LED screen. It consumes a hefty amount of power. I can tell because when the screen is on, the battery indicator drops by one per cent every few seconds.
The problem is, I repeatedly turn on the screen by accident throughout the day. This is because the touchpad is positioned in such a way that it bumps against my next finger. If I twist the ring so that the pad is facing up, it doesn’t happen as often. Then again, that means the screen is covered. Wearing the ring on my index finger would probably solve the problem, because my thumb would be far enough away. The thing is, I never wear rings there. I always wear them on my middle or ring finger.
If you want to save power, you need to lock the screen – even if it’s not useful to do so. Basically, I end up deactivating the model’s USP feature for everyday wear. This resulted in a battery life of 24-36 hours, which was the most I managed to get out of the ring.
While that’s significantly longer than at the beginning of the review, it’s still far less battery life than most competing smart rings offer. The Oura Ring, for instance, lasts seven and a half days, while the RingConn lasts more than eleven days. These rival models, however, are at least triple the price of the Felixx SR21. Still, if you ask me, Felixx is cutting corners on the wrong thing. One of the major advantages of smart rings is that you can wear them day and night for extended periods of time.
Do I even want a screen?
Having tested the ring for a month, I’ve realised I hardly ever use the screen day to day. I don’t check the time or my step count, nor do I request blood oxygen measurements. The screen’s high brightness disturbs me at night, and it can’t be adjusted.
Once the screen’s turned off, the ring doesn’t look as good as a ring without a display. The Felixx SR21 looks more like a gadget than a piece of jewellery. In my view, the display brings little to the table. On the contrary, it reduces battery life and detracts from the product as a whole. Smart rings are supposed to be discreet trackers that reduce screen time, after all.
In a nutshell
Display eats up too much battery power
The Felixx SR21 is significantly cheaper than rings from established brands, but it’s still well made. And it has a feature that others don’t: a small screen that displays the time, your step count or heart rate. However, those are really its only plus points.
The display uses a lot of power; even with the screen turned off, the battery can’t hold out as long as two days. That’s significantly less time than other smart rings – and it’s a major sticking point during day-to-day use. The app seems unfinished and buggy. What’s more, the app only gives you raw data – it’s up to you to make sense of it. Still, at least the measurements I randomly cross-checked were verifiable.
Pro
- Has a display – a unique feature for a smart ring
- Inexpensive
- App doesn’t require a login
Contra
- Poor battery life
- Straightforward software
- Only does basic measurements
- Display spoils the overall look
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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