momax 1-Sense Active Smart Ring Review: a low-profile health tracker that mostly gets the job done

I’ve been curious about smart rings for a while because I’m tired of bulky watches and plastic fitness bands digging into my wrist at night. So I grabbed the momax 1-Sense Active Smart Ring to see if a ring could really replace a basic fitness tracker for sleep, heart rate and daily stats. I used it for a bit over two weeks, basically 24/7 except for charging and a few showers just to be safe, even though it’s rated 5ATM.

My use was pretty standard: Android phone, notifications on, connected to Google Health, wearing it mainly on my index finger during the day and ring finger at night to see what felt better. I compared its readings to a Garmin watch and a cheap oximeter I already own. I wasn’t trying to run a lab test, just see if it’s "good enough" in normal life.

Right away: this is not a toy, it actually tracks a lot of stuff. But it’s also not perfect. The app setup is a bit confusing, and there are some quirks with pairing and gestures that you only figure out after a few days of messing around. If you expect it to be plug-and-play like a basic Fitbit, you might be a bit annoyed on day one.

Overall, my first impression after a week was: decent ring, solid tracking once it’s set up, but the experience depends a lot on how patient you are with the app and whether you get the size right. If you’re the type who hates fiddling with settings, you’ll feel that friction. If you’re okay with a bit of trial and error, it’s usable and actually pretty handy.

Price-wise, the momax 1-Sense Active sits in that middle territory: not dirt cheap, but also not in the top-tier Oura territory. The big advantage is no subscription. A lot of ring brands make you pay monthly to unlock full analytics. Here, everything is included in the app from the start. If you keep the ring for a couple of years, that alone can save a decent chunk of money compared to those ecosystem traps.

What you’re paying for is basically: discreet form factor, full-time health tracking, decent sleep insights, and some bonus phone control. If all you want is steps and heart rate and you don’t care about wearing a band, a basic fitness tracker might be cheaper and just as effective. But if you specifically want a ring instead of a watch, this sits at a more reasonable cost than the big-name ring brands while still offering a wide set of features.

There are a few trade-offs that affect the sense of value. The app is functional but not super polished; the initial setup with the wrong Momax app (Smart vs Sense) is a time-waster if you don’t pay attention. The gesture controls are nice on paper, but in practice you may use them less than you think, especially if you wear it on the ring finger. Also, the data is good for general trends but not "lab grade" precise if you’re very picky.

For me, the value feels pretty solid if you care about: no subscription, decent accuracy, and a low-profile form factor. If you just want the cheapest way to count steps, this is overkill. If you want ring-based tracking without paying top dollar every month, this is one of the more sensible options, as long as you’re okay with a few quirks on the software side.

Visually, the momax 1-Sense Active is pretty low-key. Mine is the black size 8, and from a distance it just looks like a plain band, a bit wider than a typical wedding ring but not crazy. There’s a small dot on the outside that looks like an LED, but that’s actually the touch sensor, which you use for gestures. It’s not flashy or techy-looking, so you can wear it to the office or a dinner without feeling like you’ve got a gadget strapped on.

The width is noticeable at first, especially if you’re used to thin rings. On my ring finger it felt a bit chunky, but on my index finger it actually made more sense and gave me better leverage for tapping the sensor. The inside is smooth, and there are no sharp edges that catch on clothing or pockets. You do feel it when gripping heavy objects or doing pushups, but that’s true of most rings.

What I liked is that there’s no screen. That sounds weird, but it means you’re not constantly tempted to check your wrist or stare at tiny text. It just sits there and quietly collects data. The downside is that everything you want to see—heart rate, sleep, notifications—requires pulling out your phone and opening the app. If you like glancing at your stats on your wrist, you’ll miss that here.

In terms of style, I’d call it "neutral". It’s not stylish jewelry, but it also doesn’t scream fitness tracker. For me, that’s a win: it blends in and doesn’t attract attention. If you want something flashy or with multiple colors, this isn’t it. But if you like discrete tech that hides in plain sight, the design is pretty solid and practical.

The battery situation is a bit different from a regular watch. The ring itself has a small 16 mAh battery, which sounds tiny, but the trick is the charging case. You drop the ring into the case and the case charges it, similar to wireless earbuds. Momax talks about "up to 72 days of power with the charging case". In real life, with 24/7 tracking, notifications and some gesture use, I wasn’t going anywhere near 72 days without touching a cable, but the setup is still convenient.

For me, the pattern ended up being something like this: the ring itself lasted several days before it needed to go back into the case. I’d throw it in the case while I was showering or sitting at my desk and it would top up quickly. The case then needed a USB-C charge roughly every couple of weeks, depending on how often I was charging the ring. It’s not a precise number because my use was a bit random, but I never felt like I was constantly hunting for a charger.

One slightly annoying thing: pairing and syncing require the ring to be in the charging case with the lid open. That’s not intuitive at all. I closed the lid the first time because that’s what you naturally do, and the sync failed. Once I understood the "lid open" rule, it was fine, but it’s one of those details that makes setup feel more fiddly than it needs to be.

Overall, I’d say battery life is a strong point. You’re not charging this every night like a smartwatch. If you’re okay dropping it into the case every few days for a quick top-up and plugging the case in every couple of weeks, it’s pretty low maintenance. Not magic, but definitely less annoying than most wrist-based trackers I’ve used.

Comfort is where a smart ring either works or ends up in a drawer. In my case, the fit was the biggest learning curve. I originally went with my normal ring size, which is fine for jewelry but not ideal for a device that needs firm contact with the skin for sensors to work. Too loose and your readings jump around, too tight and it’s annoying after a few hours. Momax pushes their sizing kit for a reason, and I’d honestly use it next time instead of guessing.

On the finger, once you get the right size, it’s actually pretty comfortable. After a day or two, I mostly forgot it was there during normal tasks like typing, scrolling, or driving. You notice it more when gripping something hard (weights, pull-up bar, tools), because the ring presses into your finger. For heavy workouts I sometimes just slid it off for 30–60 minutes to avoid that pressure. For walking, office work, and sleep, it was fine.

Sleeping with it was surprisingly okay. I usually hate sleeping with watches or bands because they catch on the sheet or press on my wrist. The ring didn’t bother me much, even when I rolled onto that hand. The only times it was slightly annoying was when my hands got a bit puffy in the morning and the ring felt tighter until I moved around a bit. That’s another reason why the right size matters; if you go too tight, mornings will suck.

One practical thing: the touch sensor is easier to use on the index finger than the ring finger. On the ring finger, doing a precise long press feels awkward and I missed taps quite a bit. On the index finger, it’s more natural to tap with your thumb. So if you care about gestures, size it for your index finger. Overall comfort: pretty solid once you dial in the size, but there is a short adjustment period and it’s not ideal for heavy lifting or manual labor unless you’re okay taking it off sometimes.

The ring uses a ceramic outer shell, which is one of the reasons I was interested. Ceramic is generally scratch-resistant and doesn’t discolor like cheap metal coatings. After daily use—typing, carrying bags, light DIY around the house—I didn’t see any obvious scratches or chips. It still looked basically new, which is a good sign if you’re rough on your hands like I am.

The inside houses the sensors and electronics, and that part obviously you don’t see. The contact with the skin feels smooth and there’s no weird edge where the sensors are. I didn’t get any skin irritation or redness, and I sometimes do react to cheap alloys, so that’s a plus. It doesn’t feel sweaty or sticky under the ring, even when I wore it while walking outside in warmer weather.

Water resistance is rated 5ATM, which on paper means you can shower and swim with it. I tried quick hand washes and a couple of short showers with it on; no issues at all. I didn’t take it for heavy pool sessions or the sea, mostly because I’m paranoid about losing rings more than breaking them. But given the rating and the build, I’d be reasonably confident using it for swimming, just not in situations where it could get yanked off.

The charging case is plastic, but not cheap-feeling. The hinge feels okay, not premium but not flimsy either. One thing to note: pairing only works with the lid open, which is not intuitive, and you’ll end up opening and closing this thing a lot. I’d say the materials are solid for the price bracket: ceramic where it matters (the ring), acceptable plastic for the case, and nothing that felt like it would fall apart in a month.

On the tracking side, I’d call the momax ring "good enough for normal people", but not perfect. Heart rate at rest was generally close to my Garmin and a cheap fingertip oximeter. I did see the same kind of issue one reviewer mentioned: an odd high reading early on (it jumped to the 90s when I was just sitting), which then messed up the daily average. After that first weird reading, it settled down and matched my other devices within a few beats most of the time.

SpO2 readings were stable and in the same range as my oximeter—usually 96–99% for me. I wouldn’t use it as a medical device, but as a general indicator, it’s fine. Skin temperature changes were also in line with what I expected: slightly higher when I felt like I was getting sick, slightly lower after a cold shower. The app tries to turn all of this into a "recovery" or readiness-style insight, which is helpful, but don’t expect magic. It’s more like "you slept poorly; maybe take it easier today" than deep sports science.

Sleep tracking was one of the main reasons I wanted a ring. It does track sleep stages (light, deep, REM) and breathing quality. Compared to my Garmin, the total sleep time was usually very close, within 10–20 minutes difference. The breakdown of REM vs deep sleep was similar, not identical. Where it struggled a bit was short wake-ups in the middle of the night; sometimes it logged them, sometimes it smoothed them out. Still, the nightly reports felt believable overall, and the trends over multiple nights were useful.

Stress and activity were more generic. Steps and general movement were in the ballpark of my watch, but since I didn’t have a screen on the ring, I checked them less often. For stress, it’s basically heart-rate-variability based, like most wearables. It gives you a "you were more stressed this afternoon" type insight, which is nice to have but not life-changing. Overall, performance is solid for everyday health tracking, but if you’re super picky about data precision, you’ll see the rough edges here and there.

The momax 1-Sense Active is basically a mini health tracker in ring form. It monitors heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2), sleep stages (including REM), skin temperature, stress, and general activity. All the data goes into the Momax Rings / Momax Sense app, and you can sync with Google Health on Android. There’s no monthly subscription, which I like a lot. You pay once, that’s it.

On top of the health stuff, it has some "remote control" tricks: you can use the touch area on the ring to control music, flip slides in a presentation, trigger your phone camera, and handle media playback. There are also vibration alerts and LED notifications for calls, messages and reminders, plus an SOS feature that can trigger an emergency call or alert. It tries to be both a health tracker and a little remote for your phone.

What it does not have: no GPS, no screen, no standalone workout modes like "run" or "bike" with detailed stats. It’s more about all-day tracking and sleep than hardcore sports metrics. If you’re a runner who wants pace, distance and route without your phone, this is not the device. Think of it more as a ring-sized Whoop / Oura style tracker, but without the subscription and with a few extra phone control tricks.

In daily use, I mostly relied on it for sleep tracking, resting heart rate, and stress trends. The activity side is more generic: steps, calories, general movement. It’s fine if you just want a sense of how active (or lazy) your day was, but it’s not a serious sports watch replacement. For the price range it sits in, what you get is fairly complete, but you need to be clear about your expectations: this is for health and convenience, not for detailed sports coaching.