I didn’t plan on owning three wearables. Like a lot of things in midlife, it just sort of happened one purchase, one cracked screen, and one “this might be useful” decision at a time.
My first real Apple Watch was the Apple Watch Series 4. I may have had an earlier one, but the Series 4 is the one I clearly remember using. I eventually dropped it, cracked the screen, and learned the old-fashioned lesson that glass and concrete are not friends.
That led me to the Apple Watch Series 7. After using that for a while, I upgraded to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (AWU2). Then I added an Ultrahuman Ring Air (UHR) because I wanted something lighter for sleep tracking and because I was curious about pairing it with continuous glucose monitoring.
After living with all of them, I’ve figured out which one actually earns its spot daily, which one gets used for one specific reason, and which one gave me the most useful health insight—even though it has also caused the most frustration.
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Quick Comparison Summary
| Wearable | Typical Price | What It’s Best At | My Quick Take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 (AWU2) | ~now $729 new | Daily driver, smart home, payments, workouts, sleep, notifications | The most useful wearable I own |
| Apple Watch Series 7 | ~$130–$300 used/refurbished | Basketball and workouts where I might hit someone | Demoted to “basketball watch,” but still useful |
| Ultrahuman Ring Air (UHR) | ~$349 when available | Sleep, recovery, CGM pairing | Loved it, but reliability has been an issue |
1) Apple Watch Ultra 2 (AWU2): My Daily Driver
The AWU2 is what I wear roughly 23 hours a day. Workouts, sleep tracking, work, errands, phone calls, navigation, ECG, payments—it does almost everything.
More importantly, it is the most useful wearable I own because it acts like a remote control for my life. It can unlock my house. It can control smart-home devices through my Apple TV. It can interact with my car. I can use it to buy things. It handles quick tasks without making me pull out my phone every five minutes like I’m checking for royal correspondence.
I also added a protective cover from Amazon. It makes the watch heavier and a little more aggressive looking, but after cracking an earlier Apple Watch, I’m fine with that tradeoff. Lesson learned: these things do not bounce.
Apple Watch Ultra 2: Check price on Amazon.
Protective cover: Check price on Amazon.
Why I Don’t Wear the AWU2 for Basketball
The AWU2 is already a substantial piece of titanium. With the protective cover, it becomes even more substantial. On a basketball court, I’m constantly making contact—boxing out, fighting through screens, contesting shots, and generally pretending I still move like I did 20 years ago.
If I wear that watch long enough while playing, eventually I’m going to catch someone with it. I’d rather not be the guy who sends a teammate to the dentist because my smartwatch became a medieval gauntlet.
So when I play basketball, the AWU2 comes off and the Apple Watch Series 7 goes on.
What I Like About the AWU2
- The display is bright enough to read in Houston sunlight.
- The Action Button is actually useful.
- It tracks workouts, sleep, heart rate, and general health well.
- Cellular lets me leave my phone behind when I want to.
- It works as a payment device.
- It controls parts of my smart home through Apple TV.
- It can interact with my car.
- It can unlock my house.
- It feels durable.
- It is, frankly, cooler than the regular Apple Watch.
What I Don’t Like About the AWU2
- Battery life is still a near daily-charging situation for me.
- With the protective cover, it is a bit heavier.
- It is expensive.
- AWU3 has come out that is cooler, better and newer. Check price on Amazon here.
- If you are not already in the Apple ecosystem, utility is questionable.
2) Apple Watch Series 7: My Basketball Watch
Before the AWU2, the Apple Watch Series 7 was my daily watch. Now it has one job: basketball.
That may sound like a demotion, but it is actually a good use for it. The Series 7 is lighter, smaller, and does not have the hard protective shell I added to the AWU2. If I bump someone with it, it is much less likely to feel like I tagged them with a tiny wrist-mounted brick.
Apple Watch Series 7: Check price on refurbished models on Amazon.
What I Like About the Series 7
- It is light and easy to wear while playing basketball.
- It still tracks workouts well enough.
- It charges quickly.
- It still does most of what the average person needs from an Apple Watch.
- It is easy to switch back and forth with the AWU2.
What I Don’t Like About the Series 7
- The battery has degraded a little bit over time.
- It is missing newer features.
- The screen is not as bright outdoors as the AWU2.
- It no longer feels like my main watch.
Is the AWU2 Worth the Extra Money?
For me, yes. For a lot of people, no. You can buy an Apple Watch Series 11 now for $329 that does a lot of what the AWU2 does.
Apple Watch Series 11: Check price on Amazon.
But that is because I use it constantly. I use it for workouts, smart-home controls, payments, my car, unlocking my house, sleep tracking, and notifications. It is not just a fitness tracker. It is a daily tool.
For someone who only wants a watch for basic fitness and sleep tracking and notifications, the Series 11 still gets you most of the way there for a lot less money.
3) Ultrahuman Ring Air (UHR): My Favorite Health Insight, But Not My Most Reliable Device
I bought the Ultrahuman Ring Air (UHR) in Raw Titanium. The first thing you notice is how light it is. You genuinely forget you are wearing it.
That is a big deal for sleep tracking. Wearing a watch to bed works, but a ring is more comfortable. It feels less like technology and more like something you already wear.
In my case, I eventually started wearing the UHR in place of my wedding ring. Originally, I ordered one for my index finger because that was the suggested placement. But wearing a smart ring on my index finger while also wearing my wedding ring looked ridiculous. It was not a good look. It had strong “man testing spy equipment at Costco” energy.
So I moved the ring to my ring finger. The problem was that my ring finger is smaller than my index finger. The ring was not sized perfectly, and one day it fell off without me realizing it. That is how I lost one of them.
When I ordered again, I sized it properly for my ring finger. That made much more sense for how I actually wanted to wear it.
The Two Best Things About the UHR
- It is incredibly comfortable. I forget it is on my finger, especially at night.
- There is no subscription. That matters a lot to me.
The no-subscription part is not a small thing. I do not want to buy an expensive device and then be told I need to keep paying every year to use the data. I understand why companies do it. I just think it is a load of crap.
The Blood Sugar Experiment
The most useful health insight I got from the UHR came when I paired it with a continuous glucose monitor. I used a FreeStyle Libre 3 and was able to see how food, sleep, activity, and blood sugar interacted in real life.
That was more useful than any generic health advice I have ever read.
I learned which foods spiked me. I learned how much a short walk after a meal helped. I learned how bad sleep could affect my glucose response the next day.
I lost about five pounds during that period. Not because I went on some dramatic diet. I just made better decisions because I finally had real data staring back at me.
The Reliability Problem
Here is where the story gets messy.
I liked the UHR enough that I kept trying to make it work. But I have gone through multiple rings in a fairly short period.
- I lost one, and it was replaced under the protection plan or warranty.
- Another stopped charging, and Ultrahuman replaced it.
- Then I lost another one, but because it was already another replacement within a relatively short period, they would not replace it again.
- So I bought another one myself in Raw Titanium.
- That one wroked for about 3-4 months, but it will not connect to Bluetooth.
That is frustrating because I really do like the ring. I still wear it in place of my wedding ring, even though the Bluetooth connection doesn’t work. It is a good product idea. It just needs to work consistently.
And there is the honest tension: I like it enough that I would buy the next version, but I would worry about the reliability.
Availability: Why I Am Waiting for the Ultrahuman Ring PRO
The Ultrahuman Ring Air is not currently available in the U.S. due to a patent dispute with Oura. Now, Ultrahuman has the Ring PRO (next gen) available for preorder on its website.
That is what I am watching now.
Despite all the problems I had with the Ring Air, I liked the idea enough—and liked the health insights enough—that I would consider buying the Ring PRO when it comes out.
Ultrahuman Ring PRO – check availability and pre-order price here.
What About Oura?
I know Oura is probably the most polished smart ring on the market. I am not pretending it is a bad product.
But I refuse to buy it while it requires a subscription.
That is the issue for me. You already pay hundreds of dollars for the ring, and then you still have to pay every month to get the full benefit of the product. I understand the business model. I do not like it.
For me, that is a dealbreaker. For others, it may work.
Oura Ring: Check price on Amazon.
So Which One Would I Buy Again?
If I Could Only Pick One Wearable
I would pick the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (now the Apple Watch Ultra 3).
It is the most useful overall. It handles workouts, sleep, heart rate, payments, smart-home controls, car controls, notifications, and quick daily tasks. It is not perfect, but it earns its spot every day.
If I Played Contact Sports
I would keep an older Apple Watch around, like the Series 7 (or anything between Series 7 and Series 11).
For basketball, the AWU2 is too much watch, especially with a cover. The Series 7 is lighter, cheaper to replace, and less likely to injure someone when I inevitably pretend I can still box out like I am 25.
If I Wanted Sleep and Recovery Data
I would still look hard at Ultrahuman. Realistically, the AWU2 does a a great job at sleep tracking now and I couldn’t tell you if one is better than the other.
The UHR gave me the most useful health insight of any wearable I have owned, especially when paired with glucose tracking. But because of the reliability issues I have personally experienced, I would be more interested in the Ring PRO than buying another Ring Air.
If Money Were No Object
I would use both: the AWU2 and a smart ring. If money were an object, then it depends on your use case.
The watch is better for daily utility. The ring is better for passive sleep and recovery tracking. Together, they give you a fuller picture.
Final Thought
The most useful wearable I own is the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
It opens doors, controls parts of my house, works with my car, buys things, tracks health, and saves me from pulling out my phone constantly. That is real-world usefulness.
But the most interesting health insight I ever got came from the Ultrahuman Ring Air paired with glucose data.
That is why I am still interested in the Ring PRO. I like the idea. I like the no-subscription model. I like what the ring taught me.
Now I just need the next one to stay connected, stay charged, and stay on my finger.
Disclaimer: Not legal advice, not medical advice, not financial advice—informational only. Do your own research and consult a professional.
