In this video I review the Nova Smart Ring (the Nova R) and focus on what actually matters to me when I’m buying a smart ring: comfort, durability, battery life, and accuracy. The headline stuff is strong for the money—4 to 7 days battery, no subscription fees, 50m water resistance, and it’s super light at just over 3g. At $179 it’s basically half the price of the Oura base model, and that price difference matters even more when you factor in Oura’s monthly subscription. For comfort, Nova sends a sizing kit (I landed on size 11) and I found the thickness “not too bad” even though I’d always prefer thinner. Durability has been solid: it’s titanium so it’ll scratch (mine has), but it takes knocks well and didn’t baby it during testing. Battery life matched claims for me—around 4–5 days with heavy syncing and all features on, and it charges in just over an hour. Accuracy is a mixed bag: heart rate, blood oxygen, and general workout tracking were very consistent against my other devices, and step tracking genuinely surprised me by being close to my smartwatch (sometimes within 1–2 steps). Sleep tracking is the weak point—fine for a general overview, but it didn’t always detect brief wake-ups. Overall, for $179 with no subscription, it’s a bargain—though I’d also check out the upcoming Nova Ring S before buying.