Until a few months ago, smart rings looked like the cleanest win in wearables.
No screens. No buzzing wrists. Long battery life. Quiet health tracking that blended into daily life.
Now half the category is effectively locked out of the United States.
Since October 2025, several major smart ring brands have been banned from importing new devices into the US after a trade ruling sided with Oura in a sweeping patent dispute. What looked like a fast growing health tech segment suddenly became a legal minefield.
And it exposed how fragile this entire market actually is.
The Patent That Froze an Entire Category
The US International Trade Commission ruled that RingConn and Ultrahuman infringed on Oura’s so-called 178 patent.
On paper, the patent protects a specific smart ring hardware layout. In practice, it covers a layered ring design with electronics embedded inside. That description is broad enough to apply to almost every smart ring currently on the market.
That is why this dispute keeps spreading.
Over the last two years, Oura has filed or threatened actions against Samsung, Reebok, Zepp Health, Nexxbase, and others. Some companies negotiated licensing deals. Others were pushed out entirely.
Ultrahuman and RingConn were hit hardest. Their imports were blocked outright.
Why Ultrahuman Was Hit Especially Hard
Ultrahuman was not just selling rings. It was trying to break Oura’s business model.
Unlike Oura, Ultrahuman does not charge a subscription. Oura users pay about $6 per month to access their data. Ultrahuman built its pitch around paying once and owning your health insights outright.
The company was also expanding US manufacturing to meet demand and reduce exposure to tariffs.
Then the ban landed.
No new rings could enter the US. Expansion plans froze overnight.
Why This Is Not Just About Hardware
Here is where things get more interesting.
The ITC ruling only applies to physical devices. It has no authority over software.
That loophole is now shaping how these companies survive.
Ultrahuman confirmed that existing US customers will continue receiving full updates, insights, and new features through its app. The company has leaned heavily into software services that operate independently of new hardware sales.
This week at CES, Ultrahuman even made its entry-level Blood Vision service free. That includes a blood panel covering 20 biomarkers, roughly on par with many annual primary care checkups.
The message is clear. If hardware gets blocked, software becomes the battleground.
Smart Rings Are Turning Into App Platforms
Ultrahuman also introduced PowerPlugs, effectively an app store for smart rings.
Users can choose which metrics they want to track rather than running everything at once. That matters because every added sensor drains battery life. More data is not always better data.
This modular approach quietly addresses one of the biggest complaints about advanced wearables. As rings track more biomarkers, battery life shrinks. Oura users have already noticed this tradeoff over the past year.
The future smart ring might not be defined by hardware specs, but by how intelligently it lets users control what gets measured.
Oura Is Not Slowing Down Either
While competitors fight for access, Oura is moving aggressively.
The company launched a new ceramic ring line, unveiled a charging case, and announced plans for a Texas manufacturing facility to support its largest customer, the US Department of Defense.
This is not a defensive company protecting a niche. It is a dominant player scaling into enterprise and government health tracking.
And it is using patents as both shield and sword.
Why Smart Rings Are Still Inevitable
Despite the chaos, demand is not fading.
There is a clear hunger for health tracking that does not live on the wrist. Rings are lighter, more energy efficient, and easier to ignore. They fit into daily life in a way watches never quite do.
No single company will own this category forever. The technology is moving too fast, and design workarounds will eventually bypass today’s patents.
The irony is that the legal freeze might expire simply because the banned designs become obsolete.
What This Means for Everyday People
For consumers, this moment is confusing but revealing.
It shows how fragile hardware innovation can be when broad patents control form factors. It also shows how quickly companies pivot when hardware becomes a liability.
In the near term, choices in the US will be more limited. In the long term, smart rings will likely evolve faster as companies race to redesign, relicense, or reinvent the category entirely.
Health tracking is not going away. It is just getting quieter, smaller, and more political.
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