October Gear Highlight: Circul+

Initially, I had intended on closing out the month with two more adventure blogs, but Covid had other plans (at the time of writing, I am on day 19). Catching a respiratory illness with a lung disease is not ideal, but there is good news. According to Pulmonology, there has been no damage so once I kick it I can start getting back to my version of normal. With all of that being said, I decided to do something I’ve been contemplating for a few months now. So, welcome to the first ever gear highlight.

This month’s gear is Circul+ Wellness Ring by BodiMetrics.

It is a smart ring that tracks a wide variety of data, including heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep, steps, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and temperature. There are continuous and individual monitoring options. It is adjustable and comes in three sizing options: small (5-8.5), large (9-11.5), and XXL (14+). The website claims that it can provide accurate readings regardless of skin tone, which is cool. I am a glow in the dark white pretty much all year round, so that isn’t something I can speak to, however, it is there for those who need it. There is an app that stores all of the reports created so you can share them with your providers, care people, etc.

Likes

I’ve been using my Circul+ for a couple of years now as a way to track my oxygen saturations while I sleep and do physical activity. Overall, it’s a good tool that I use daily. I like how it’s adjustable, so you don’t have to know your exact ring size. I am somewhere between a 5.5 and 6, so it makes it a little easier to find something that fits. It also is marked with an arrow to ensure it’s worn properly. The ring is fairly durable as well. I’ve gotten a scratch or two on it from living my life, but other than that, it’s still going strong.

Dislikes

There are some things I don’t like about it, as with any product. The main ones being battery life and not tracking oxygen saturations while in exercise mode.

Battery life for mine is about 10 hours. That isn’t enough to do a whole lot, not even sleep if you’re like me and hit that mark when you’re not feeling well. If you’re wanting to track sleep and life at work, it needs to be charged in between and that is annoying and inconvenient.

That being said, mine came with two chargers, so I kept one at home and one in the car so I could charge on my commute. It worked until the charger fell apart for some reason. There are replacements for sale, but I didn’t feel it necessary for how I use the tool. Now, the website does say 12 hour battery life, so this may have been upgraded since my purchase. However, 12 hours seems a little low as well. I’m not sure if it’s just where the technology is at this point or if it can be improved upon.

When it comes to oxygen saturations not being tracked when in exercise mode, that is a big thing for me. I didn’t realize that when I bought it, and it feels silly that it wouldn’t be an option in that mode. I do work around this by using daytime mode, which tracks oxygen and heart rate. There’s a way to make what I want happen, but like I said, it feels silly to have to do it that way when the device already has the capabilities.

Price

The current price is around $300 and that is close to where it was at when I purchased mine. It is a lot at once, however, if it is something that is used daily and lasts it’s worth it for me. I have all my data and can bring it to my doctors as needed. It has prevented me from having to do additional sleep studies and that right there is worth something.

If you want to give Circul+ a try for yourself or just want more information, check out their website.

Other thoughts

There is a new device on the market that I’ve been eyeballing. It has a longer battery life (according to their websites) and is similar in price. If I end up getting that one, I’ll let you know. It is a static sized ring, with the lowest size being 6, which may be a point of contention for me since I have such small fingers. We’ll see though.

If you have a request for the next gear highlight, put it in the comments below. I have most of my gear listed here.

And as always…be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3

Also, if you feel called to help a sista out with her travels, check this out!