‘Ring’ touted as the worst wearable ever

The reviews are in for Ring by Logbar, a gesture-based wearable that you slip onto your finger, and it looks like it could be the worst wearable, nay, the worst gadget of all time.

As further proof that you shouldn’t just throw your cash willy-nilly at every cool-looking Kickstarter project you see, the recently released Ring by Logbar isn’t quite fulfilling all the promises of its succesful funding operation, according to many users of the crowdfunded device.

It was touted as being the best thing since sliced bread and those behind the project claimed it was “like magic, allowing you to control anything you want, by wearing it on your finger.” As it turns out though, that was a bit of an overreach, and Ring is just as horrific as the Japanese movie it shares its name with.

The project’s goal on Kickstarter was $250,000 but over 5000 backers, who were obviously taken in by Logbar’s silky sales spiel, chimed in over $880,000, expecting to receive a distinct, useful wearable which could potentially change the way they communicate forever.

When their Rings began to arrive, their dreadful mistake became apparent though.

The first thing users noted was the size of the device, which could be termed ‘laughably large’ if one were being overly kind, but it’s shortcomings reportedly go way beyond its awkward aesthetic.

One review, by Snazzy Labs, actually named Ring “Worst Product Ever Made”, pointing the finger of blame at everything from “the bulky size to the requirement that users actively have the app open to use it—negating any time-saving benefits the smartring might confer,” which is as damning a con as one could pin to a device which is solely intended to make users’ lives easier.

Feedback from buyers of the device has been as bad, or even worse, than professional reviews too.

Comments from disgruntled backers centred on Ring’s poor sizing. Most reviews posted to the Kickstarter page noted that the device just didn’t fit, and those who were lucky enough to get it on their finger weren’t exactly enamoured by the device’s usefulness.

Snazzy Labs noted that Ring’s hardware as “lacklustre”, and needs to be reset often, but claimed the software is actually even worse, calling it “comically unusable”. To add insult to injury the device apparently only works “about 5% of the time”.

Logbar, the Japanese startup behind Ring, hasn’t been earning a place on people’s Christmas card list either, by offering very little after sales support. Logbar even directed some buyers to contact their bank and request a direct refund – highlighting the potential for serious problems when backing a crowd-sourced project.

Would you consider Ring to be the worst gadget of all time? If not, what devices make your shortlist? Let us know in the comments below.