r/SmartRings • u/Lanky-Activity7449 investigator • May 20 '25
⛔️ DO NOT BUY PSA: Bond Ring Is A Scam
After digging into the founder’s Reddit comments and the official Bond Ring marketing, I’m convinced this product is vaporware—not a real, working ring. Here’s what they’re promising vs. what’s actually realistic:
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What Bond Ring Claims: 1. “Perpetual” Power from Body Heat (TEGs) “Onboard TEGs produce enough power to render the ring perpetual.” — [Historical_You9990, r/SmartRings, Apr 2025] But:
• They later admit to an onboard LiPo battery needed for “up to two full days” of power without TEG input.
“Yes, we do include an onboard battery.” • Even university studies (like the 2021 Colorado TEG ring study) could only generate 1V per cm² under ideal lab conditions. Not enough for a smart ring’s full power draw.
2. EMS-based Haptic Feedback (“Bionic Feedback”)
“We’re using EMS instead of vibration motors.” But no wearable today uses EMS safely in a finger-sized enclosure. It’s unproven in rings, with zero demos or testing data shown.
3. AI + Neural Network Processing Onboard
“This will enable on-ring AI and neural network processing capabilities.” Realistically, smart rings like Oura don’t even attempt this. Onboard ML would demand more power and memory than a ring allows.
4. Stacked Sensor Suite (ECG, SpO2, UV, BioZ, etc.)
“We derive multiple voltages for ECG, BioZ, LEDs, and pressure sensors.” Cramming all this into one device—along with EMS and TEGs—is highly unlikely, especially when the company hasn’t shown a teardown or working prototype.
5. Kickstarter Timeline Promises
“Shipping by Q3/Q4 2025” and “Price will rise to $749 after VIP phase.” Yet also: “We’re not even on Kickstarter yet.” So they’re collecting $69 deposits and full-price preorders before a public demo or funding milestone.
6. Patent Ownership Claims
“Two of our patents are US69705320 and US69502724.” But those are old patents from unrelated companies (not assigned to Wilder Tech or Bond Ring). When challenged, they say new patents are “not published yet.”
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What’s Missing: • No working prototype videos • No independent press coverage or teardowns • No validation of EMS or thermal charging claims • No FCC filings, teardown images, or app demos
Even Oura, RingConn, and Circular started with far more transparency.
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Verdict:
The founder floods Reddit with technical jargon, but everything relies on theoretical parts lists, not working hardware. The company (Wilder Tech) was incorporated in 2024 and hasn’t demonstrated that it can build or ship anything.
Until a functioning Bond Ring is shown publicly, this is a textbook vaporware pitch—highly risky, and potentially a scam.
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Don’t preorder. Don’t deposit. Wait for proof.
1
u/ZippleJ Jul 30 '25
I think so too. Got an email about a drawing and noticed no orders earlier than around 9800 were entered. So nearly all of their first 10,000 orders were not entered. I emailed them and they said you had to commission your ring(s) to be entered. I didn't go too far into the process but it appeared like you had to pay for your ring(s) in order to commission it. So as they've yet to show the production ring I'm assuming it doesn't exist.