In this study, α-Fe2O3 nanorings@reduced graphene oxide (α-Fe2O3@rGO) composites have been prepared through a facile hydrothermal self-assembly process. This strategy achieved the effective reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to graphene as well as the homogenous distribution of α-Fe2O3 nanorings on the surface of crumpled graphene nanosheets. The α-Fe2O3@rGO composites exhibit a much higher specific capacity of 781mAhg−1 after 100cycles at the current density of 100mAg−1 and good rate capability than the pure α-Fe2O3 nanorings (225mAhg−1), outperforming the most of reported Fe2O3/graphene electrode materials previously. The excellent electrochemical performance of α-Fe2O3@rGO benefits from the synergistic effect between α-Fe2O3 nanorings and graphene nanosheets. Moreover, the present work will be contributed to the future development of diverse graphene-based metal oxide materials for lithium-ion batteries applications.