There’s plenty of content out there when it comes to ring sizing and the types of materials you might want for your ring. However, when it comes to width, the answer is certainly not one size fits all — literally and figuratively. You don’t want to look like you’ve got a piece of string on your finger, but you also don’t want your ring taking up more hand real estate than it should. Luckily, getting it right is pretty easy.
What Are Your Options?
Generally, when it comes to the width of men’s wedding bands, you basically have three options: narrow, regular and wide. What exactly constitutes these three categories can depend on who’s selling the band and how they categorize them. However, in general, it breaks down like this:
Narrow Bands: Under 6mm
Regular Bands: 6-8mm
Wide Bands: Over 8mm
For most dudes, something in the range of 6-8mm is the place to be. Of course, the proportions will depend on your hand length and width as well as your finger length and width. You could have absolute catcher’s mitt palms attached to the end of your wrists but skinny fingers that require a narrower band. The point here is don’t be too hasty in assuming the width you need.
Need Your Ring Size? Check Out Our Ring Size ChartBeyond just the width of your band, the fit needs to be taken into account as well. Different fits and thicknesses can change the look of the band on your finger. This is why it’s important to differentiate ring thickness vs. width. You’re usually choosing between a flat fit (also known as standard) and a comfort fit when considering ring shape and thickness. Both have their pros and cons.
A Quick Word on Ring Fits
There’s plenty out there about how a ring should fit, so we aren’t going to stray too far from ring widths at the moment. We will do a quick overview of flat fit versus comfort fit, though, for those unfamiliar.
Flat Fit
While once the prevailing ring fit, flat fit is definitely losing ground to comfort fit these days. That said, plenty of dudes still like it. Flat fit rings are characterized by the inside of the band being completely flat. Therefore, the size and shape of the ring’s interior are the exact same anywhere from edge to edge. Standard fit rings are going to be just a touch snugger than comfort fits, though they tend to be the ones that run true to size.
Comfort Fit
Comfort fit is definitely a well-loved fit among guys at this point. Unlike a flat fit, the inside of a comfort fit ring is slightly rounded. Because of this, the ring gets slightly larger as you get toward the edges and slightly smaller toward the middle. The general rule of thumb here is that comfort fit rings run roughly a half size larger than flat fits, so adjust accordingly for a closer fit.
Narrow Men’s Wedding Bands
Narrow men’s wedding bands, as we mentioned, are generally bands that are 6mm in width or smaller. Narrow bands are usually best for guys with smaller hands and/or skinnier fingers.
If you have both smaller hands and slender fingers, err towards the lower end of the narrow range. Something in the neighborhood of 4mm will likely look balanced on your hand.
If you have average-sized hands but slim fingers, you may want to consider a narrow band as well. You have the leeway to go up towards a regular width band, so it’s really up to you. Something like a 6mm band that brushes up between narrow and regular is probably going to be right for you, though you may prefer the look of 7 or 8mm instead.
Regular Men’s Wedding Bands
This is where a lot of dudes are going to be. If you’re a generally average-sized dude, chances are you want to go with an average width band as well, in the vicinity of 6-8mm. If you’re on the upper end of average, especially if you’re a size 10 or above, you may like the look of a wider band. The same goes for average-sized hands but thicker fingers or knuckles.
Wide Men’s Wedding Bands
There are two reasons you want to go with a wide band. Reason one: you’ve just got big hands and don’t want to dwarf an average-width ring with the bear paws you came with. Reason two: you’ve got more average-sized hands, but you just love the look of a wider band. That’s certainly not uncommon. Plenty of dudes like to go a little wider with their wedding rings to achieve a more rugged, masculine type of look.
Anything above 8mm is considered wide, but there are a whole lot of ring widths above 8mm out there, so you JV Hafþórs out there are in luck. If you are the real Hafþór looking for a wedding ring refresh, however, please email us.
FAQS
What’s the Average Men’s Wedding Band Size?
Generally, a size 9 men’s ring is considered average, though anything from 8-10 is quite common.
Can I Go Up or Down in Widths?
This really depends on two factors: the size of your hands and the style that you like. The short answer is yes, you can. The longer answer is that while you can, it isn’t always recommended that you do.
Consider the size of your hands first. If your fingers are proportionally larger or smaller than your hands are, you may want to size up or down in width accordingly. Of course, that’s really going to depend on just how different your fingers and palms are in size. Yes, this is getting into the weeds a bit, but it’s also less common than the two just being in proportion.
For example, a concert pianist may have large hands but long, skinny fingers. For a dude like that, a wide band might actually look a little out of place. He certainly shouldn’t go with a narrow band – that’ll only serve to make his thin fingers look even thinner. However, we would recommend he try both a regular and wide width before making the assumption he should go with a wide.
There’s also always the element of style. Some dudes like a slim band because it looks sleeker. Others are really into the hefty look of a sizably wide band. As long as your fingers aren’t super skinny or absolutely massive, you’ve got some stylistic leeway to play around and see what you think looks best.
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Does Width Determine the Cost of the Band?
Ever seen the markups on a 3XL t-shirt? They don’t happen all the time, but every once in a while, you see shirts well above average size marked up slightly because of the extra fabric. That isn’t really the case for wedding bands. The cost is going to be determined almost exclusively by the material of the band and the intricacy of the design.
Unless you’re incredibly far from average and have to go custom, you don’t have to worry about paying extra fees for a wider band. Conversely, though, those narrow bands won’t save you any money over the regular widths.
Can I Have More Than One Wedding Band?
You absolutely can. While it’s not uncommon for women to wear a simple band on an everyday basis and bring the fancy wedding ring out for special occasions, dudes don’t really have the same rules. Granted, that’s because men’s bands are already simpler and slimmer, so everyday wear is a little more convenient. Still, guys should consider getting a silicone wedding band for the gym, travel or work wear.
Check Out Our Collection of Silicone Wedding Bands Here
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How Do I Find the Right Size for My Wedding Band?
You’ve got an average-sized hand with an average finger width, therefore, you’re an average size. You buy a size 9 and call it a day. No. No, you absolutely don’t do that. Please tell us you weren’t just going to do that. While it may work, it’s more of an exact science than that.
Forget all the tricks you’ve been taught. The shoe trick is a lie, and there’s no amount of trigonometry that’s going to get you the correct ring size via algorithm. The only way to get your ring size correct is to measure it. While you can go into a store and get measured, the simplest way is to get a ring sizer and do it at home.
If you use string and then mark and measure it out, that can work as well. If you’re going that route, consult a ring size chart for reference. This will make the millimeters to ring size conversions significantly easier.
Men’s wedding band widths are overall quite simple. In the same way you want the correct ring size, you want the proportional ring width to accompany it. While a lot of dudes will be fine going for the standard ring width, it never hurts to try going up or down for reference.
Shop All Men’s Wedding Bands from Mod Gents!