How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home
You can get this right at home in about five minutes, and you do not need to visit a jeweller to do it. What you do need is to know which method you're using and how far off it can be, because most of the advice online skips that part and that is exactly where people end up with a ring that spins.
Short version: measuring a ring the person already wears is the most accurate thing you can do. Measuring the finger itself comes second. Everything else is an estimate.
How to measure your ring size in 3 steps
- Measure. Use a ring that fits the intended finger and measure its inside diameter in millimetres. If you do not have one, wrap a narrow paper strip around the finger, mark the overlap, then measure from the starting end to the mark.
- Match your measurement. Find the inside diameter or circumference in the US / Canada size chart below. Repeat the measurement to check your reading.
- Check the fit. If you measured your finger, check the knuckle too. Review the sizing advice for the specific ring's width and profile before ordering.
Two things that decide the answer before you start
Fingers are not a fixed size. Over one day they can move by most of a full size. They swell in heat, after exercise, after a salty meal, after a drink, and late in the evening. They shrink in the cold — a measurement taken on a January morning in Ontario can read a full size small. Measure at room temperature, at rest, somewhere in the middle of the day.
The knuckle decides, not the base of the finger. The ring has to travel over the knuckle to get on. If your knuckle is noticeably wider than the base of your finger, measure both, take the larger reading, then land between the two. Go too far toward the knuckle measurement and the ring will spin all day.
Method 1: Measure a ring that already fits
Accuracy: high. Use this one if you possibly can.
Take a ring that fits the correct finger — and note which hand it came from, because the dominant hand usually runs a quarter to half a size larger. Lay it on a ruler and measure the inside diameter at the widest point, in millimetres. Not the outside, not the metal.
| US / Canada size | Inside diameter | Inside circumference |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 17.3 mm | 54.4 mm |
| 7.5 | 17.7 mm | 55.7 mm |
| 8 | 18.1 mm | 57.0 mm |
| 8.5 | 18.5 mm | 58.2 mm |
| 9 | 18.9 mm | 59.5 mm |
| 9.5 | 19.4 mm | 60.8 mm |
| 10 | 19.8 mm | 62.1 mm |
| 10.5 | 20.2 mm | 63.3 mm |
| 11 | 20.6 mm | 64.6 mm |
| 11.5 | 21.0 mm | 65.9 mm |
| 12 | 21.4 mm | 67.2 mm |
| 12.5 | 21.8 mm | 68.5 mm |
| 13 | 22.2 mm | 69.7 mm |
These are the standard US and Canadian sizes: size 0 measures 11.63 mm across the inside, and every full size adds 0.8128 mm (one thirty-second of an inch). Half a size is about 0.4 mm of diameter. That is almost nothing on a ruler and very obvious on a finger, so measure twice and read carefully.
Tracing the ring onto paper and comparing circles is the version most people try first. It works, but it typically costs you half a size, because the pen line sits outside the metal. If you can, slide the ring over a printed sizer instead.
Method 2: String or a paper strip
Accuracy: moderate, and it leans one way.
If there is no ring to borrow, measure the finger directly. Do it properly and this is usable:
- Cut a strip of paper about 5 mm wide — paper, not string. String stretches, and a stretched string costs you half a size.
- Wrap it around the base of the finger, snug but not tight. It should feel like a ring feels, not like a tourniquet.
- Mark where the strip overlaps, unwrap it, and measure to the mark in millimetres. That is your circumference — read it off the third column above.
- Now do the same around the knuckle. If that number is larger, you need a size that clears it.
The common failure here is measuring only the base of the finger and ordering a ring that will not go on. The second most common is pulling the strip tight.
Method 3: A proper sizer
Accuracy: high.
A sizer removes the guesswork, and it is the fastest route if you are not confident with a ruler. Our ring size guide has a sizing tool that takes about a minute, and it works either against a ring you already own or against the finger itself.
Method 4: Ask a jeweller
Accuracy: high, especially when you try a sizer in a similar width to the ring you want.
A jeweller can measure your finger or a ring you already own, and help you check how a band passes over the knuckle. Some shops offer sizing free of charge; ask about availability and any fee before you visit. If possible, try a sizing band close to the width and profile you plan to buy.
The part almost everyone gets wrong: comfort fit and width
This is where good measurements still turn into a loose ring, and it is worth two minutes.
Comfort fit means the inside of the band is gently rounded. This can help the ring slide over the knuckle and change how it feels on your finger. It does not mean you should automatically order half a size down.
Width matters too. A wide band covers more of the finger and can feel tighter than a narrow band in the same nominal size. The difference depends on the ring's profile and your finger, so there is no single half-size adjustment that works for everyone.
Most of our rings are 8 mm wide. Use your measurement as a starting point, then check the sizing advice for the specific design. Do not assume that width and comfort fit cancel each other out. Trying a sizer with a similar width and inner profile is the best way to check the feel before ordering.
If you are ordering a narrower width. A 4 mm or 6 mm band may feel different from an 8 mm band, even when the marked size is the same. Follow the guidance for that model rather than automatically subtracting half a size.
If your measurement falls between sizes, repeat it and check the model's sizing guidance. If you are still unsure, ask us before ordering.
Two rules of thumb worth keeping
- Between two sizes? Check before choosing. Repeat your measurement and use the sizing guidance for the specific ring. A similar-width sizer can help you choose a fit that clears the knuckle without slipping off.
- Check the feel, not just the number. A correct fit slides on with light pressure and needs a little resistance to come back off over the knuckle. If it falls off when your hands are cold, it is too big. If it needs soap, it is too small.
How to find someone else's size without asking
If this is a surprise, you have the same problem with one extra constraint: you cannot ask the person, and you cannot put a paper strip around their finger while they sleep without a decent chance of waking them.
In rough order of how well they work:
Borrow a ring they already wear. Best option by a distance. Measure the inside diameter as above, and note which hand it came from. If it is from the right hand of a right-handed person, expect the left hand to run a little smaller.
Ask someone who might already know. A parent, a sibling, a best friend, the best man. If they have ever bought jewellery, the shop may have the size on file. If you share an online shopping account, check the order history. A message as plain as "random question — do you know their ring size? I'm sorting something for the wedding and I don't want to ask" usually does it. Pick someone who can keep a secret.
The sleeping paper strip. Last resort. Warm hands under a duvet are at their most swollen, so this method reads large even when you get it done cleanly.
One practical note: if anything is being posted to you, send it to your workplace or a friend's address. A jewellery-branded envelope on the doormat three weeks before you planned to propose is how surprises end.
If the size turns out wrong
Worth checking before you order: do not count on resizing a tungsten or Damascus steel ring later. Tungsten carbide is highly scratch-resistant, but it is not scratch-proof and cannot be resized like a gold or silver band. For our rings, a size exchange is the practical route if the fit is wrong.
What we do instead is exchange it, and we have tried to make that the easy part. Within 30 days of delivery, if the ring is unworn and in its original packaging, you can swap it for another size with no restocking fee. We send you a prepaid return label: you cover the postage in two clicks and drop the parcel off. No hunting for a return address, no customs forms, no working out how to send a parcel across a border — which, if you have ever tried to return something internationally the ordinary way, is the part that actually hurts.
Every ring also carries our Lifetime Warranty against manufacturing defects, for as long as you own it.
If you are genuinely unsure, order early and build in a couple of weeks. A ring that fits is better than a ring that arrives on time.
Common questions
Is Canadian ring sizing the same as US sizing?
Yes. Canada uses the same numeric scale as the United States, so a 10 is a 10 in both. UK, European and Japanese sizing all use different systems, so convert carefully if you are working from a ring bought abroad.
What is the average men's ring size?
Most sources put it between 9 and 10.5 in the US and Canada, with most men falling between 8 and 14. Useful as a sanity check — if your measurement comes out three sizes away from that for an average-sized hand, measure again — but far too broad to order on.
Do both hands take the same size?
Usually not quite. The dominant hand tends to run a quarter to half a size larger. Bear it in mind when you are measuring a ring borrowed from the other hand.
Can I work it out from a glove size or from height?
No. There is no reliable relationship between either and finger circumference. Tall people with slim fingers are common, and so is the reverse.
Should I measure over a knuckle that is swollen or arthritic?
Yes — the ring still has to pass it. Measure the knuckle at its widest, then choose a size that clears it with the least slack you can accept at the base. This is one case where visiting a jeweller in person is genuinely worth it.
Can a tungsten ring be resized later?
No. Tungsten carbide rings cannot be resized like gold or silver bands. The material is highly scratch-resistant, but it can still be scratched or damaged. If the size is wrong, the answer is an exchange rather than a resize.
What if I ordered from the other side of the border?
The exchange works the same way. We send a prepaid label, you cover the postage and drop the parcel off — we handle the paperwork that normally makes an international return painful.
Got your number? Our ring size guide has a sizing tool that takes about a minute if you want to double-check it. The collection runs from size 7 to 13 in half sizes, mostly 8 mm comfort fit with some designs in narrower widths — including the whiskey barrel wood bands made from real, once-used oak.