Rings for Men: A Man’s Guide To Wearing Rings

Here’s a no-nonsense guide to how to wear rings as a man.

Let’s tackle the elephant in the room: should men wear rings? In short, wear a ring because you want to wear one. If you’re married, wear one on the finger your culture commonly wears one on. If you’re married and don’t want to wear one, that’s just fine, too. There’s nothing that dictates you should or should not wear rings. 

Of course, this doesn’t extend to rings of significance for something you’re not a part of. It’s poor form to wear a class ring for, say, your country’s military academy if you didn’t attend it. Or wearing the ring of a college fraternity you were never in. 

But, in general, if you want to wear a ring that fits, go for it!

The Meaning of the Fingers and Rings

Rings, in general, signify either tradition or affiliation. Perhaps the most common, at least in the West, is exchanging wedding rings. Rings to symbolize love, marriage, and fidelity date back to Ancient Greece. People in the Middle Ages in Europe believed a vein on the third finger (vena amori) of the left hand connected directly to the heart. 

Wedding rings for men in the United States weren’t common until the First World War. At the time, it was done as a symbol of love for one’s spouse. But, it also carried a broader meaning of thoughts of home and family left behind. 

Rings are used as symbols of achievement or affiliation. In athletic pursuits, championships commemorated rings. A school class has a ring. It might be engraved with the year, the name of your school, and your name. Social clubs and military units may have rings to show their affiliation. 

Pointer Finger

Wearing a ring on the pointer or index finger was the most common location for a man’s ring for centuries. It generally denoted a family’s status or crest and was therefore considered a symbol of power. It’s still common today and is a good location for a ring you might not wear every day. This finger does plenty of work if you do quite a bit of handwriting, so be mindful of that. 

Middle Finger

As the longest finger on the hand, it’s one we subconsciously use quite often. Wearing a ring on this finger isn’t especially common and can be a little uncomfortable. But, as it is so large, it might work for a statement ring in a situation where you might not be doing manual tasks. If you wear multiple rings, choosing to wear one of them on your middle finger may be inconvenient. You don’t want your rings to hit each other and cause scratches. 

Ring Finger

Called the ‘ring finger’ for a few reasons. Traditionally, this is where people wore rings of commitment and fidelity. As such, it follows we’d wear rings of association and accomplishment on this finger, too. 

Which hand people wear their wedding ring on depends on local customs. In many Western cultures, couples wear wedding rings on the left-hand ring finger. However, in Germany and in predominately Orthodox Christian countries wearing it on the right-hand ring finger is the norm. 

Pinky Rings

Pinky rings are a surprisingly complex and controversial topic. Traditionally, these rings were worn by individuals in authority and would be engraved with their unique seal. They’d use this ring to press onto the wax, “sealing” and authenticating official correspondence or other documents. Today, aristocracy and royalty in Western countries may wear this as a ‘signet’ ring on the pinky finger of their left hand. 

But one doesn’t have to have royal blood to wear this. It, somewhat unfortunately, got a bad rap after being adopted by Mafiosi. Caricatures of mobsters wearing diamond-encrusted rings on their little fingers bastardized an otherwise noble tradition. All this is to say that if you’d like to wear one, you don’t have to have a reason.

Thumb Rings

A thumb ring for men is a frequent choice for many around the world but rather uncommon in the West. It’s a bigger finger and will, of course, require a bulkier ring. It can be rather cumbersome. We evolved primates use our opposable thumbs a lot.

Jokes aside, a thumb ring is a bold choice. And it can be nice for spacing purposes if you’d like to wear multiple rings on the same hand. 

The Average Men’s Ring Size

It’s a great question which doesn’t have a satisfactory answer. There are two reasons for this. First and foremost, there isn’t a comprehensive international sizing guide for rings for men. We can get close, but sizing may vary by brand, material, and function. 

Ring sizes for men run from 4 up to about 15. That’s a very broad range, as I’m sure you’ll agree. However, the majority of the bell curve for the average men’s ring size seems to fall between 6 and 10. 

There are, of course, subcategories within this. Larger fashion jewelry brands tend to offer rings in whole sizes. You may want to consider them the way you might any other piece of clothing- small, medium, large, etc. 

Specialized retailers, such as those catering to wedding bands, will offer in half sizes. Really good ones will even offer quarter sizes.

A Men’s Ring Size Chart

As we spoke about above, there isn’t a uniform consensus on ring sizing. Much like shoe sizing, it can vary widely by brand, country, and the material used. 

Additionally, hydration and the weather can affect the thickness of your fingers. If you’ve had a big breakfast and you get sized at 10 AM in the middle of June, your fingers will be larger. Conversely, if you get sized in the middle of winter and you’ve had some diuretics — like coffee — your fingers will be smaller in circumference. 

There are ring “sizers” one can print out and cut out. While they probably shouldn’t be used as definitive sizers, it’s a good place to start. Consider printing it out and then sizing it with a toothpick between your finger and the paper. 

Consider this as a ring size guide:

How Should a Man’s Ring Fit?

Somewhat like clothing, how a man’s ring should fit is a bit of a personal preference. But there are a few guidelines to consider. 

Size for your knuckles. Many men have larger knuckles than other parts of their fingers. The ring should, at least, slide over the knuckle. Rings with concave edges (also known as ‘comfort’ fit) can help with this. Or, if you have particularly large knuckles and thinner fingers, sizing balls can be attached to the inside of the ring. At the very least, if the ring slides over the knuckle without resistance, it’s likely too big. Consider sizing down. 

One good method to get a good fit is the ‘twist’ or ‘wiggle.’ Slide the ring on your finger. If you can pull it off without having to twist it, it’s likely too big. But if you need to give a slight twist, that should be enough for a snug but comfortable fit. 

When is a ring too tight? Of course, if the ends of your finger are turning purple, it’s definitely too tight! More realistically, a ring is a bit too snug if you frequently need dish soap or some other lubricant to get it off.

Styling Rings: How To Wear Multiple Rings

Yes, you can wear multiple rings at the same time. There are a couple good ways to do this. Try wearing one on each hand to start. The easiest and most conservative approach is to wear one on the ring finger of each hand. Next, you can wear one on the left ring finger and one on the pinky of the right. It’s acceptable to wear two on the same finger. Married women in the West tend to ‘stack’ engagement and wedding rings together. 

Wearing two rings on the same hand is a little more complicated. You could, say, wear a wedding ring on the ring finger and a signet pinky ring. However, there’s a high potential for rubbing against each other, scratching the rings. Consider leaving a finger of space between the two. 

Should You Mix Metals on Rings?

Style cognoscenti insist people with warmer undertones wear yellow gold and cooler undertones wear white gold, platinum, or tungsten men’s rings.  It’s your preference, though. If you’re quite pale, but like yellow gold, go for it. The same goes if you’re dark-skinned and like white gold. 

Mixing metals, in my opinion, is perfectly fine in contemporary society. With a renewed focus on sustainability, resource conservation, and ethical mining, it makes little sense to have multiple wedding rings depending on your outfits. It should also go without saying that could get expensive quickly. 

That said, choose a wedding ring depending on your preference. Trends come and go. Forty years ago, yellow gold was all the rage. Thirty years ago, white gold came into fashion. And, in the last twenty years, tungsten carbide and alternative metals took off. 

Today, if you’d like to wear multiple rings on your fingers, there’s nothing to stop you from mixing gold and silver tones. 

FAQs

Here are answers to common ring-related questions: 

What Rings Should Men Have?

There’s nothing saying you should have any rings. Many men just don’t like the feeling. But, if you’d like to wear one to signify you’re married, go for it. Or, if you think they look cool, go for that, too. 

If you’d like a wedding band, a simple gold one is a great place to start. Rings in 925 silver or tungsten are good, too. Stainless steel or silicone are okay options. Remember, though, the more ornamentation a ring has, the harder it will be to combine with other outfits. So, while that ring with the lion’s head on it looks interesting, it’s quite the statement piece. Consider how and where you’ll pair it, especially with other jewelry like necklaces and bracelets. 

How Much Should a Men’s Ring Cost?

Whatever you can afford. Marketing from the DeBeers diamond company arbitrarily came up with the idea a woman’s engagement ring should cost two months of her fiance’s salary. It still sells a lot of diamonds. And sends a lot of men into serious debt. 

Buy what you can afford at the time- no matter what the ring is. If it’s a wedding ring, consider spending a little more. Ideally, you’re only buying one of these. If you’re getting a ring made with your family crest, also consider spending a little more. But, many good rings can be had through thrifting. 

What Is the Best Place To Buy Rings Online?

Most major retailers have an online presence. And it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a wedding ring, there are a few good places online. And, yes, because they don’t have the brick and mortar overhead, you might be able to find it cheaper. But, you may consider going into a shop — particularly if it’s an independent, family-owned jeweler. 

For Wedding Rings, consider

• James Allen
• Benchmark
• Tiffany & Co. 

For General Style

• Miansai
• John Hardy
• David Yurman

Consider some sites like Etsy, as well, especially for more unusual items. You can also check out our guide to the best places to buy men’s jewlery here. 

Rings for Men: Conclusion

Wearing one or more rings can add a cool fashion dimension to your look. But whether you’re a stickler for high style, like to rock a street look, or prefer to stick with simple elegance, the way you wear them isn’t just about aesthetics.

Every ring sends a message, be it commitment, power, wealth, cultural or religious identity, or an association. Rings for men get noticed, whether you are in an interview, a business meeting, or a social situation. You will be noticed (and perhaps judged) by the rings you are wearing and where you are wearing them, so be sure you understand the rules and what they mean.

Leave your questions and comments down below!