How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home (with a UK, US and EU Size Chart)
Three reliable ways to find your ring size at home, a conversion chart for UK letters, US numbers and EU sizes, and the mistakes that make rings too tight.
A ring that is too tight is uncomfortable; one that is too loose can slip off in cold weather. Getting the size right before you order saves a resizing trip and protects delicate settings. Here are three reliable ways to measure at home, and a chart to convert UK letters to US and EU sizes.
Before you measure
- Measure at the end of the day, when fingers are at their largest, and not when you are cold.
- Measure the exact finger and hand the ring will be worn on.
- Measure three times. If you fall between sizes, choose the larger.
Method 1: measure a ring you already own
The most accurate home method. Take a ring that fits the right finger well, place it on a ruler and measure the inside diameter in millimetres, edge to edge. Use the chart below to convert. You can also place it on our digital ring sizer and match it on screen.
Method 2: a strip of paper
- Cut a thin strip of paper, about 5 mm wide and 10 cm long.
- Wrap it around the base of the finger snugly, not tightly, and mark where it overlaps.
- Measure the length to the mark in millimetres: that is the inside circumference.
- Check it slides over the knuckle. If your knuckle is wide, measure there too and choose a size in between.
Method 3: a ring sizer
A reusable plastic ring sizer, or a set of sizing rings, gives the most "real" feel because it has width. Use it like a belt and read off the size where it sits comfortably.
Width changes the fit
Wide bands cover more of the finger and feel tighter. For bands wider than about 6 mm, go up by half a size. Thin bands under 2 mm fit true to size.
Finding a size secretly for a proposal
- Borrow a ring from the right finger and draw around the inside on paper.
- Press the ring into a bar of soap or a piece of modelling clay.
- Ask a trusted friend to find out, or to go "browsing" together.
- Choose a design that can be resized afterwards. Ours can be resized free once within 30 days, by up to two sizes.
Sizing different kinds of ring
Eternity rings
Stones all the way round mean the ring usually cannot be resized. Measure twice, at different times of day, before ordering.
Stacking rings
Thin bands worn together feel like one wide band. Size the stack, not each ring alone, or go up a quarter to half size.
Men's bands
Usually wider and heavier, so they fit tighter. Measure with a sizer of a similar width.
Engagement and wedding ring
Worn on the same finger, they are normally the same size; a very wide wedding band may need half a size more.
Large knuckles and comfort fit
If your knuckle is much wider than the base of your finger, a ring that passes the knuckle will spin once it is on. Two things help: a comfort-fit band, rounded on the inside so it slides over more easily, and small sizing beads or a sizing bar fitted inside the shank, which hold the ring upright without making it hard to remove. Ask for these when you order rather than choosing a size that is too tight to get on.
Rings in every UK size
What is the average women's ring size in the UK?
Most women's ring fingers fall between J and N, with L and M among the most common.
Can a ring be resized?
Most plain and solitaire rings can be resized by a couple of sizes. Full eternity rings usually cannot be resized and may need to be remade.
Does my ring size change?
Yes, slightly, with temperature, time of day, pregnancy and age. That is why measuring at the end of the day helps.
Should my wedding ring be the same size as my engagement ring?
Usually yes. Very wide wedding bands may need half a size more to feel the same.
What if my knuckle is bigger than my finger?
Choose a size that passes over the knuckle, and add sizing beads or choose a comfort-fit band so the ring does not spin.
