We resized over 350 rings in 2025 and we get asked this question all the time. The answer is, it depends. When people come in for our popular ring resizing while you wait service, we’ll do our best to help you decide on how your rings should fit. We can offer technical expertise and the benefit of our experience with customers; however a lot of it is personal, nuanced, and depends on your body, lifestyle, and circumstances.
There are two non-negotiables: it mustn’t fly off if you shake your hand around and you must be able to get it off. Everything else is up to you.
Tight vs loose
Some people don't feel like their ring is secure unless it's a real battle to take it off, but other people would find that restrictive, even anxiety-inducing.
If you need to take your ring on and off a lot, it makes sense for it to be a little looser so that it's not a daily struggle, which can lead to redness and swelling.
Rings with large stones can be top-heavy and spin around unless they fit snugly (first-world problems). This can make them more difficult to take on and off, but having a large stone to grab can help with this.
We all swell a little in hot weather and shrink in cold, which can affect how your ring fits feels. It's not feasible to size a ring up every summer and down every winter, so most people find a balance and accept there might be some fluctuation throughout the year.
The shrinking effect can be really evident if you swim in cold water and this is a main cause of rings being lost. If you are swimming in the sea or any other body of cold water we advise taking your ring off or taping it up.
Wide rings displace more skin, so fit tighter than thinner rings
Finger shape
Most of us have a slight bulge at the knuckle, which means a ring can be hard to get on or off, but fit comfortably once on. If this is more pronounced, then it can be tricky to make a ring small enough that it won't spin, whilst also being able to get on and off comfortably. In this situation, sizing beads might be an option.
Gender plays a role?
Yes, women's fingers tend to go up and down more than men's as they deal with more hormonal changes. Pregnancy can have a profound effect on how your rings might fit, and some people have to take their rings off in the later stages.
Anecdotally, we hear that fingers generally return to normal 4-6 weeks after birth, but this depends on a variety of factors that will be personal and specific. (we are by no means experts)
Men tend to like to wear their rings looser, which is one of the reasons they loose them more often.
Is my ring too big if it comes off when I wash up?
Maybe, but bear in mind that washing-up liquid is a lubricant. If your ring gets stuck, washing up liquid is one of the things we recommend using to help get it off. If your ring only comes off when you wash up, then it might be ok, but if it's coming off without lubrication too then it's too big, but maybe not by much.
