October 12, 2017 4 min read

Hours, days, and months of thought go into picking the right engagement ring for her. Very little time or thought goes into choosing the ring for him. So what usually happens is as the wedding day draws nearer, the man finally realizes… “Oh, I need a ring too.” Yep, and you’ve got a few choices to make there. So here are some helpful tips to help you choose the best ring for you:

image of happy couple, man wearing men's wedding band

Men’s Wedding Bands, Tip #1: Choose The Right Material

The first choice you’ll need to make is what type of men’s wedding band you want in terms of the what the ring is made of.

The classic men’s wedding band is made of a precious metal like gold, platinum, or palladium. These will place on the higher end of the price spectrum, but precious metals are preferred by many as a reflection of the precious moment it represents.

“Alternative metal” men’s wedding bands have grown in popularity over the past few decades. These include materials like titanium, stainless steel, tungsten, and cobalt. These men’s wedding bands offer both high durability as well as affordability.

Those are the two main categories of men’s wedding band materials, but of course there are other “alternative” options are out there as well that come and go in popularity, ranging from wood to flexible silicon. Before choosing one of these options, consider long-term durability as many of these won’t last a lifetime.

Also consider purchasing a precious metal wedding band that will last for your wedding day, and use an inexpensive alternative material band during other day-to-day activities. Alternative material men’s wedding bands are generally inexpensive and many jewelers will often give you one with the purchase of a precious metal band.

Men’s Wedding Bands, Tip #2: Choose The Finish

Next, think about what you want the surface of the ring to look like. Do you want a shiny, high-gloss surface? Do you a flat, matte finish?

Should the surface have a texture and design? Do you want the ring to have a smooth and clean appearance?

More than any other aspect of the ring (with the exception of tip #5), this choice determines how the ring reflects your personality. When people notice your wedding band, what finish you choose has a big impact on the overall look of the ring.

Men’s Wedding Bands, Tip #3: Choose The Right Shape

Shape here doesn’t mean the same thing as, say, the shape of a diamond in an engagement ring. This is whether the profile of the ring is smooth and rounded, or has hard edges.

Basically, if you were to cut the ring in half, what would be the shape of the ring profile? This has a huge impact on the comfort of the ring and how it feels against your finger.

Here are the basic shapes (or "fits") that men's rings come in:

Classic Rounded (an oval shape)

This shape is smooth all around. The ring slides on easily and has no hard edges.

men's wedding ring image 1

Flat Surface (a rectangular shape)

If you were to cut this ring in half, you'd see a rectangular shape. These have a masculine, industrial look, but the edges can sometimes irritate the skin or dig into the hand.

men's wedding ring image 2

Rounded Outside, Flat Inside (an upward facing half-moon shape)

If you like the look of the rounded outside, but prefer the inside of the ring to be flat against your finger, this is the shape for you.

men's wedding ring image 3

Rounded Inside, Flat Outside (an inward facing half-moon shape)

If you like the comfortable feel of classic rounded, but like the flat edged appearance of the flat surface shape, this is the ring shape for you.

men's wedding ring image 4

Men’s Wedding Bands, Tip #4: Choose The Right Width

We spoke in THIS ARTICLE about choosing a diamond shape that is flattering to a woman’s hand. An elongated diamond shape for example (like oval, emerald, or marquise) can help shorter fingers appear longer and more slender.

There is a similar rule with men’s wedding bands. If you have shorter fingers, a wide men’s wedding band can accentuate this and can sometimes make your fingers look “stumpy.” Likewise, a thin men’s band on long, slender fingers might look too dainty.

Be sure to try on a few rings and pick what works best with your hand.

Men’s Wedding Bands, Tip #5: Choose Your Design Accents (Or Don’t)

Diamonds and men have a long history of not mixing. Here’s a failed DeBeers ad that asked women to give men a diamond the same way men give women diamonds:

debeers ad featuring men's diamond wedding bands

On the other hand, some men want some bling on their ring.

More than any other choice you’ll make with your men’s wedding band, this is the most personal and there is no “right or wrong” answer to this.

We’ve made custom men’s bands with rubies and stunning engraving.

We sell men’s wedding bands that are simple, classic yellow gold because the guys don’t want “anything fancy."

So here’s the bottom line when deciding whether or not your men’s wedding ring has gemstones or other accents:

Do what YOU want.

You’re the one that has to wear it every day.

Don’t get something you’re not going to feel comfortable wearing all the time.



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