How to Find Your Ring Size at Home

The most accurate way to find your ring size at home is to try on a set of real sized rings, not to measure your finger. Every other method (string, paper, a printed chart, a phone app) is an estimate that gets converted twice before it turns into a size. Here is how to do each one properly, how far off each tends to land, and how Australian, US and UK sizes line up.

What is the most accurate way to find your ring size at home?

A set of real sized rings you physically try on. Nothing you measure beats sliding a ring onto your finger and feeling it pass the knuckle, because that is the exact thing you are trying to predict.

That is what the Ring Sizer Kit is. It is cast from our actual ring moulds in stainless steel and marked with Merchants sizes, so the inside profile you try on is the inside profile of the ring we make for you. It is $5 AUD plus shipping and comes with $20 store credit.

Do not rush it. Try the sizes over a few hours rather than in one go. The right size needs a light push to clear the knuckle, sits snug at the base without pinching, and resists a little coming off. If it slides on with no resistance, it is too big. If you have to twist it back over the knuckle, it is too small.

How do you measure your ring size with string or paper?

Wrap a strip around the base of your finger, mark where it overlaps, measure that length in millimetres, then divide by 3.14 to get the inside diameter. Measure the circumference and do the maths. Do not hold a ring up against a chart on a screen.

1. Cut a strip of paper about 5mm wide. Paper beats string, because string stretches and gives you a size that does not exist.
2. Wrap it around the base of the finger. Snug, not tight. If the skin is bulging, you are pulling too hard and you will undersize yourself.
3. Mark the overlap with a fine pen, take the strip off flat, and measure to the mark with a ruler in millimetres.
4. Divide by 3.14. That is the inside diameter of the ring you need.
5. Repeat on three separate occasions and take the middle reading.

Then check the knuckle. If your knuckle is noticeably bigger than the base of your finger, wrap it too. The ring has to get past it, which in practice means sizing to the knuckle and accepting a little room at the base.

Be honest about what this gets you. Paper crimps, pen marks have width, and a half millimetre error in the wrap moves you most of a size. Expect a string or paper measurement to be out by up to a full size either way. Enough to know roughly where you sit, not enough to order a ring you cannot exchange.

Can you measure your ring size on your phone?

No, not reliably. On-screen sizers ask you to lay a ring on the glass and match it to a circle, and screen scaling varies with device, browser zoom and display settings, so the circle is rarely the size it claims to be. The same tool can read a full size differently on two phones.

Printable sizers have the same problem one step later. They only work if the page prints at exactly 100%, and most printers quietly scale by default. If you use one, check the printed ruler on the sheet against a real ruler first. Even printed correctly, a paper strip flexes as you tighten it, which is the opposite of what a rigid metal band does.

Use a phone sizer to get in the neighbourhood. Use metal to decide.

Ring size conversion chart: Ring Sizer Kit, site size, AU/UK, circumference and Japan

Read this chart left to right. The first column is the number marked on the ring in the Ring Sizer Kit. The second is the size to order on our site. They are not the same number, and that trips people up more than anything else on this page, so check the row before you order.

Australia and the UK share one system, letters running A to Z and then Z+1, Z+2 and up. The US uses numbers, and so does our site, so use the chart to convert from your AU or UK letter before ordering. Japan uses its own numbered scale. The circumference column is the measurement around the inside of the band, which is what the string method gives you.

If your measurement lands between two rows, size up. A ring that is slightly loose can be worn; one that will not pass the knuckle cannot.

What if I am between sizes?

Go up, not down. A slightly loose ring can be worn. A ring that will not pass your knuckle cannot be worn at all, and knuckles swell in heat, on flights and at the end of a long day.

Two exceptions. If the band is very thin and sits well below the knuckle, the smaller size is often the better wear. And if your knuckle is much larger than the base of your finger, sizing up makes the ring spin, so take the smaller size if it still clears the knuckle warm.

Do signet rings and wide bands fit differently?

Yes. A wide band fits tighter than a thin one in the same size, because more of it is in contact with your skin and it cannot flex over the knuckle the way a narrow band does. As a rule, go up half a size on a wide band and stay at your measured size on a thin one.

A signet sits differently again. The flat face carries its weight on top of the finger, so a signet that is even slightly loose rotates and sits crooked, while one that is correct feels planted. Heavier pieces like The Godfather make this obvious. Choosing between a signet and a band? Try both on the sizer rather than assuming one number covers every ring you own.

When should I measure my ring size?

Measure at the end of the day, when your hands are warm and at their natural size. That is the size your ring has to live at for most of its life.

Fingers are not fixed. They run smaller in the morning, in cold weather and after a swim, and larger in heat, after salt, after alcohol and for a good hour after the gym. Measure straight after the gym and you size too big. Measure on a cold morning and the ring will not go on in January.

How do I find someone else's ring size for a gift without asking?

Borrow a ring they already wear on the finger you are buying for, and measure that ring rather than their finger. Lay it on a ruler and measure straight across the inside opening in millimetres, or slide it onto a metal sizer and read the size it matches.

The finger matters as much as the person. A ring worn on the right middle finger will not fit the left ring finger, so borrow from the hand and finger they will actually wear the gift on. If you cannot, do not guess in secret. Order the piece, ask for a gift receipt, and let them use the exchange.

What if the size is wrong when it arrives?

Size exchanges run within 30 days of delivery through the returns portal. The cost is the return label plus a $15 AUD handling fee, waived entirely if you sized with the Ring Sizer Kit. That is the Perfect Fit Guarantee: size with the kit and your size exchange is free.

Made to order, engraved, Ring Club and sale pieces are final sale for change of mind or sizing, with one exception, the Ring Sizer Kit sizing exception. If you sized with the kit, the Perfect Fit Guarantee covers your exchange. That exception does not extend to Ring Club, which is made to order the moment you buy and cannot be cancelled, returned or exchanged, so size before a drop rather than after it.

Standard returns are separate: 30 days from delivery for store credit valid 3 years, on unworn pieces in original packaging, with a $15 AUD restocking fee plus original shipping deducted and return postage at your cost. Full terms are in the refund policy.

A piece that arrives faulty or damaged is not a sizing issue and different terms apply. Send photos within 7 days and we will email you a prepaid return label, because we need the piece back to assess it. Once it is on its way to us we will replace it or refund you in full. Stuck between two sizes before you order? Get in touch with the piece and your measurements.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Ring Sizer Kit cost?

The Ring Sizer Kit is $5 AUD plus shipping and comes with $20 AUD in store credit. It is cast from our actual ring moulds in stainless steel and marked with Merchants sizes, so you try on the real size rather than a paper approximation. Sizing with it also makes any size exchange free under the Perfect Fit Guarantee.

Is Australian ring sizing the same as UK ring sizing?

Yes. Australia and the UK both use the A to Z letter system and the letters mean the same thing in both countries. The US uses numbers instead, and our site lists sizes in numbers too, so use the conversion chart above to turn your AU or UK letter into the size to order.

Can I use a ring I already own to find my size?

Yes, and it is one of the better home methods. Measure the inside diameter across the opening in millimetres, or match the ring against a metal sizer. Make sure it is worn on the same finger of the same hand, and check the band width, because a wide band reads differently to a thin one.

Does gold vermeil change the ring size?

No. Our gold vermeil is a thick layer of 18k gold over solid recycled sterling silver, and it does not change the inside diameter in any way you would feel. Order the same size you would in silver. Band width is what changes the fit, so check the width rather than the metal.

Can I exchange an engraved or made-to-order ring if the size is wrong?

Made to order, engraved and sale pieces are final sale for change of mind or sizing. The exception is sizing with the Ring Sizer Kit, which brings the piece under the Perfect Fit Guarantee. If you are ordering anything engraved or made to order, size with the kit first.

Can I cancel or exchange a Ring Club ring if the size is wrong?

No. Ring Club rings go into production as soon as you order and are never restocked, so they cannot be cancelled, returned or exchanged for change of mind or sizing. Get your size confirmed with the Ring Sizer Kit before a drop.

My fingers change size in summer and winter, so which size do I order?

Order the larger of the two. A ring that is slightly loose in cooler months can still be worn. One that will not pass your knuckle in a Byron summer cannot. Measure at the end of a warm day to get the size your hand spends most of its time at.

What if my knuckle is bigger than the base of my finger?

Size to the knuckle, because the ring has to get past it. Measure both, take the knuckle reading, and accept a little room at the base. If the gap is large, a wider band or a heavier signet sits more stably and spins less than a thin one.