What Bracelet Size Do I Need?

Whether you're buying a bracelet as a gift or for yourself, it's important that the bracelet fits your wrist perfectly. But how do you know what bracelet size you need? Read on to find out!

How to measure your wrist

Firstly you need to measure your own wrist so that you know what your actual wrist size is. There are a couple of ways to measure your wrist - the first is to simply use a flexible measuring tape and wrap it around your wrist. The second is to cut a length of string to the size of your wrist and then measure it against a ruler to work out the actual size.

Measuring a bracelet

A bracelet can be made from anything from leather and lamé to chains and strings of beads. A bracelet's size is usually measured as the inside circumference of the bracelet (the measurement around your wrist), but this doesn't take into account any extra length needed because the bracelet needs to open at some point so you can put it on. Depending on if your bracelet opens in front or behind will affect how much extra length is added to your measurements, however generally speaking there are guidelines for both types of bracelets.

Wrist Circumference - The bracelet should fit comfortably around your wrist without cutting off circulation. You should be able to get a finger between the bracelet and your skin, but it should not be so loose that it moves up and down on your wrist when you extend or bend your hand - this will cause wear and tear over time and could even result in the bracelet breaking. If you're buying a bracelet as a gift for someone, the safest bet is to ask them what bracelet size they already wear (or if they don't know, give them this blog post link and let them read about different bracelet sizes).  

There are THREE bracelet measurements: The inside circumference of the bracelet, an opening circumference, and bracelet length. Let's look at each bracelet type individually:

Types of bracelets and things to consider

Chains & Strings of Beads – The bracelet should fit over your hand (wrists included) with a small amount of play, but not too much - you don't want the bracelet to fall off (unless it is designed like this). Most chains and strings of beads will open in front, so if yours opens behind then ignore this next bit about adding bracelet length into the equation before measuring. If your bracelet opens in front you can measure from end-to-end (the whole bracelet minus any charm attachments), plus add about an inch for comfort. If your bracelet opens behind, take your wrist measurement plus 1/4" or 5mm and add bracelet length to that number. This is because when you open the bracelet behind your wrist, it folds just a bit, so we want it to fit comfortably on your wrist.

Opening Clasp Bracelets/Cuff Bracelets - These bracelets are designed so that they fit securely around your wrist while still being able to open at some point. As long as you can get it on your wrist comfortably without stretching it too much, then it should meet the bracelet size guidelines mentioned above. If it's too tight, then you can adjust by adding bracelet links or going half a size up.

The bracelet should open at the point where your wrist meets your hand (this is usually about 1/2" to 1" on most people) and sit snugly on your wrist (with no dangle). If the bracelet is too big and dangles off of your arm or slides up and down, it won't lay flat against any part of your arm and will be more likely to catch on to things. The bracelet should also not move around much when worn.

Our Male and Female Bracelet Sizes

Most of our female chain bracelets will fit wrist sizes up to 7 inches, however, if your wrist size is larger than this we can add an extender chain for a small extra cost. [Please inform us before you purchase]

Our Men's leather bracelets will fit wrist sizes up to 8.5 inches and both our male and female ID chain bracelets will fit wrist sizes up to 8.5 inches also.

Need further support?

If you require any assistance with measuring your wrist or working out the best bracelet size please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Shop our full range of bracelets online here.