How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home

Measuring your ring size can be really simple using a ring size chart or even a piece of string. Many jewelry stores will help you get your ring size for free, but it's also easy to do yourself at home. Before ordering from the best jewelry stores or hinting to a partner about gorgeous engagement rings you've had your eye on, learn how to measure your ring size at home by following these easy tips to get the perfect fit.

How to Measure Your Ring Size with String

1. Take a length of floss or string and wrap it around the base of your finger.
2. Mark where the floss or string first overlaps with a pen.
3. Stretch the length of string out along a ruler or measuring tape, and take down the length in millimeters.
4. Use the ring size chart below to compare your measurement to the standard ring sizes.

Measuring Ring Size with a Ring Size Chart

1. Find a ring that fits you well.
2. Print out a true-to-size ring size chart, and place your ring on the circles until you find the one that matches up with the inside circumference of your ring.

Use a Ring Sizer

The most accurate way to measure ring size is by using a ring-measurement tool. They don't tend to be expensive, and there are many options online.

Ring-sizing tools fall into two categories: a thin measuring tape or a keyring lined with a gradient of ring sizes. The measuring tape type ring sizer can simply be looped around your finger and tightened or loosened with the belt. The keyring type ring sizer has metal loops for each ring size, so just try them on your finger until you find the right fit. Ring sizers can be helpful to keep on hand to measure when you're shopping for rings for other people in your family, too.

The Proper Fit

According to New York City's Catbird, a popular fine jewelry store in Brooklyn, "Your ring should fit your finger comfortably—snug enough so that it will not fall off, but loose enough to slide over your knuckle with some resistance."

Ring Size Guide

U.S. ring sizes follow a scale of numbers (and half numbers), typically from ring size 3 to 13.5 for adults. Those units match your finger's width in millimeters: A ring size 3 fits a ring finger (or any finger) that is 14 millimeters across, and the sizes climb from there. Standard ring sizes go up by 0.4 millimeters every half-size. For instance, a size 3 ring is 14 mm, a size 3.5 ring is 14.4 mm, and a size 4 is 14.8mm.

Women's rings are commonly between sizes 3 (14 mm) and 9 (19 mm), while men's rings are usually sized between 8 (18.2 mm) and 14 (23 mm). The average ring size for women is between 5 and 7 and between 10 and 11 for men, but it's always best to get an exact ring measurement before spending a lot of money—an engagement ring isn't cheap.

Ring Sizing Tips

Here are a few pointers to keep in mind when you measure your ring size:

• Consider your knuckle: If you know your knuckle is on the larger side, order half a size bigger than what your finger alone indicates, otherwise you won't be able slide a ring into the right place.
• Ensure accuracy with multiple tries: Catbird's site recommends measuring your finger three to four different times because the size fluctuates depending on temperature: It can be smaller the colder you are and more swollen if you're overheated.
• Measure the finger you want to wear the ring on: Your ring finger may be smaller or larger on one hand than the other, so make sure you measure the finger you intend to wear the ring on most often for a comfortable fit.