Men’s Comfort Fit Wedding Bands: An Essential Guide

Men’s Comfort Fit Wedding Bands: An Essential Guide

Author: Marc Choyt | Monday, May 23, 2022

As a designer jeweler specializing in custom wedding ring design, any of our rings can be made as men's comfort fit wedding bands.

 

SPECIAL NOTE: WORKING WITH US, YOU'LL RECEIVE A TRULY QUALITY, HANDMADE MEN'S COMFORT FIT WEDDING RING — created by artisans with decades of experience, and backed by a lifetime guarantee.

Looking to work with an awesome small artisan studio with excellent cred? Call us at our shop at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com for a FREE, no-pressure consultation.  —Marc Choyt, co-owner

There are many reasons why Reflective Jewelry might receive a five-star review. Here's one customer's experience.

 

UPDATED  5/22/22

 

If you’re on the hunt for a men's wedding ring, and are curious about men’s comfort fit wedding bands, this article is the most comprehensive information you’ll find anywhere online.  

I’ll start with the practical 101 info on comfort fit men's rings you need right now by clearly answering the question, “what is a comfort fit wedding band?”

Then we’ll consider comfort fit band sizing, width, gender issues, metal choice, and style.  

We’ll end by focusing on perhaps the most important question of all: ethics. Honestly, no one wants their comfort fit ring purchase to trash the planet.

My expertise is based on selling handmade comfort fit wedding band styles for 25 years—from my small, certified Fairtrade Gold Santa Fe designer jewelry studio

Let’s dig in, starting with the basics that will allow you to buy the best possible men's comfort fit ring!

 

PS: If you want your ring to fit correctly, be sure not to skip the section below labeled "Determining Your Size for Men's Comfort Fit Wedding Bands." What you read there might surprise you!

 

What is a Comfort Fit Ring?

Simply put, a comfort fit ring has been carefully curved on its underside. The shape or design on the top of the ring doesn’t matter. Whether it is a high domed wedding band, a low domed wedding band, or a flat topped wedding band does not matter.

In other words, any of these wedding band styles can be made into a comfort fit wedding band. The style of the surface of the ring need not impact the comfort fit curve on the underside.

These flat topped and domed men's comfort fit wedding bands are both 6mm wide.

Here you can see for yourself comfort fit vs standard fit. The ring on the left it not comfort fit—it is the same thickness all the way through. The ring on the right is a

men's comfort fit wedding band— it is thickest in the middle, and thinnest on the edge. Men's comfort fit wedding bands can be either flat topped or domed.

 

The bottom line is: any ring can be made into a comfort fit wedding band upon request!  

Because of the comfort fit curvature on the underside of a ring, mentioned above, the interior center of a comfort wedding band ring is the thickest part. 

Take a closer look here, how the metal is shaped to curve away from contact with the finger:

This men's white gold comfort fit wedding band is curved on its inner edges.

Take a close look at this men's white gold comfort fit wedding band, and you'll see that its inner edges are curved away from contact with your finger. This is what defines comfort fit!

 

Here’s another way of explaining the difference between comfort fit vs. standard fit:

A quality classic comfort fit ring would measure 2mm from the interior center of the ring to the exterior center. But the edges of the wedding band might measure 1.7mm from front to back.  

With a standard 8mm ring, there would be 8mm of metal touching your skin. But if that same ring were a comfort fit band, you’d have about 3mm touching your skin.

It's this reduced contact that makes a ring more comfortable to wear day in, day out for a lifetime!

So, at this point, I think you’ll agree that when comparing comfort fit vs standard fit, the choice is clear. The most comfortable wedding band is a comfort fit interior domed wedding band.    

 

Two Critical Points You Must Know When Purchasing a Comfort Fit Band

First, if you are purchasing a traditional classic comfort fit wedding band online and you don’t want something that feels cheap, make sure that it is 2mm deep at its thickest point.  

This rose gold comfort fit wedding ring is 2mm thick at its thickest—as a quality ring should be.

Our handmade wedding rings, like this rose gold comfort fit wedding band, are around 2mm thick. Wearing a ring like this, you'll know it's quality!

 

Over 2mm and the ring starts to feel a bit bulky to wear.  

There’s some variance to this general rule to consider when purchasing quality mens comfort fit bands.  

With styles that are outside the classic a comfort wedding band, such as in designer rings,  the thickest point might be on the outside edges, while the interior might be slightly thinner, such as 1.75mm.   

An assortment of designer men's comfort fit wedding bands. Any of our rings can be made as a comfort fit ring.

 

Regardless of the width of the ring, here’s my second point:

One significant difference between a comfort fit vs standard fit is sizing.  

If you want to be sized for an 8mm comfort fit wedding band you should not size yourself as if it is an 8mm standard fit band. This makes sizing for a comfort wedding band not so straightforward.   

Here's what to do:

 

[ Are you feeling inspired? There’s no time like the present! If you’d like to speak with me about comfort fit wedding rings for men, just give me a call at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com ]

 

Determining Your Size for Men’s Comfort Fit Wedding Bands

Optimal sizing is important.

A comfort fit bands is the one item of jewelry that you rarely take off. In fact, a comfort fit wedding band may be the only item of jewelry you wear. 

Reputable jewelers have two types of sizing bands, narrow and wide:

Pictured here, narrow and wide sizing bands for ring sizing. Make sure you pick the right one for your men's comfort fit wedding band!

Pictured here, a set of narrow and wide ring sizing bands.

 

Earlier, I mentioned that if you were wearing an 8mm band, about 3mm would be the amount of metal that is primarily touching the thickest part of your finger. 

The bottom line is this: 

Even a wide low dome comfort fit ring sizes like a narrow ring.   

So, if you are getting a wide comfort fit ring, be sure to choose a narrow sizing band!

For your reference, an 8mm standard ring may need to be a quarter size or more larger than an 8mm comfort wedding band. 

All this brings up the question: how wide should your comfort fit wedding band be?

We can’t answer this question without discussing comfort fit bands in context to gender issues.  

 

Women’s vs Men's Comfort Fit Wedding Bands

Often when men come into my store to buy a comfort wedding band, they are concerned about whether it’s appropriate for men. 

Let’s cut to the chase:  “Women’s comfort fit wedding bands” and “Men’s comfort fit wedding bands” are arbitrary distinctions.

It’s really about personal preference. 

However, men’s comfort fit wedding rings generally tend to be wider than women’s. There are two reasons for this:

First, men’s hands and fingers tend to be larger than women’s, so a wider comfort fit wedding band just looks more proportional.

Second, not only are women’s hands often smaller, traditionally women tend to wear their engagement rings on the same finger. 

To accommodate two rings, both rings for women tend to be thinner.

Anyone who is planning to wear both an engagement ring and a wedding band on the same finger will want to keep band width in mind for the same reason!

But ultimately, a mens wedding band is a mens wedding band because a man is wearing it!

Most men choose a comfort wedding band that between 5mm and 8mm wide. But if you want a narrower or wider ring, go for it! 

The issue then becomes, what type of metal?

 

Choosing Metal The Metal of Your Comfort Fit Wedding Band

Metal choice is an important component of the aesthetic of your men’s comfort fit ring. Do you prefer the cooler feeling tone of tones of platinum or white gold? Or if you’re drawn to classic yellow gold, should you go for 14K or 18K? And what about rose gold?

 

7mm wide men's comfort fit wedding bands shown here in 14K and 18K yellow, white, and rose gold.

From left to right, yellow, white, and rose gold comfort fit rings. Which of these speaks to you? 

 

Men’s Gold Comfort Fit Wedding Bands 

Taking a look at the picture above, which version of the yellow gold looks best to you in a comfort fit ring?

To most people, 18K yellow gold comfort fit wedding rings have an undeniable draw, because the rich color tone has a radiate warmth. There’s just something uniquely alluring about radiant warmth of an 18K ring. 

14K yellow gold comfort fit wedding bands, however, have the advantage that they contain more alloy—and are therefore more durable. 

A bit of jewelry 101: Gold has to be alloyed because in its pure form, 24K gold, it is considered too soft. 18K gold is 75% gold and 25% alloy, and 14K gold is 58.3% gold and 41.7% alloy. 

Regarding gold metal choice in mens gold comfort wedding bands, we recommend 18K. Unless you engage in abrasive activities with your hands without removing your ring, you don’t need to worry about about damaging 18K comfort fit wedding rings. 

While it is true that a mens comfort fit wedding ring in 18K gold is going to be more expensive a 14K gold comfort fit wedding band, the high carat gold warmth has a special radiance. 

However, with a white gold comfort fit the situation is totally different. 

 

Men's White Gold Comfort Fit Wedding Bands 

When considering a comfort fit wedding ring in white gold, here’s a key tip: 

Get the 14K.  

Many jewelers will try to upsell you to an 18K white gold comfort fit band, but that’s bullshit. 

Men’s white gold wedding bands comfort fit in 14K have more alloy which makes the band whiter, more durable, and less expensive.  

(The same rule applies to a rose gold comfort fit wedding band. The 14K has more copper which makes the ring more durable, more rose colored, and less expensive than 18K.)

If you want a white metal, there are other options besides a men’s white gold comfort fit wedding band. You can also make your comfort fit wedding ring in platinum.

What are the differences?  

 

White Metal Men’s Comfort Fit Rings

In terms of white metals, white gold and platinum are the two most common options.

One key element to consider: whiteness.

This scale shows white precious metals ranked on their "whiteness"—with platinum being very white, and 18K white gold much less white.

As you can see here, platinum is considered more “white” than white gold because it is a natural white metal. White gold is yellow gold mixed with white alloy.   

But if you’re concerned that your white gold comfort fit wedding band isn’t going to be “white enough,” let me just say that in over 20 years of selling wedding rings online, to people who don’t see them in person, I have never once had a customer return a ring because it wasn’t “white” enough.

The issue of whiteness mainly comes up when someone wants to match a platinum ring exactly to make a set. In this case, the whiteness of an alloyed yellow gold comfort fit wedding ring is more noticeable.  

For a more complete discussion of pros and cons of white metals, see my article: White Metal Wedding Rings: 11 Key Points To Know.  

One more point for you to consider: 

Another option for men’s comfort fit wedding rings are two tone, mixed metal designs.

A sampling of men's two tone comfort fit wedding bands.

The two tone comfort fit band is something that is a specialty of our Santa Fe studio. Here’s a link to some styles. If you want to learn more about two tone rings, read this article.

 

[ If you have questions about white gold, or any other aspect of your comfort fit wedding ring, there's no need to wait! Consulation is always free, with no obligation. Give me a call at 888-733-5238, or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com ]

 

Ethics of Your Men’s Comfort Fit Wedding Band

I think you’ll agree with me when I say that you don’t want your comfort wedding band, which symbolizes love and commitment, to contribute to ecocide, or to the suffering of an impoverished person.

A small-scale gold miner in Tanzania mixes mercury, gold, and water by hand.

Many small-scale gold miners survive on less than $2/day. This man is sitting in a pool of mercury and water, mixing gold and mercury by hand. Small-scale gold mining is the largest contributor of global mercury contamination. Photo taken by author.

About 20% of the world's gold—even the gold in a so-called "eco-friendly" recycled gold ring—comes from miners like this.  

We have to take action to change this situation! 

If you’re going with a men’s gold comfort fit wedding band, Fairtrade Gold is simply the best.

Fairtrade Gold is the most precious gold in the world. This program alleviates poverty for some of the poorest people on Earth, and keeps mercury out of our environment.

(Full disclosure: we are the only Fairtrade Gold jeweler in the US—though there are over 250 in the UK alone.)

 

A white gold comfort fit band and yellow gold comfort fit band can both be made with Fairtrade Gold.

The movement has not taken off in the US because companies pitch recycled gold, ignoring this serious global issue. Recycled gold is just dirty gold, greenwashed and rebranded as “ethical,” as shown in this drawing. 

Recycled gold is just dirty gold, greenwashed and rebranded. It does not reduce mining activity, as many claim.

Unlike with paper or plastic, recycled gold does not reduce new mining activity. What’s needed are solutions that deal directly with small-scale miners.

 

As an activist company that helped pioneer the North American ethical jewelry space, we’re invested in making a difference. Here’s how Fairtrade Gold works.

This men's comfort fit wedding band is entirely handmade using Fairtrade Gold.

A sample of a Fairtrade Gold men’s comfort fit wedding band, handmade in our Santa Fe, NM studio using gold from this mine in Peru. We are the only Fairtrade Gold jewelers in the US.

 

While most comfort bands are mass produced, our Fairtrade Gold comfort fit wedding bands are entirely made by hand, milling and rolling out the metal.  

This photo shows how we melt the gold into an ingot, and put it through a mill to create wire, which we form into a ring. This this article goes into more detail. 

 

The bottom line is this: 
For some, a mass produced, cheap comfort fit wedding band is just right. But if you want something handmade for your handmade life, then consider a Fairtrade Gold comfort fit wedding band. 

 

Final Considerations for Your Mens Comfort Fit Wedding Ring

The wedding ring as a tradition is six thousand years old, originating with ancient Egyptians. Your ring has deep cultural significance, as well as heartfelt personal symbolism of linking you and your Beloved together, “till death do you part.”

Consider your ring choice wisely. Consider the comfort — how it will feel on your hand, day in and day out, for the lifetime ahead of you. Consider the metal — what you will see every time you down at your hand from here forward. And consider what you’ll feel every time you think of its sourcing and creation — who mined your gold, and how it came to be crafted into the comfort fit ring on your finger.

 

Next Steps for Your Comfort Fit Wedding Ring for Men

We are a small artisan studio of just six people located in Santa Fe, NM. We’ve been in business since 1995, and have an excellent reputation — just check out our Google reviews.

If you’re interested in purchasing men's comfort fit wedding rings, and still have questions, I’m here to help! 

Leave a comment below, email me at info (at) ReflectiveJewelry.com, or call us at 888-733-5238 during our business hours.

 

Marc Choyt is president of Reflective Jewelry, a designer jewelry company founded in 1995. He pioneered the ethical sourcing movement in North America and is also the only certified Fairtrade Gold jeweler in the United States. Choyt’s company was named Santa Fe New Mexico’s Green Business of the Year in 2019, and he has been honored with several awards for his efforts to support ethical jewelry. His ebook, Ethical Jewelry Exposé: Lies, Damn Lies and Conflict Free Diamonds, is available online. Choyt can be reached on Twitter at @Circlemanifesto or by email at marc(at)reflectivejewelry.com.



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Comments ( 6)

Posted by: Zaida Flores on Sep 28, 2020
Posted by: Zaida Flores on Sep 28, 2020
Want to melt a woman wedding rings 14k and diamonds to a 14k man wedding band
Posted by: Marc Choyt on Sep 29, 2020
Hi Ziada, We can certainly do this. The cost is $450. You can learn more on this other piece I wrote: https://www.reflectivejewelry.com/news/reusing-old-gold-to-make-a-new-wedding-ring
Posted by: Bob Highland on May 05, 2022
Thanks for sharing your blog.
Posted by: Marc Choyt on May 09, 2022
Glad that it was useful for you.l
Posted by: Taylor on May 28, 2023
My brother is getting married soon and wants a unique and personalized touch for his wedding ring. He realizes the importance of comfort and wants a custom men's wedding ring that perfectly fits his finger. Thanks for mentioning that the design or pattern on the top surface of the ring becomes secondary as he prioritizes a ring that not only symbolizes his commitment but also ensures a comfortable and enjoyable wearing experience throughout his married life. This really helped him decide on choosing the bordered rope design.

Only Fairtrade Gold Jeweler in the USA 
since 2015

Santa Fe, NM Green Business of the Year

Catalyzing the Ethical Jewelry Movement

Winner of MJSA Responsibly Sourced Design Challenge

Founder of First-Ever Ethical Jewelry Blog

Collaborators of USAID Zahabu Safi (Clean Gold) Project