What size bangle do I need?

Measure around your knuckles, not your wrist. Squeeze your hand into its narrowest shape with the thumb tucked into the palm, measure around the widest part, and buy a bangle with an inner circumference at least that size.

This is the single most common reason a bangle is returned, and it is entirely avoidable. A bracelet with a clasp opens, so it only has to fit your wrist. A bangle is a closed ring, so it has to pass the widest part of your hand — and your hand is considerably wider than your wrist.

How to measure properly. Bring your thumb across the palm as though you were about to post your hand through a letterbox, which is the narrowest shape a hand makes. Run a tape measure around the widest point, usually across the knuckles and the base of the thumb. That measurement, in millimeters or inches, is the minimum inner circumference you need. Most listings quote inner diameter instead; multiply diameter by 3.14 to compare, or look for a stated circumference.

Why so many are too small. Jewelry sized "one size" is usually built around an inner diameter of about 60mm, which is roughly a 190mm circumference. That fits a lot of hands and not all of them, and it has nothing to do with whether your wrist is slim.

The exceptions. An open cuff that you squeeze on does not need to pass the hand at all, which is why cuffs are the forgiving option if you are between sizes. A hinged bangle opens on a clasp and is sized to the wrist like a bracelet. If a bangle is rigid and closed, measure the knuckles.

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