Measuring Your Wrist

A soft measuring tape works best. If you don't have one, a strip of paper, ribbon, or string and a ruler do the job just as well.

1. Wrap the tape (or string) around your wrist, just past the wrist bone, roughly where a bracelet would naturally sit.
2. Pull it snug enough that it stays in place but doesn't press into your skin. If you're using string, mark the point where it overlaps.
3. Read the measurement where the tape meets, or lay the string flat against a ruler and measure to the mark. That number, in inches or millimeters, is your wrist circumference.
4. If you can, measure at the end of the day. Wrists tend to be slightly larger then than first thing in the morning.

Your wrist circumference is the starting point, not the final bracelet size. Add a little room depending on how you like a bracelet to sit:

• Snug: wrist measurement plus about 0.25 inch (6mm). Stays close to the wrist, minimal movement.
• Comfortable: wrist measurement plus about 0.5 to 0.75 inch (12 to 19mm). The fit I'd suggest for most everyday bracelets. Enough room to move without sliding over your hand on its own.
• Loose or dangling: wrist measurement plus 1 inch (25mm) or more. A relaxed drape, common with chain and charm styles.

A solid bangle doesn't open, so it has to slide over your hand to get on. That means the measurement that matters most isn't your wrist, it's the widest part of your hand with your fingers together and thumb tucked in. Measure that the same way you measured your wrist, and size the bangle to that instead. A cuff with an opening is more forgiving since it can flex slightly, but it still needs to clear your hand.

If you'd rather work from a general size instead of an exact measurement, here's roughly where most adult wrists fall. These are approximate ranges, not a substitute for actually measuring: