Silicone rings are becoming a top choice for outdoors enthusiasts. Here’s why. Photo: James Ferrell/The Inertia

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While the symbolism of a traditional wedding band’s precious metal strength is certainly romantic (unbreakable like the bonds of matrimony!), in practice, that very strength can be a liability in the outdoors. Also, countless professionals, from electricians to medical, discourage the use of metal rings for their own safety reasons. As such, silicone rings have had a moment in recent years as an alternative to metal rings because they’re safer, high on comfort, and easier on the wallet to replace if lost or stolen.

Now that silicone rings have surged in popularity, the space has become crowded with all manners of styles, colors, patterns, and price points. We’ve sampled a wide array of rings from various manufacturers, putting them through their paces in the water while surfing and stand-up paddleboarding, pulling parent duty building sandcastles at the beach, projecting boulder problems at the rock climbing gym, and on the ski hill.

Through all of these pursuits, we present to you our list of the best silicone rings of 2023 to give you a better idea of what is out there on the market today and how they compare. If you’d like to see how they all match up, skip ahead to our Comparison Table and Ratings Chart. For more information on what to look for, check out our Buyer’s Guide.

The Best Silicone Rings of 2023

Best All-Around Silicone Ring: Groove Life Nomad
Best Silicone Ring For Women: Groove Life Solid Thin Silicone Ring
Best Engravable Silicone Ring: QALO Metallic Strata
Best Budget Silicone Ring: ROQ Action Rings Beveled 4-Pack
Best Stackable Silicone Ring: QALO Stackables
Best Luxury Pick for Hard Chargers: Groove Life Zeus
Most Realistic Precious Metal Look: Enso Elements Classic

Best All-Around Silicone Ring

Groove Life Nomad ($35)

Shop Men’s | Shop Women’s (Aspire)
Pros: Comfortable, great texture
Cons: Pricier than other models

Easily the most comfortable ring we put through testing was Groove Life’s Nomad. While stretch is sort of an inherent feature of silicone rings, too much give allows a ring to stretch out over time. The Nomad had the right amount of stretch so that it didn’t feel flimsy, without so much that it wore out. What we liked most about the Nomad, though, was the outer texture was ideal for surfers that spend countless days at the beach. In testing, we noticed that most silicone rings have a sort of latent rubbery texture that causes lint and sand to stick to them, the worst offender being the Groove Life Zeus (see below). However, the Nomad had the least amount of rubbery stick out of all the rings we tested. It does come in at a higher price point than other rings on the list ($39.95 at time of writing), but Groove Life offers one of the better warranty programs out there and will replace damaged or torn rings in most cases.

For women interested in a thinner band, we recommend checking out Groove Life’s Aspire series, which is virtually the same as the Nomad series but offers a thin version with a boatload of patterns to choose from. For even thinner, check out Groove Life’s line of stackable rings.

Best Women’s Silicone Ring

Groove Life Solid Thin Silicone Ring ($30)

Pros: Thin design, comfortable, 94 year warranty
Cons:  Doesn’t come in half sizes

Much like the men’s Groove Life’s Nomad, the women’s Groove Life Solid was incredibly comfortable. It comes in a thin design, which made it our top pick for women as it provided a better fit for slim fingers. The ring is sleek on the outside, with a little bit of texture on the interior to help prevent slipping. It doesn’t acquire grit or sand and feels like you’re wearing nothing. Our women’s ring tester leads a highly active lifestyle and is usually not a fan of rings, but has been wearing her Groove Life ring for a year with no issues.

Available in 13 different colors and and nine different size options, there are plenty of choices for everyone. Although there are lots of sizes, we wish Groove Life offered half sizes to provide a more secure fit. Make sure you pick a ring that fits snugly as they stretch out a little bit with wear. Groove Life offers a 94 Year No BS warranty, which is incredible – whether it’s a manufacturing error or you lost or destroyed the ring yourself, they’ll replace it (though they might charge you a replacement fee if it’s your fault).

Best Engravable Silicone Ring

QALO Metallic Strata ($30)

Shop Men’s | Shop Women’s
Pros: Good comfort, engravable
Cons: On the stretchier side of things

QALO’s Metallic Strata was high on comfort but unfortunately lost out to Groove Life on durability. However, one thing we love about the QALO line of silicone rings is the option to have them engraved. And the Qalo Strata rings add a bit of extra flair to your engraving, with the second layer showing through underneath. You can also check out their full line of engravable rings here.

Best Budget Silicone Ring

ROQ Action Rings Beveled 4-Pack ($12)

Shop Men’s | Shop Women’s
Pros: Low price point, so losing them isn’t the end of the world
Cons: Not as durable as more premium models

That ROQ’s rings come in packs of four should tell you all you need to know about how the brand has cornered the market on affordability. At time of writing, a four-pack of the beveled edge rings we tested was on sale for $11.99 from a typical retail price of $42.99. While ROQ’s rings were far from the most durable we tested, they certainly fit the bill for those looking for utility at the right price.

Best Stackable Silicone Ring

QALO Stackables ($36)

Pros: Huge variety of designs to mix and match
Cons: No masculine-leaning designs

QALO is head and shoulders above the competition with its offering of stackable rings based on the sheer variety, from standard to twist to bead to geometric pattern. Stackables typically come in a pack of two or three thin bands and can be worn together or separately. Women who typically wear an engagement ring and a wedding band on any given day will appreciate the flexibility of being able to stack multiple silicone rings as they do with their precious metal ones or just wear one. QALO’s stackable rings come in sets, but they also offer the ability to build your own stack, which other companies do not.

Best Luxury Pick for Hard Chargers

Groove Life Zeus ($55)

Shop Men’s | Shop Women’s (Zeus Thin)
Pros: Inner nylon layer helps prevent stretching over time
Cons: Rubbery texture attracts unwelcome grit, pricey in comparison to others

If you spend hours per week in the gym training, are an avid climber, work with your hands, or do any other physical outdoor activity with such regularity that the callouses on your hands are the size of boulders, you need a silicone ring that can keep up. The Zeus and Zeus Thin are our picks for the guy and gal that are looking for the highest-performing, most durable ring out there. Groove Life’s Zeus line features an inner nylon layer that prevents stretching over time but will still break safely if put under extreme stress. In testing, we noticed the Zeus, while soft and comfortable like every other ring we tested, had hardly any give when trying to take it off. This thing was super strong.

The only downside we found about the Zeus was that its rubbery texture made it more susceptible than any other ring we tested to get lint, fine sand, and climbing chalk stuck to it. Dealing with this was not a huge deal — a simple rinse did the trick, normally. But this fact was what kept us from recommending the Zeus as the top pick all-around for surfers who tend to spend countless hours at the beach. That, and the price. The Zeus is the most expensive ring to make our list ($54.95 at time of writing). As we mentioned above, Groove Life offers a generous warranty for all of its rings. And if performance, quality, and durability are high on your list, the Zeus is your best bet.

Most Realistic Precious Metal Look

Enso Elements Classic ($40)

Shop Men’s | Shop Women’s (Halo)
Pros: Sturdy, classic metallic look
Cons: Stretchier than others

For those keen to enjoy the benefits of a silicone ring but less interested in the silicone look or patterned style, Enso rings have our pick for the most realistic precious metal look. Infused with precious metals, Enso’s Elements Classic in gold had an uncanny glint that very much resembled the author’s own metal wedding band. Overall, Enso Elements had a little more give than Groove Life’s offerings but still felt much sturdier than the budget-friendly options we tested.

Other Rings We Loved

Thunderfit Breathable ($15)

Shop Men’s | Shop Women’s 
Pros: Comfortable
Cons: Not durable

One ring that didn’t make our list of top picks was Thunderfit’s Breathable ring. Of all the rings we tested, the Thunderfit was the stretchiest and most flimsy feeling. While it was comfortable, we also noted that upon receipt, it had some nicks along the edges that only worsened over time.

Comparison Table

For those with an active lifestyle, silicone rings can be a matter of safety as well as style. Photo: James Ferrell/The Inertia

How We Tested the Best Silicone Rings

Silicone rings are a pretty straightforward product. They need to feel good for all-day wear, they need to last us through a variety of adventures, and they need to look good. As such, we rated each silicone ring on this list on its comfort, durability, and style. There really isn’t much else to choosing the best silicone ring on the market.

Our lead tester Dylan Heyden put the rings in this review through the wringer while out in the water, the snow, the climbing gym and the adventures of daily life. Silicone rings are intended for those with an active lifestyle, so it was imperative that we not only test them in the water, but see how these rings hold up to an adventurous lifestyle overall. Our women’s tester, Rebecca Parsons, leads her own active lifestyle in Hawaii, and was able to recommend her favorite silicone ring for women after going through her own careful selection process and testing her top pick for over a year – surfing, running, hiking through mud, and more.

Ratings Chart

At the beach wearing the Groove Life Solid Thin Silicone Ring ring. Photo: Rebecca Parsons/The Inertia

Silicone Ring Buyer’s Guide

Why Choose A Silicone Ring?

As mentioned above, traditional metal rings can get in the way of many professional careers and pose the risk of injury. Additionally, your wedding ring is likely the most sentimental item you own and it’s not worth risking losing it when doing adventurous things. Silicone rings serve as a place holder of sorts. They’re a cheap, comfortable ring that is perfect to wear while you’re on the go and due to the affordable price point, it’s not a big deal should you lose it (plus many of them are backed by warranties).

Brands and Other Silicone Ring Options

What we quickly became aware of when testing rings for this article is just how many different shapes, patterns, colors, constructions, and price points silicone rings come in these days. While the list above represents our top picks of all the rings we tested, in the event that none of these fit the bill, we also thought we’d categorize the brands we tested based on what makes them unique among others.

It’s fitting that Groove Life took three of the categories on our list, as the style and functionality of their rings are geared specifically toward active and outdoorsy folks with a high demand for quality equipment. We recommend Groove’s offerings for those willing to fork over a little more cash on the front end for a quality product with a generous warranty program.

For those whose self-expression tops the list of needs for a silicone ring, we recommend looking at Enso Rings. As we mentioned, they offer rings with the most realistic precious metal look. But they also have numerous collections from patterned rings with etchings based on trail maps to Star Wars and Harry Potter (seriously), and everything in between. If you want something custom-engraved, however, we recommend checking out the Qalo Metallic Strata.

As mentioned above, QALO’s stackable sets are the best out there because of the sheer number of options. For the budget minded, our pick for affordability goes to ROQ.

The Groove Life Nomad is comfortable both in and out of the water. Photo: James Ferrell/The Inertia

Sizing and Returns

By and large, the most frustrating thing about carrying out this test was getting ring size dialed. As with clothing and other manufactured goods that vary in size and shape, manufacturing differences, material, and human error can all result in difficulties in finding the right ring size. Unlike a pair of jeans, though, the margin for error for a ring fitting too loose or too snug is razor thin. And if your aim is comfort and safety, well, a ring that cuts off circulation to your ring finger just won’t do. In our test, we found that ordering the same size ring across different brands and styles resulted in entirely different fits, some perfect, some a tad big. We also found that most of the brands didn’t offer half sizes, which prevented and ultra secure fit (depending on the size of your fingers).

For such a small item, shipping a poorly-fitting band back even once can be a headache. Imagine if you didn’t read the fine print, and you’re now stuck with an ill-fitting ring and a migraine. That’s why our best buying advice after carrying out this test is to double and triple-check the manufacturer’s return and exchange policy before buying. Some policies are fairly generous. ROQ offers free exchanges within 30 days. Others, like Groove Life, will pay for shipping for a new product on exchanges if the customer pays for shipping on the item being returned.

The bottom line here is it pays to read the fine print. It’s also probably worthwhile to pop into your local jeweler to determine your ring size if you don’t know it instead of using the other popular methods, like measuring a piece of string that wraps around your finger. That method in particular is horribly inaccurate when it comes to the minute details of how a ring should fit.

Warranty

The rings on our list range from $12-$55, so not a price that’s going to break the bank. And that’s sort of the point – better that something happens to your silicone ring than the precious metal one it has stood in to take a beating for. With that in mind, it’s nice to have a silicone ring that’s backed by a warranty. All of the rings on our list offered warranties: Some were for one year while others were for a lifetime. Be sure and read the warranty policy and feel out what seems like a good fit for you.

 Return to Comparison Table | Return to Top Picks

Editor’s Note: For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here.

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