Top 6 Best Rings for Men (2023 Review)

Men's rings are usually designed for cosmetic purposes and range from simple and classic, to very stylized and unique. There are so many different designs for men and each man is particular to his own taste.

For that reason alone, shopping for men's rings can be a long and grueling process searching for the perfect ring.

Luckily, you have me and my guides. In this buying guide, I'll show you the most popular and best rings for men that aren't wedding bands. Let's get into it!

Top 6 Best Rings for Men

1. King Will Basic Men's Tungsten Carbide (Best of the Best)
2. WensLTD Men's Titanium Steel Chain Rotation Ring (Best Value)
3. U7 Stainless Steel Link Chain Ring
   
4. King Will Dragon Tungsten Carbide Ring
5. EEJART 316L Stainless Steel Skull Ring
6. Vintage Biker Signet & Band Ring Set

Men's jewelry is a nice little tucked away corner in the jewelry world.

This is simply because men's rings are often ignored and pushed aside to make way for the men's wedding band.

Men's wedding rings dominate men's jewelry and other items such as bracelets, pendants, and men's fashion rings are pushed aside.

But no more.

What Are Men's Rings?

Usually, when we talk about men's rings in the jewelry world, the idea of a wedding band comes to mind. While it's true that men's wedding rings didn't come about until after the Korean War, some men wore rings out of fashion.

These ring wearers were usually very wealthy and/or royalty. So, it's safe to say that the first men's rings made were men's fashion rings, not men's wedding bands. 

Read Also: What are the best men's wedding rings?

Back then, all men's rings were made of precious metals like sterling silver and gold. Platinum later joined the ranks of precious metals around 1780.

They were often adorned with diamonds and gemstones of high quality. Unfortunately, the common man couldn't afford such lavish and high karat gold bling, even if they wanted to wear men's jewelry.

Are Men's Rings Expensive Or Cheap?

Like with all the jewelry, the price of men's rings can vary, usually based on how valuable the materials are.

For instance, we already know that the original wedding bands made to match engagement rings were usually made out of expensive precious metals like platinum, gold, and sterling silver. Platinum is the most expensive, so much so that it used to be called the "Metal for Kings". 

If the ring is solid 24K gold, it'll be more expensive. If it's plated gold, you can get it pretty cheap. And if you want something REALLY cheap, you might be interested in silicone wedding rings! 

If you're looking for a long-lasting gold men's ring, you should stick to solid materials (like gold or tungsten) instead of plated.

But if you just want a ring to wear, plated is a great option, and great for the wallet. If you do get plated, you should find gold plated of sterling silver, that way you can still size it, unlike with alternative metals. 

Alternative metals on the other hand, are pretty affordable. Whether you get stainless steel or surgical stainless steel ring doesn't really matter with the price.

You can get titanium and tungsten pretty cheap unless you're finding it in a fine jewelry store like Jared. The big stores carry name brands like Triton who makes high-quality tungsten rings. But these bands are more traditional, like for weddings. 

The most inexpensive men's rings you'll find on the market will be silicone rings. They come in a few different designs but are mostly worn as wedding bands on hard labor jobs. 

The last factor that might have an impact on price is if it contains any stones. If it contains cubic zirconia or other imitation gemstones, the ring is liable to be pretty cheap.

But if it contains semi-precious or precious stones like diamonds, the price can skyrocket. It is usually based on quality and carat weight.

Read Also: What are the best ruby rings for guys?

What Should You Look For In The Best Men's Ring?

First of all, the best men's ring isn't going to necessarily be for every man. The best men's ring is assessed by quality, durability, price, and personal need from the wearer.

For instance, one guy might find a shiny black titanium ring and name it the best ring because he thinks so. But that might not be another man's style.

So while everyone has their own reasons why they choose a specific men's ring, there are a couple key points you should base all of your men's ring purchases off of. 

Solid Metals

While plated metals are undoubtedly cheaper than solid metal, they cause more harm than good. A ring or any jewelry is only as good as its base metal.

You can have  sterling silver plating over a stainless steel ring, but eventually, that plating is going to wear off. The shine between sterling silver and stainless is different.

Sterling silver is a precious metal, whereas stainless steel is not. Not to mention that sterling silver plating will still tarnish, which is an added annoyance. A stainless steel ring won't tarnish at all. Solid metals are just easier to maintain and are genuine. 

Men's Ring Metals

Most men's rings are made of alternative metals, which are not precious metals. The most popular precious metals are sterling silver, gold of various karat weights and colors, and platinum.

Less common precious metals are cobalt, palladium, ruthenium, iridium, osmium, and rhodium. These less common metals are part of the platinum family. You're likely to be more familiar with the rhodium. 

Rhodium plating is done to all white gold and some sterling silver. It can even be plated over alternative metals.

Rhodium is a thin layer of white metal that basically is painted over other metals. It gives white gold its "white" color and does wear off over time, due to the natural oils in your skin. 

White gold jewelry has to be plated every so often to maintain its appearance. In other metals, rhodium can whiten metals, but also serves as a barrier for metals that could cause an allergic reaction.

A lot of ring sellers will claim their ring is hypoallergenic, because it has rhodium. But once that rhodium is worn off over time, a reactive base metal will cause a reaction, so you need to keep up with rhodium.

Resizing Men's Rings

Precious metals can be sized, whereas alternative metals like stainless steel, tungsten, and titanium cannot. If there is rhodium over it, it still can't be sized.

The ability for a ring to be sized by a jeweler is dependent on how pliable the metal is. Platinum, gold, and sterling silver can be sized, as long as they are not eternity bands or stylized like a braided ring. 

The less common metals under platinum are usually used as a metal alloy, rather than a solid metal for jewelry. For example, you'll find palladium and cobalt rings in the jewelry market.

Cobalt rings are more known in men's rings and are usually associated with ceramic rings. But you won't see a ring mainly made out of osmium.

Osmium alone is actually a toxic metal, but in tiny amounts as an alloy, it's not. 

Palladium and cobalt rings can also be sized, but it may be more expensive. These metals take more finesse, which causes them to cost more sometimes.

Under no circumstances should a jeweler ever tell you they're going to cut your cobalt ring. Simply cutting and re-soldering the cobalt will create a cut mark, diminishing the overall appearance, even if it's inside the shank. If a jeweler suggests something like this, they are not equipped to handle resizing that palladium ring. 

And lastly, ceramic and silicone rings can't be resized either. Most metals that aren't bendy can't be resized.

How To Clean Men's Rings?

Most men's rings can be cleaned with a mild soap and water. Mix some together and let your ring soak in it for 15-20 minutes.

Keep in mind that not all gemstones can be submerged such as doublet or triplet opals and pearls. In their cases, you'd just want to rinse under the water. Take a soft-bristled brush or clean toothbrush to scrub away any dirt in channels, grooves, and clean stones if applicable. 

For silicone rings, you can let it sit in a mixture of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide for about 30-45 minutes minimum. It's not abrasive, so it can even sit in it overnight if you wish. 

There are gold jewelry cleaners you can buy for yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold rings. You can either let your gold bands sit in it for 15-20 mins, or you can swish it around in the little basket.

Scrub with the soft brush, rinse in clean water, and pat dry with a towel. 

Lastly, for sterling silver rings, they do have a commercial-grade silver cleaner, but it's really potent. Meaning, the chemicals are very strong that they will remove any tarnish almost instantaneously after being swished around in the basket.

Which, is great, but it will also strip off any high polish finish. Some colored rhodium may come off in silver cleaner as well. Kay Jewelers had a big problem with the blue rhodium coming off in silver cleaner of their blue diamond collection.

But, if the polish is stripped, all you'll need is a silver polishing cloth and you can buff it right back to new and shiny. 

Storing

In addition to cleaning your ring, you need to store it properly. The best way to store jewelry is going to be a jewelry box or jewelry cabinet.

You might even check out our buying guide for jewelry boxes. As a man, maybe you only need the box it came with, but a man with a collection of men's jewelry will appreciate it.

If not him, he might have a special lady that might be very happy with a jewelry box as a gift. But if you're not keen on buying a jewelry box, all of the rings on our list come with either a jewelry box or a soft jewelry pouch. 

Lastly, if you have more than one piece of jewelry, you shouldn't store them together, with the exception of a jewelry box that contains multiple spaces and compartments.

In that case, you shouldn't store it in the same compartment. This especially should be followed with sterling silver rings. 

Sterling silver oxidizes or tarnishes, with both moisture and other silver. It'll have black marks all over and look very dull. You can restore it with a polishing cloth. 

The other reason you won't want to store rings together is that they can scratch each other if they come loose, causing damage to either the metal or any gemstones the ring may contain.

Where To Buy Men's Rings?

Finding men's rings is easy. Finding the right kind of men's rings we're talking about, that's another story.

Most of the market of men's rings in fine jewelry stores are going to be used as wedding rings. These rings are usually a simple men's band.

But if you're looking for men's rings outside of marriage, such as fashion rings, it may be hard to find.

Men's rings have so many different variations, shapes, inlays, stones, and designs. Because of this, most jewelry stores don't keep them in stock.

Also Read: Best Places to Buy Diamond Engagement Rings Online in 2024

If they do, you'll see the best sellers. But if you're looking for a specific color or style, it can be hard to find.

Thankfully, we have wonderful places like Amazon.com who lets you scour both popular and unique men's rings. They have options for carbon fibers, wood inlays, handmade rings, and many others made with quality craftsmanship.

Amazon is probably the place to find sellers creating rings just for men.

Top Rings for Men Reviewed