You've bought hoops before. They're in a drawer now – because they hurt after two hours, turned your ears green, or just looked wrong with everything you own.

Hoops have a high abandonment rate. Usually the earrings' fault, not yours.

Most guides will tell you to match hoops to your face shape. Round face? Oval hoops. Square jaw? Round hoops. This is mostly nonsense – nobody actually shops that way, and the "rules" contradict each other depending on which blog you read.

Here's what actually matters: size, thickness, closure type, weight, and materials. Get those right and you'll find hoops you wear constantly instead of once.

Size & Thickness: The Only Chart You Need

Thickness Changes Everything

Size gets all the attention, but thickness changes how hoops look just as much. A 30mm thin wire hoop and a 30mm chunky hoop are completely different earrings.

Thin/wire hoops: Delicate, lightweight, more "elegant." Can bend if cheap. Better for subtle looks.

Medium thickness: Balanced. Most versatile. Works with everything.

Thick/chunky hoops: Bold, currently trending, heavier. Make a statement even in smaller sizes. Check weight before buying – some are uncomfortable after a few hours.

What Actually Matters (That Guides Skip)

Closure Type

This affects whether your hoops stay in, fall out, or drive you mad trying to close them.

Hinged (click-shut): The best option for hoops. Secure, won't fall out, comfortable once in. Slightly fiddly to open at first but you get used to it. This is what you want for everyday wear.

Continuous/endless: That seamless wire hoop with no visible closure. Looks clean, but harder to put in and can slip out. Fine for occasional wear, risky for daily.

Post with butterfly back: Works for studs, not great for hoops. The back can fall off, the hoop can rotate awkwardly. Avoid.

Weight

Heavy hoops hurt. Not immediately – they feel fine in the shop – but after three hours your earlobes are aching and you're taking them off.

Heavy earrings can also stretch piercings over time. If you love big hoops but hate the weight, look for hollow construction or thinner metal. The look without the pain.

If buying online and weight isn't listed, assume: thin hoops weigh less, chunky solid hoops weigh more, and hollow hoops are the lightest at any size.

Can You Sleep In Them?

If "put them in and forget about them" is the goal:

Huggies: Yes. Designed for this.

Small hoops with hinged closure: Usually yes.

Medium hoops: Depends on how you sleep. Side sleepers might find them uncomfortable.

Large or oversized: No. You'll wake up with them pressing into your neck or tangled in your hair.

Hair and Phone Interference

Larger hoops catch on things. Hair gets looped through them. They clang against your phone when you take a call. Thin wire hoops are worse for this – the wire slides under hair and hooks it. Thicker hoops tend to push hair aside instead of catching it.

If you have long hair and this annoys you, medium or smaller hoops cause fewer problems. Or wear your hair up.

Hoops for Sensitive Ears

Hoops cause more ear problems than other earring styles. Studs sit on the ear; hoops hang through the piercing and move around. More contact, more friction, more reactions.

Add that cheap hoops are usually nickel-based (the most common metal allergy), and it's no wonder so many people have "given up on hoops."

They gave up on bad hoops. The right materials change everything.

What works:

316L stainless steel – the same grade used in surgical implants. Contains trace nickel but it's bonded so tightly it doesn't leach onto skin.

Titanium – completely nickel-free, lightweight, more expensive.

PVD coating – bonds the finish at molecular level, doesn't chip or wear through to expose reactive base metals.

What to avoid:

Anything that doesn't disclose materials. "Fashion jewellery" or "costume jewellery" usually means nickel. If the price seems too good to be true, the metal probably is too.

Hinged closures also help – less movement means less irritation. And waterproof hoops handle sweat better, which reduces reactions for people who exercise or live in humid climates.

More on this: Jewellery for Sensitive Skin

Hoops for Different Situations

Four pairs, four use cases. All from the hoop earrings collection.

Golden Globes

"The ones you forget you're wearing"

£28 Everyday

Small enough to sleep in, polished enough to look intentional. These are the hoops you put in on Monday and forget about until someone compliments them on Thursday. Hinged closure, lightweight, no fuss. The default pair.

→ Shop Golden Globes

Gilded Crescents

"The ones that work everywhere"

£32 Versatile

Medium size, classic shape, works with everything. Office-appropriate but interesting enough for dinner. Video call-friendly. The hoops you reach for when you don't want to think about what earrings to wear. Just... good hoops.

→ Shop Gilded Crescents

Ripple Wave Hoops

"The ones for a night out"

£34 Statement

When you want earrings people notice. The textured wave design catches light differently than smooth hoops – more interesting, more "I meant to do this." Bold enough for events, not so big you look like you're trying too hard.

→ Shop Ripple Wave Hoops

Stardust Hoops

"The ones that won't hurt"

£32 Lightweight

Decent size, barely any weight. If you love the look of bigger hoops but hate how they feel after a few hours, these solve that problem. The textured finish adds visual interest without adding grams. Wear them all day, actually keep them on all day.

→ Shop Stardust Hoops

The Short Version

Medium size, hinged closure, quality materials. That's 90% of the decision. Everything in the hoop collection is waterproof and hypoallergenic – no green ears, no reactions, no drawer full of abandoned earrings.

If you've given up on hoops before, it was probably the hoops. Try better ones.