/4 min read
Bangle Size Guide: Chart and How to Measure
Indian bangle sizes explained, with a size chart in inches and mm, two ways to measure at home, and how to size glass bangles, kadas and a chooda.
By Neha Parihar, founder/Updated
An Indian bangle size gives the inside diameter of the bangle. Sizes are written as 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 2.10 and 2.12. The number after the point is in sixteenths of an inch. So 2.4 means 2 and 4/16 inches. It does not mean 2.4 inches.
Bangles have no clasp. They have to pass over the widest part of your hand, at the knuckles. That is what you measure, not your wrist.
Bangle size chart
| Size | Inside diameter | Inside circumference |
|---|---|---|
| 2.2 | 2.13 in (54 mm) | 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| 2.4 | 2.25 in (57 mm) | 7.1 in (180 mm) |
| 2.6 | 2.38 in (60 mm) | 7.5 in (190 mm) |
| 2.8 | 2.5 in (64 mm) | 7.9 in (199 mm) |
| 2.10 | 2.63 in (67 mm) | 8.2 in (209 mm) |
| 2.12 | 2.75 in (70 mm) | 8.6 in (219 mm) |
The most common sizes are 2.4 and 2.6.
How to measure your hand
With a tape or a piece of string
- Tuck your thumb into your palm, as if you are sliding on a bangle.
- Wrap a soft tape around the widest part of your hand, across the knuckles.
- If you use string, mark where it meets and lay it against a ruler.
- Find that number in the circumference column. If it falls between two sizes, go up.
With a bangle you already own
- Pick a bangle that slides on with a little effort and does not fall off.
- Lay it flat and measure straight across the inside, at the widest point.
- Find that number in the diameter column.
The bangle method is usually more reliable. It is easy to pull a tape too tight.
If you are between sizes
- Go up one size. A bangle that is a little loose is comfortable. One that is too tight will not go on.
- Hands swell in heat and after hours of dancing. If you are close to the line, the bigger size is safer.
- Your dominant hand is often slightly bigger. Measure that one.
Sizing by type of bangle
Glass bangles
- They are rigid and they break if forced.
- Get the size right, then slide them on with a little lotion on your hand.
- A loose stack of glass bangles is normal. They are meant to move and chime.
Metal bangles and kadas
- Kadas are thicker and heavier, so a snug fit looks neat.
- Too snug and a kada is hard to take off at the end of the night.
- If you wear a kada with other bangles, size them all the same.
Chooda
- A chooda is many bangles worn together, so a full set feels tighter than one bangle.
- Many brides go one size up from their everyday bangle size.
- Our Punjabi chooda guide covers colours, the ceremony and how long brides wear it.
Haath phool
- Some haath phools close with a hook. Others have a bangle style bracelet.
- For a bangle style, use your bangle size. See our haath phool guide.
Quick answers
What does bangle size 2.6 mean?
It means an inside diameter of 2 and 6/16 inches. That is about 2.38 inches, or 60 mm.
Is bangle size the same as wrist size?
No. A bangle has to pass over your knuckles, so it is always bigger than your wrist. Measure your hand, not your wrist.
Do kadas use the same sizes?
Yes. Kadas and choodas use the same 2.2 to 2.12 scale as other bangles.
Sizes at Outbox House
Each of our bangles and glass bangles shows the sizes in stock on its page. All sales are final, so check your size before you order.
Not sure? Book a free appointment, in studio or on video. In the studio we have sizing bangles to try on. On video, we can measure a bangle you already own with you.