The Best Hoops, According to People Whose Taste We Trust

These huggies are among the smallest hoops Mejuri makes (at 12 mm. in diameter) and have a secure clicker closure that prevents them from falling off ears. The clicker closure was a big part of their appeal for food writer Rebecca Firkser, who went on a very specific hunt for hoops that wouldn’t catch on an apron strap or drop into a pie filling during her long hours in the kitchen. Firkser has worn these hoops almost every day for a year, and she says they haven’t tarnished in the slightest. They’re available in Mejuri’s signature 18-karat vermeil, a coating of gold over genuine sterling silver, and you can also get them in a sterling-silver version that’s a little less: $38 compared to the $48.

Because of her super-sensitive ears, Strategist deals editor Sam Daly went searching for an earring that could be left — and forgotten about — in her second and third ear piercings. These huggies are just that, made from a 14-karat gold or rhodium (a silverlike metal) plating that’s safe for those who have sensitive skin. “I almost want to call the material — soft? You can take a nap in them without feeling them at all,” Daly told me. Neither the gold nor silver version (purchased in 2018 and 2020, respectively) have dulled on her. The closure hinge is another added bonus: The earrings snap shut and open easily, even for those with short nails. These might be branded as a “huggie,” but the hoops have a “teeny bit more space” between the lobe and the hoop than you’d typically see on an earring in that style, Daly says. Sold as either a single or a pair, the hoop is $20, while the hoops are $40.

Ever since Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo’s 1-year-old son realized he could grab onto her ears — and her earrings — she has had to forgo some favorites. Except, that is, for these topaz-adorned hoops, which are safe from his grasp thanks to their strong clicker closures. While the hoops are comfortable and practical for everyday wear, Corsillo likes that they still feel special — each has a round-cut gemstone hanging from it — without being too precious. “They feel very understated and grown-up to me, which is how I want to look as a mom,” she says.

These huggies from Studs are a true huggie (at 6 mm. in diameter, half the size of the first Mejuri pair, for reference). And, like the Studs hoops above, you can get them as a single ($22) or a pair ($44), and in either 14-karat gold- or rhodium-plated. Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid owns a sold-out “beaded” version of the hoops — which are now available in a more croissant-esque shape — and says she wears them just about every day as part of her earscape. “They work well with almost any other style of earring, from baroque pearl drops to slightly larger hoops,” Reid says. “I’ve always received compliments on them.”

For Ruby Buddemeyer, the director of copy and concept at Starface (and former beauty editor at Cosmopolitan), hoop earrings must meet a list of criteria: not too big but not too small, thick but not heavy, and, of course, comfortable and easy for everyday wear. So when Buddemeyer saw her sister wearing these Machete hoops, she practically grabbed them out of her ears. “I stole hers for a bit but quickly bought my own since she’s equally as big of a fan as I am,” Buddemeyer says. That was four years ago, and Buddemeyer has been wearing hers weekly ever since. “They’re still shiny without any noticeable tarnishing,” she told me, attributing some of their longevity to always removing them before showering.

I heard about Yam from Utibe Mbagwu, a digital-marketing strategist, while working on our guide to studs. Mbagwu calls the label “a haven for shiny, pretty, everyday things. Its Cluster studs are a sort of hybrid stud-hoop, with a trio of rings hanging from a sterling-silver post. These fall under what Mbagwu considers “I never need to take these off” earrings — even while showering and sleeping, the sterling silver has held up.

The Sleeper Ring from J. Colby Smith — the piercer whose Into the Gloss interview “launched a thousand nipple rings,” writer Alexis Cheung tells me — is a fixture in the world of permanent jewelry (think: Catbird’s wrist-welded Forever Bracelet). You decide the thickness of the post (either 18- or 20-gauge) and diameter of the hoop, ranging from ¼ to ⅚ and ⅜ for lobe, helix, and rook piercings. Then, you’ll need to have these put on (or taken off) with the professional help of a piercer or a jeweler. Having the somewhat-permanent earring becomes “a signature like lipstick or perfume, something indelible to your style,” Cheung says. Out of her eight ear piercings — she once had ten in total — six are the lobe-hugging Sleepers, which are so thin that they “barely register visually.”

In our Celebrity Shopping series, comedians Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer both counted J.Hannah’s Loop hoops as something they can’t live without. Jacobson describes the hoops as her everyday earrings, thanks to their thin width and minimal shape. “You almost forget they’re on,” she says. “I feel put together even if I’m not.” Jacobson’s recommendation convinced Glazer to get her own. “This was one of those times where we just blend together and I was like, Ooh, I need those,” Glazer adds. “I actually don’t like earrings, but they’re so light, I don’t even take them out to sleep.” You can choose between three different diameters (10mm., 12mm., and 16mm.) and metals (yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold).

Cheung describes these as “diamond earrings so subtle you’ll do a double take.” From Quince, the hoops are crafted in 14-karat gold with 0.14-carat diamonds (18 per pair). The U-shaped hoop — a departure from typical O-shape hoops — makes this pair more interesting to Cheung, who notes that the stones fall in a delicate line with just a hint of glimmer. Plus, the price made them hard to pass up. “I wouldn’t own diamond earrings otherwise,” Cheung says.

According to Strategist writer Dominique Pariso, these Bold Huggie Hoops from Mejuri’s fine line are “a good buy if you don’t have that large of a budget.” Instead of the 18-karat gold vermeil used in Mejuri’s demi-fine line, the brand’s fine line uses 14-karat solid gold — and at $90 for a single and $178 for a pair, you’re getting a bargain. (There are also versions of the hoops —called small, medium, and large — starting at $348 for a pair.) The one problem Pariso has with the hoops is the carved-out inside on each hoop — while these are solid gold in the sense of not being hollow, the trimming is a way for a company to cut costs. “That said, I don’t mind that design quirk as much because you can’t actually see it,” Pariso says.

Writer Emma Holland found these earrings from Swedish artist Annika Inez at Brooklyn shop Outline. (Her friends are the owners). What caught her eyes was the hoops’ horseshoe shape. They have “just enough personality that they don’t look like everyone else’s,” she says. And even after two years of wear, the hoops look as good as new — despite not taking them off for showering or swimming. She wears them higher up on her ears, on either her third or fourth holes, “where they have the perfect ratio of dangle-to-ear hugging.” And while Holland owns the minis that are closer to huggies, there’s another size, small, for “a more hoopy hoop.”

“For a big impact, I like the look of a silver sculptural hoop,” says brand consultant Aemilia Madden. She used to love the chunky earrings from Mexican brand Tuza (which has since gone out of business), but now wears this Agmes pair in her first (of nine total) piercings. “This pair isn’t so big and heavy as to hurt my ears,” she says. “But they’re still chunky enough to make an outfit feel dressy when I put them on.” These have a more organic, rounded-out shape to them, which Madden describes as “bold but sleek.”

Xarissa, a collector who posts under the handle @jewelboxing, tells everyone who will listen about these sharp-looking knife-edged hoops. “They’re weighty, but in a way that doesn’t feel heavy,” she says. “And it keeps them always sitting straight. I hate it when hoops are too light and they get caught in my hair.” The hoops are handmade in Didi Rose’s studio in Georgia, and are available in either 11 mm. or 25 mm. (Xarissa says she goes for the bigger size).

Photographer Julia Stotz calls these her “special hoops,” which she brings out only occasionally because they’re bigger than her everyday, chunky huggies. A “statement piece that doesn’t disappoint,” the hoops are a sliver of 14-karat solid gold (or white gold). She’ll have the hoops on when her hair is up to show them off.

These pearl-and-diamond huggies were gifted to writer Yaminah Mayo by Mejuri — three years later, she still wears them most every day in either her second or third piercing. “They’re so beautiful and romantic,” she says. The pair of hoops features diamonds in a pavé setting (something you’ll see on many an engagement ring) with a hanging freshwater pearl. The earrings are “luxurious without being ostentatious,” she promises.

A self-professed non-shopper, handbag maker Camille Albertine made an exception for Bleue Burnham, specifically because of the brand’s sustainable ethos and commitment to craftsmanship. Her pair is this sterling-silver set, which are meant to resemble a bound willow (but Albertine says they remind her more of the icing on a cake). Despite the fact that these are sterling silver, Albertine recommends taking them off before showering so that soap doesn’t gather in the creases. (And if you need to clean them, she suggests simply using some dish soap, a small toothbrush, and a polishing cloth.)

[Editor’s note: Bleue Burnham lists its prices in British pounds, so the price shown is an approximation to U.S. dollars.]

In her “What I Can’t Live Without” installment, singer Tinashe told us she almost always has a hoop on: “I’ll throw on a pair just to feel a little bit more done.” This fits the bill of everything she looks for in a pair: smallish and no “pokey back.” She says, “I want it to be a complete hoop so if I lean or sleep on it, it doesn’t poke me in the neck.” Shown here with a 22 mm. diameter, the 14-karat solid-gold hoops are also available in a 30 mm. size.

“For my money, Jennifer Fisher’s jewelry is frankly a steal for the quality you get — I have yet to be disappointed by something from her,” says Tyler McCall, a freelance writer (and former editor-in-chief of Fashionista). It’s the Samira huggies that McCall reaches for the most in her hoops rotation. The huggies are tubular, thicker, and a lot more can’t-miss than others. “These hoops are the platonic ideal of a daily hoop earring,” she says. There’s a 14-karat gold post on the hoops, with the hoops themselves made from hollowed-out brass that is so light, McCall told me she doesn’t even feel them on her ears. And after five years, the pair are still in pretty good shape, with the exception of some wear on the backing. (“But no one can see that, so who cares?” says McCall.)

A dangling moonstone hangs on this 14-karat solid gold hoop, which is also set with diamonds. It’s the earring Madden lines her upper cartilage with, and is small enough to be worn every day without even noticing that it’s in her ear. “I find the movement to be fun and not annoying,” she says. “Even when I’m running or wearing headphones, the earring doesn’t bug me.” The hoop layers well, too — Madden pairs hers with other hoops and studs across her nine piercings.

[Editor’s note: Celine Daoust lists its prices in British pounds, so the price shown is an approximation to U.S. dollars.]

This pair of hoops that Collette Ishiyama designed for Catbird is a recent splurge of mine. Each earring has an itty-bitty snake slithering around the hoop, and I went for a version that has a serpent shimmering with diamonds from top to tail (I love some glitz, after all). You can get them as a single for $470 or a pair for $940. (Ishiyama also makes an edition of the earrings with diamonds on just the snake’s head.)