A bead bracelet that is too tight digs in; one that is too loose slides over your hand. Getting the fit right takes two numbers: your wrist measurement and the bead diameter. Here is how to measure and how much to add.
Step 1: measure your wrist
- Wrap a soft tape measure around your wrist just above the wrist bone, where you would wear the bracelet.
- Keep it snug but not tight. No tape? Use a strip of paper or a piece of string, mark where it overlaps, then measure it against a ruler.
- Note the number in centimetres or inches, and measure twice to be sure.
Step 2: add room for comfort
The bracelet needs to be longer than your wrist. As a starting point:
- Snug fit: wrist + 1 cm (0.4 in)
- Comfortable fit: wrist + 1.5 to 2 cm (0.6 to 0.8 in), right for most people
- Loose fit: wrist + 2.5 to 3 cm (1 to 1.2 in)
Step 3: allow for bead size
Large beads take up space on the inside of the bracelet, so the same length feels tighter with bigger beads. As a rough guide:
| Bead diameter | Extra to add |
|---|---|
| 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to 0.31 in) | nothing beyond Step 2 |
| 10 mm (0.39 in) | about 0.5 cm (0.2 in) |
| 12 mm (0.47 in) and larger | about 1 cm (0.4 in) |
Example: a 15 cm (5.9 in) wrist, comfortable fit, 10 mm beads: 15 + 1.5 + 0.5 = 17 cm (6.7 in).
How many beads?
Divide the bracelet length by the bead diameter. A 17 cm (6.7 in) bracelet takes about 17 beads at 10 mm (0.39 in), or about 21 beads at 8 mm (0.31 in). A guru bead, spacers or a carved bead also take up length, so the count may be a bead or two lower.
Bracelets in our shop
Yak bone, cinnabar and camel bone bracelets, including one made to your wrist size. See all Tibetan bracelets.
Elastic, knotted or adjustable?
- Elastic: slips over the hand and stretches a little, but loosens over time. Avoid rolling it on and off.
- Knotted on cord: fixed length and more durable, usually made to a set size.
- Sliding knot: adjusts within a range, a safe choice for gifts.
Wrap bracelets and malas
A 108-bead mala can be wrapped around the wrist several times. In 6 mm (0.24 in) beads, 108 beads make about 65 cm (25.6 in), enough for roughly four turns on an average wrist. For more on bead sizes and counts, see our mala bead size guide and 108, 27 or 21 beads.
Buying a gift?
If you don't know the wearer's size, pick an elastic or sliding-knot bracelet. Adult wrists are often around 14 to 17 cm (5.5 to 6.7 in) for women and 16 to 19 cm (6.3 to 7.5 in) for men, but these are only rough averages.
