You probably don’t give your everyday jewelry much thought when you’re packing for a trip, but the next time you travel, you may want to leave your rings at home. When you bring your wedding or engagement ring with you on a trip, you always run the small-but-real risk of having it stolen from your hotel room, nicked by a pickpocket, or lost while you’re doing something active.
That’s not to mention the heightened risk of a ring avulsion injury, which is uncommon when you’re spending your days at home typing on a computer, but somewhat more likely if you’re wakeboarding or rock climbing or otherwise doing something active and unusual activities during your travels.
Pack a Silicone Ring Instead
Sure, the risk of losing your rings--or your finger, for that matter--on any given trip are low, but if you’d rather not take the chance when you’re away from home, you may want to consider wearing an inexpensive silicone ring instead.
Wedding rings are traditionally meant as symbolic reminders of the vows you made to your partner. Silicone rings can do that just as well as metal.
Some rings are designed purely as fashion accessories. Silicone might not be as shiny as precious metal, but you can get a colorful silicone ring to match every outfit.
These rubbery rings have grown in popularity over the past several years, particularly after late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon nearly lost his finger to a ring avulsion injury. They aren’t necessarily meant to become full-time replacements for your “real” rings, but rather, they can stand in for your wedding band, engagement ring, or any other rings you wear at times where you may not want to wear a metal ring.
A lot of people wear these rings while they work out or do dishes, but here’s my modest proposal: Leave your real rings at home whenever you travel, and only bring silicone ones. As someone who has lost an expensive pair of sunglasses on vacation, I know that losing something valuable can cast a pall over a trip that’s supposed to be carefree. And if a lost pair of sunglasses can dampen the mood on vacation, I can’t even imagine losing my wedding ring, let alone having to go to the hospital due to a freak finger injury.
They Can Look Like Real Rings...
If you want your silicone ring to look like a “real” ring, your best bet is to check out Enso’s Elements series. These silicone rings come in multiple widths, and feature trace amounts of actual precious metals to add a bit of realistic sheen to what would otherwise be a matte, rubbery finish. The copper rings are infused with real copper. The gold and rose gold rings contain real gold. Even the black pearl and meteorite rings have some of their namesake materials in the mix.
I have the Gold Classic Elements ring myself, and while it’s certainly not as shiny as my gold metal wedding band, it’s close enough that you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking, which is quite an accomplishment. And not for nothing, it’s also extremely comfortable, and I can wear it without fear whenever I work out or (especially) go swimming.
...Or Like Something Completely New
But of course, if you’re going to wear a silicone ring part time, there’s no rule stating that it has to look like your real wedding ring. A nice thing about silicone is that it can come in any color, and be molded into any shape, so picking out a travel ring can be an opportunity to express yourself. From Enso’s uniquely shaped Wave rings to Qalo’s dual-layer Strata rings to Groove Life’s NFL and NCAA-licensed designs, it’s easy to find a ring that says something other than just “I am married.”
But perhaps most importantly of all, the vast majority of silicone rings cost less than $30, so you won’t have to limit yourself to just one.
