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With the internet giving us access to every edge of the earth, we unusually need to leave the rest of our own homes to run chores, exercise, get food—primarily, do anything. Therefore the same should be valid when it comes to measuring your ring measurement before buying from the best jewelry stores or suggesting to your boyfriend about some unique engagement rings you’ve had your heart on. You could go to an artisan, but that doesn’t fit with the complete doing-it-all-from-my-couch stuff you’ve got going on. It also breaks the subtlety of unintentionally leaving a browser open on your partner’s computer with some simple engagement rings picked up—they’ll get the hint shortly enough.

According to New York City’s Catbird, a traditional fine jewelry shop in Brooklyn, “Your ring should suit your finger conveniently; snug quite so that it will not come off, but relaxed enough to glide over your knuckle by some protection.”

U.S. ring sizes result in a scale of numbers (and half numbers), typically of ring size 3 to 13.5 for adults. Women’s rings are generally between sizes 3 and 9, while men’s rings are usually sized between 8 and 14. These units equal up to your finger’s diameter in millimeters: A ring size 3 suits a ring finger (or any finger) that is 14 millimeters beyond, and the sizes rise from there. The standard ring size for women is between 5 and 7, but it’s always best to get an accurate ring size before applying a lot of money—that average engagement ring cost isn’t reasonable.

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Before you sit down to measure your ring size, there are several how-to pointers you should keep in mind:

• Analyze your knuckle. If you know your knuckle is on the bigger side, you should request half a size bigger than what your finger indicates; otherwise, you won’t be able to slide a ring into the right position.
• Ensure efficiency with various tries. Catbird’s site suggests covering your finger three to four separate times because the size fluctuates depending on temperature: It can be smaller the colder you are and more inflated if you’re overheated.

Below are three famous and straightforward ways to measure your ring size at home—using String, a ring size graph, and a ring sizer—so you can get the right piece of jewelry, whether it’s a treat-yourself present or a wedding ring.

Choice one: Use String or floss to cover your finger

You can cover your ring size using both String or, perhaps a more traditional item in your home, floss. Please take one of those measurement instruments and wrap it around the bottom of your finger, indicating where the String or floss first overlays with a pen. Then, line that up with a ruler and take down its dimension in millimeters.

With regular ring sizes, every half-size levels up to a 0.4-millimeter increment, beginning with size 3 equaling 14 mm, size 3.5 equal to 14.4 mm, size four equal to 14.8 mm, and so on. Standard ring sizes for women are 6 (16.5 mm), 6.5 (16.9 mm), and 7 (17.3 mm). For men, the most popular dimensions are 10 (19.8 mm), 10.5 (20.2 mm), and 11 (20.6 mm).

The ring size diagram above should tell you how many millimeters the matching circle is and what ring size that measurement correlates to.

One caveat with this method is that String and floss can stretch, so try not to force your measuring tool too taut. If you do, your measured ring finger size may be more significant than your finger is, and some rings you purchase may be too large.

Choice two: Place a ring you now own on a ring size chart

You can measure your ring size using a piece of jewelry that you already have and know fits you. Mark out a true-to-size ring size chart—like this one from Catbird—and place your ring on the circles until you obtain the one that meets up with the inside edge of your ring.

Choice three: Purchase your ring sizer

If you’re concerned about one of the above two strategies not ensuring accuracy, you can buy your ring-measurement instrument. They don’t tend to be costly, and there are many choices online, so, again, you don’t have to leave your house to accomplish this step.

The best-reviewed ring-sizing tools fall into two sections: a thin measuring tape or a keyring lined with a grade of ring sizes. Peacock Jewels have a top-rated surveying tape that works like a mini belt, with a sliding cast arrow marker to measure your ring size ($3; amazon.com). It contains ring sizes 1 through 17 for women, men, and children. A top-rated ring of rings created by Mudder ($8; amazon.com) allows you to decide on sizes 1 through 13, including moiety sizes. It also works for women, men, and kids.