Can you actually work out with your rings on?
I find it incredibly annoying and uncomfortable, so I take them off, unless you don’t care about your rings getting scratched. Knurled metal handles, that rough texture on standard gym dumbbells, scratch metal and catch your precious stones. Even rubber-coated handles with seams or ridges can pinch between your ring and your finger during a heavy set.
Most women who lift at home face the same choice in every workout: take your rings off and risk losing them (a few weeks ago, a trainer told me that their gym had so many Oura rings sitting in their Lost and Found drawer. WOOF, that’s expensive!), or wear gloves that, over time, become stinky because of the sweat, and that you simply forget to take with you because, let’s be honest, we have a lot going on in our life.
Neither option should be necessary, in my humble opinion. And yet, somehow, this is the standard?
Why Most Handles Don't Work with Rings
Two design elements cause problems:
Knurled Handle Bars. The textured pattern on traditional hexagonal dumbbells is designed to ‘bite’ into bare skin for grip (sounds aggressive, but it’s true!). But that same friction is also scratching into your jewelry. One set of bicep curls with a knurled bar can scratch a gold band. So you want to feel strong, but at the expense of your jewelry? That trade-off doesn’t make sense.
Handle diameter. When a handle is too thick, you grip harder. A harder grip pushes your ring into your finger. Over the course of a 30-minute workout, that friction builds. It starts as pressure and turns into something you’re very aware of, very quickly.
What Makes a Handle Ring-Friendly?
Soft-touch finish. A smooth surface that won't scratch or abrade metal. No knurling, no ridges, no seam lines under your palm.
Slim diameter. A handle that fits your hand means less squeeze force, which means less compression against your ring.
You Shouldn't Have to Choose Between Strength Training and Your Rings
This sounds small until it’s the reason you hesitate before a workout. Taking your rings off, finding a safe place for them, hoping you don’t forget them, putting them back on, it’s a lot of small steps for something that should feel simple.
And small barriers add up. They’re the reason home gym equipment ends up unused or tucked away in corners, collecting dust.
Lifting The Mood dumbbells (LTMs) were designed with a soft-touch finish specifically so you can lift with your jewelry on. No gloves. No ring dish by the yoga mat. No scratches on your wedding band. Just pick them up and go.
Because the reality is, if something doesn’t fit into your life easily, you’re less likely to come back to it. And strength should be something you return to, not something that feels inconvenient.
This is one of those design details that sounds trivial until you’ve experienced the alternative.
As the founder, Laura ter Meer Guardia, I designed the grip this way on purpose because I wanted equipment that fits into how women actually live, not how the fitness industry thinks they should. We’re here to make a difference in women's strength.
Lifting The Mood: adjustable dumbbells for women, 2 to 22 lbs, soft-touch grip, triangular anti-roll design. 2026 Shape Fitness Award winner. Shop now →