Huggie Hoop Earrings

A huggie is the earring you stop taking out. This collection runs 8mm to 12mm — hinged, chunky, textured, square, pavé, with charms and evil eyes hung from some. 18K gold vermeil at 3 microns over solid sterling silver, or gold plated. Gold, silver and rose gold, many sold as singles, from $18.

Huggie Earring Questions

What is a huggie earring?

A very small hoop that sits tight against the lobe rather than hanging from it — it hugs, hence the name. All huggies are hoops; not all hoops are huggies. The practical cutoff is around 12mm; past that it swings and stops behaving like one.

Can you sleep in huggie earrings?

They're the style most people do sleep in. The hinge sits flush, there's nothing hanging to catch, and a pillow doesn't press them into your neck. It's the main reason to buy huggies over larger hoops if you want earrings you genuinely never remove.

How do you open a hinged huggie?

Press the underside of the latch rather than pulling the hoop apart — that's the mistake that bends them. It should click open with almost no force. If it's resisting, you're pulling instead of pressing.

What size huggie should I buy?

10mm for a first pair. 8mm reads as almost nothing and works well in a second hole or high on the lobe. 12mm is the largest that still sits snug. Measured across the outside diameter, so a 10mm huggie is roughly the width of a pencil.

Are huggies good for cartilage?

For a healed cartilage piercing, yes — 8mm is the usual size and the tight fit means less movement while you sleep. For a fresh one, no: healing cartilage needs implant-grade titanium and a longer post, not plated jewelry, and it takes months rather than weeks.

Do huggies wear out faster than other earrings?

The hinge is the failure point, not the plating — it's a moving part opened and closed hundreds of times. Opening it properly rather than forcing it is most of what determines lifespan. At 3.0 microns of gold over sterling silver the finish generally outlasts the mechanism.

See also gold hoop earrings, stud earrings, flatback earrings and all earrings.