When Michael and I got married, I was surprised to find that my usually blasé-about-aesthetics partner had very strong opinions about his wedding band. He knew exactly what he wanted: something matte black or grey, in tungsten carbide. At the time, metals like tungsten and titanium were just starting to gain popularity, and it took quite a bit of research to find something that fit his criteria. So I was stoked when we were introduced to Manly Bands this month, because they are basically the wedding ring shop of his dreams. (This one especially. Maybe this one too.)
While you can find tungsten and titanium wedding bands online more easily these days, I often see the same five styles repeated over and over again. But Manly Bands has some of the most unique and creative rings I’ve seen yet, and obviously they are not just for men. They even have couples’ sets, and they offer several of their rings in both their signature thick band as well as a thinner style. Plus, when you shop Manly Bands, you get to support a small business run by a husband and wife team who are dedicated to treating you like a human. You know, things like great customer service, a super generous return policy, and knowing that your purchase supports charitable causes hand selected by Michelle and John themselves. (Last month they donated a portion of profits to Thorn, an incredible company helping to erase child sexual abuse and child trafficking.)
And in an industry that treats grooms like an afterthought, I love that Manly Bands has created a shopping experience that is fun and supportive. In large part, that’s because John’s wedding band shopping experience was so frustrating:
Because John’s fingers are larger, we were told just a plain white gold custom band would cost over $1,100—much more than my custom band with diamonds. We were floored. So we did some research and found out about tungsten and titanium bands, their durability and affordability. The companies we came across selling them were terrible at customer service and gave no reverence to what we were buying, so when we founded Manly Bands, we vowed to create a better experience all around.
We handle the experience of buying a wedding ring with respect and fun. Our incredible customer service team gets rave reviews daily (over twelve hundred 5-star reviews in just a year). We have a very flexible thirty-day return/exchange policy with free shipping both ways [Ed. note: You need this unless you definitely know the exact right ring size.], plus an awesome “no hassle” one-year warranty. We are constantly improving and optimizing the experience we provide in order to make wedding band buying the least stressful part of the wedding planning process. Putting a wedding together is a doozie, but this part should be fun!
Manly Bands rings range from $70 to $195, including free shipping and returns. Plus when you use the code PRACTICAL15 you get 15% off any wedding band. While each ring comes in a nice velvet box, I’d vote for using that savings toward an extra cool wooden storage box, handmade by Michelle and John’s family. As an aside, their landing page photos are HILARIOUS, and their groomsman gifts are awesome and strikingly affordable. For one-stop shopping, check out their personalize-able groomsman gifts—from booze to beard care to building things—I’m pretty sure Michael would take one of each. And now, in honor of my very picky husband, here are ten of my favorite Manly bands:
the mountain man and the surfer
So if you’re looking for a men’s wedding band that isn’t the same five designs you’ve seen everywhere else, head over to Manly Bands. They make it easy to be picky.
GET 15% off any wedding band frOM MANLY BANDS with the code PRACTICAL15.
