18 chic pairs of huggie earrings to suit every occasion and budget

Our shopping expert has handpicked the huggie earrings to accessorize every outfit, whether you're looking for luxury or searching for style on a budget

Collage of some of the huggie earrings included in this piece from Maria Tash, Monica Vinader and Missoma
(Image credit: Maria Tash/Monica Vinader/Missoma)

Huggie earrings are the cute little sister of the classic big hoop and can be dressed up or down depending on your vibe of choice. While hoop earrings hang from your ear, huggie earrings are designed to—wait for it—"hug" the earlobe instead. They click shut for a secure fit and they look great both worn alone or stacked as part of an ensemble of earrings.

As they sit close to your ear, they're a great alternative to hoops if you want a comfortable accessory with none of the risk of getting caught in your hair or painfully pulled. And there are so many different designs on offer, from silver huggie earrings to Kate Middleton-approved chunky gold hoops.

The other great thing about huggie earrings is that, depending on where you're browsing, there is often a choice of sizes so you can decide how snug you'd like the earring to be. There is also a range of shapes to decide on, from classy rounded hoops to flatter styles that often have space for some sparkle. 

Meet the expert on huggie earrings

  • Helen Dimmick is a leading gemmologist and stylist with more than 20 years of experience in the jewelry industry. Here she has advised My Imperfect Life readers on how to choose and style the best huggie earrings as part of an outfit. 

What's the best way to style huggie earrings? 

As gemmologist and stylist Helen Dimmick explains: "for the most effective look, I would mainly choose fine, slender styles and forms but always in multiple pieces… and you can always add a gem for a touch of color! They don’t need to match, an eclectic combination chosen well can [also] be striking."

Although Dimmick notes that "huggies go beautifully with everything," she advises bearing in mind that "high necklines ensure that the focus is on the face, and therefore ears," when choosing an outfit from your capsule wardrobe

How we tested the best huggie earrings 

Today, the jewelry market is absolutely heaving with pretty pairs of huggie earrings, so narrowing them down to a curated edit of the best styles was no mean feat. To ensure we had the very best styles, our in-house testers took the following factors into account when making their final selection.

  • Price
  • Design
  • Quality of materials used
  • The brand's credentials 

The best huggie earrings, chosen by our shopping experts

Best gold huggie earrings

Your choice of metal will come down to personal preference, but yellow gold jewelry is super on trend at the moment. At My Imperfect Life we believe that you should wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable and best expresses your sense of style. However, if you do want to choose jewelry based on your skin's undertone, gold is thought to best suit those with warmer or neutral tones. 

Best silver huggie earrings

Silver huggies can also add a nice eye-catching something to your ears, and come with the added bonus that they are often cheaper than their gold counterparts. Taking a color analysis approach, just as gold jewelry suits warmer-toned skin, silver jewelry suits cool and neutral-toned skin particularly well. 

Best diamond huggie earrings

They have a long-held reputation for being a girl's best friend, but diamonds will add a considerable amount to your basket total than a plainer pair of gold or silver hoops. That aside, this investment piece will make a classy and timeless addition to any jewelry collection. 

How to choose the best huggie earrings for you

Just like all jewelry, selecting the right huggies partly comes down to your own style. Before checking out potential picks, think about whether you want to wear multiple huggies in each ear, go for single pairs, or combine with other earring types (or check out our guide on how to pick an ear piercing). Some ear piercings work better with different-sized huggies, and that also depends on how high up or into the lobe a hole is set. 

Explore inner diameter sizings to get the best idea about how snugly the huggies will fit. As a general guide, huggies with an inner diameter of 6 or 7mm neatly hug the lobe. A 5mm inner diameter is likely to fit best on an upper lobe piercing, where there’s less space between the hole and edge of your ear. Those of an 8mm inner diameter or more are a looser fit, if you like a little room between huggie and ear, all hail the traditional hoop vibe. Similarly, outer diameter measurements will steer you towards how chunky huggies are.

Think about material and gemstones, the colors you gravitate towards most, what you fancy spending and whether any metals typically irritate your skin. The same goes for how you feel about lightweight versus chunkier earrings.

Can you sleep in huggie earrings?

Due to their smaller size, huggie earrings tend to be more comfortable than normal earrings and therefore are comfortable and safe to sleep in. If they cause you discomfort while sleeping however, make sure you take them off before you go to sleep.

Are huggie earrings for pierced ears?

Yes—you'll need to have your ears pierced if you want to start wearing huggie earrings!

Helen Wilson-Beevers

Helen is a freelance writer, who has contributed to titles including Glamour, Grazia, The Independent, Fabulous and Fit & Well. Specialising in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle, she writes about new finds, standout brands, and expert insight. Helen loves multiple ear piercings, layering up looks and seeking out fresh style inspiration. 

With contributions from