Wedding rings are a precious thing. After an interpreter lost his own wedding ring at my brother’s wedding, Jenny and I considered what it would mean for us if something happened to our rings. The answer: We’d be devastated. It’s not about guilt, anger, or the cost of our rings. It comes down to the fact that we’d feel as if we lost a precious memory. We’re afraid of damaging or losing our rings, but neither of us cares to leave our rings at home when we hike, or chase Pokemon up the mountain, or any other number of activities. Wearing our wedding rings reminds us who we are and what we mean to each other. There had to be a solution, no? We discovered silicone rings at the gym, and realized that that was our answer. We got rings from Qalo, a company known for durable athletic gear, and couldn’t be more pleased.
We were impressed to find a huge array of rings. The types ranged from gold-colored perforated rings, great for boxing, to cute little silicone bands for women. With 62 options (31 each for men and women), it was difficult to choose which rings might be right for us. While reading through the descriptions, we found the Thin White Line, Thin Blue Line, and Thin Red Line rings.
The rings in each series are similarly priced to comparable items, but with the benefit of 20% each sale going to charities. The Thin White Line rings benefit The National EMS Memorial Foundation. The Thin Blue Line rings benefit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Finally the Thin Red Line rings benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and 24-7 Commitment. Better causes would be hard to find. Jenny went with the Women’s Thin Blue Line ring, and I chose the Men’s Thin Red Line ring.
After checking out their ring sizes, Jenny ordered a size larger (8 instead of 7), and I ordered the same size as my wedding ring (11). It turned out that Jenny’s was a perfect fit, but mine was actually a bit large. The rings came with return instructions for resizing. It was painless and quick, and my well-fitting size 10 came shortly after. I was pleased to also find them shipped in neoprene bags with clips on them, making them easy to store with active gear, like my gym bag.
I thought it would feel weird to wear a light silicone band where I normally carry a hunk of Tungsten Carbide, but it fit comfortably enough that I didn’t notice it anymore after 15 minutes or so. The only thing I actually found jarring was seeing the matte black and red instead of the sheen of metal. That didn’t last long, however, I quickly adjusted, and embraced the freedom to treat the Qalo ring with as much brutality as I was willing to endure myself.
To test out its durability, I mashed it, folded it, closed it in a few doors (without my finger inside, of course), and scaled some boulders in the nearby granite dells. It performed admirably. After workouts, extreme Pokemon hunts, and various exploits, I was pleased to find that there wasn’t so much as a scratch on my ring. It also never pinched me or bit into a weight bar. It just tagged along like nothing could go wrong. It was marvelous.
Jenny and I have resolved to wear our Qalo rings on all of our future vacations, lest we lose our wedding rings on a beach or some such. Goodness knows we’re more likely to get into weird places with Pokemon Go to incite shenanigans! Of course, for everyday wear, we return to our regular rings, but I switch out for the gym and rock climbing, just to be on the safe side.
I received two units for review purposes.
