Rings should feel secure in a false grip and stay where you buckled them when you drop to a hang.
We hung from birch rings in two diameters and loaded the straps. Texture, diameter, and a buckle that does not creep were the entire question.
Grip and hardware
A slightly smaller ring is easier for some false grips and harsher on others. A larger ring gives the hand room and can feel vague. The wood should have enough tooth that chalked hands do not skate. The buckle is the safety. If it slips under a bounce, nothing else matters.
- A diameter your hand can close around in a false grip.
- Wood that grips without tearing the palm on the first week.
- Straps long enough for the rig or the bar you have.
- A buckle you have yanked on, hard, before you trust it.
Test the buckle like you do not trust it. Then trust it.
Setting them up
Measure both straps. Uneven rings make every skill worse and you will blame your shoulders. Check the buckles again after the first session. New webbing settles.
Buy the ring that fits your grip and the hardware you have personally tried to make fail.
