Cuban Link Chain Size Guide: 8MM vs 12MM
Both widths on the same man, real weights in grams, and what 5,000 buyers chose.
The two widths we make
The narrower line. 70 g at 22 inches.
Wider links. 164 g at 22 inches.
The photos show our chains. Another brand’s 8mm or 12mm Cuban can look different: link shape, spacing, thickness and finish all change the result.
What widths Cuban link chains come in
Cuban links are sold from about 3mm to about 20mm. The number is the width across one link, measured at its widest point. Here is the whole scale, so you can find yourself on it before you decide.
| Width | How it reads on a neck | We make it |
|---|---|---|
| 3mm | A fine line. Usually bought to carry a pendant rather than to be seen on its own. | No |
| 5mm | Reads as jewellery at arm’s length but disappears in a photograph. Sits under any collar. | No |
| 6mm | The narrow end of an everyday chain. Visible, easy to forget you have it on. | No |
| 8mm | Reads as a chain rather than a thread, and still sits flat under a shirt collar. | Yes |
| 10mm | A half step. Wider than most men expect from the number, still short of heavy. | No |
| 12mm | You feel the weight when you pick it up. Shows at an open collar or over a tee. | Yes |
| 14mm | Heavy enough that it is the thing people look at first. | No |
| 16mm | Statement territory. Rarely worn all day. | No |
| 18mm | Stage and camera width. Very few are worn as an everyday chain. | No |
| 20mm | The top of the range. Bought to be seen, not to be lived in. | No |
We make two of these, 8mm and 12mm. That is a decision, not a gap: they are the two widths a man can wear every day for years, and the rest of the scale is either too fine to read as a chain or too heavy to forget you have on. Everything below is about choosing between those two, and about getting the length right, which is the part most people get wrong.
The number on the label is not always the number in your hand
Width is the least standardised thing about a Cuban link. Two chains sold as 10mm can measure differently, because brands measure at different points on the link and tolerances vary between runs. It is worth knowing before you compare a price against a millimetre.
If you already own a chain, measure it yourself. Lay one link flat and put a ruler across its widest point. That number, not the one on the listing you bought it from, is the width you are used to wearing.
8mm vs 12mm: which width should you choose?
8mm is the chain you stop noticing. It sits flat under a collar, it is the lighter of the two, and it disappears into an ordinary day. 12mm is the chain you feel. Wider links, more than twice the weight, and it shows at an open collar or over a tee. Neither width is reserved for a build, an age or a neck size.
| What changes | 8mm | 12mm |
|---|---|---|
| Link width | 8 millimeters | 12 millimeters |
| Weight at 22 inches | 70 g | 164 g |
| Weight at 20 / 24 / 26 inches | 70 / 78 / about 86 g | 150 / 175 / about 186 g |
| Share of our orders | 47% | 53% |
| Under a shirt collar | Sits flat | Shows a ridge on a dress shirt; made for open collars and tees |
| Matching bracelet | 25 g | about 56 g |
Both widths are the same build: a 316L stainless steel core, an 18K PVD gold finish, a box clasp, the same guarantee. Only the width and the weight change. The grams are from the production sheet for each length; they matter more than the millimeters when the question is “will this feel heavy?”.
The split in our orders is close to even: 53% 12mm, 47% 8mm (5,268 chains, March to September 2026). Among men buying their first BALANZI chain it leans wider: 60% choose 12mm.
Is 8mm too small? Is 12mm too big?
Look at the full neckline in each photo rather than the links. 8mm reads as a chain, not a thread; 12mm reads as a statement. If you already own a chain, measure its width across one link with a ruler and compare it to the bars below. Unsure between the two? Take the one you keep coming back to in the photos; the guarantee covers a change of mind, and you keep the chain either way.
“The 8mm Balanzi chain actually outdoes my 9-karat gold ones.”
How big is 8mm, really?
Millimetres are hard to picture, so here are both of ours next to each other. Nothing is resized: one photograph, both chains, same light.
For a rough anchor before it arrives: 8mm is about as wide as a pencil, and 12mm about as wide as a permanent marker. Hold both and you have the difference in your hand.
A 12mm link is 4mm wider than an 8mm link, half again as wide. The links are thicker as well, which is why the chain weighs more than twice as much at the same length (164 g against 70 g at 22 inches), not 50% more.
Find your length
Width is the look. Length is the fit, and it is a separate decision. Chain length means the whole chain laid straight, clasp included.
Cuban links are sold from about 16 inches to about 30 inches. Every "where it sits" below is drawn from the same fit model as the tool further down the page, on its default figure: an L build with a 16.5 inch neck. On a smaller or larger neck the whole ladder shifts, which is what the tool is for.
| Length | Where it sits (16.5 in neck) | In cm | We make it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 inches | Choker | 41 cm | No |
| 18 inches | Choker | 46 cm | No |
| 20 inches | Base of the neck | 51 cm | Yes, 22% of orders |
| 22 inches | Collarbone | 56 cm | Yes, 46% of orders |
| 24 inches | Upper chest | 61 cm | Yes, 27% of orders |
| 26 inches | Mid-chest | 66 cm | Yes, 6% of orders |
| 28 inches | Lower chest | 71 cm | No |
| 30 inches | Below the chest | 76 cm | No |
22 inches is the length nearly half of buyers choose (46% of 5,139 chains, March to September 2026), and it sits at the collarbone on most men. 20 inches sits high and close; 24 inches gives a longer drop on a bigger frame; 26 inches is for a long drop or a very large neck. Between two lengths, go longer: the fit comments in our reviews that mention length say the chain sat higher than expected, none say lower.
Start with your shirt size below, then tap a length to see how the drop changes on the illustration.
Choose your usual size to start the illustration.
A visual starting point. Your neck size and preferred fit affect where the chain sits.
Want to double-check?
Compare with a chain you already wear, or try a loose string loop before choosing. Here’s how.
How to measure at home
Use a chain you already like
Open it and lay it straight beside a ruler, without pulling. Measure the complete length, including the clasp.
No chain to measure? Use string.
Mark a non-stretch piece of string at the lengths you want to compare. Drape it around your neck and join the ends at each mark in a loose loop. Check the drop in a mirror with your usual shirt on.
String shows the approximate length, not the thickness or feel of a Cuban link. Keep it loose and comfortable.
Go longer. A chain that sits a little lower is easier to live with than one that feels close to the neck. If neither feels right, ask for sizing help before ordering; if it arrives and it is not right, we exchange it.
Bracelet sizing: 7.5, 8 and 8.5 inches
BALANZI bracelets come in the same two widths and three wrist sizes. Wrap a soft tape measure around your wrist just above the wrist bone; that number is your wrist size.
| Wrist | Bracelet | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Under 7 inches | 7.5 inches | Close to the wrist |
| 7 to 7.5 inches | 8 inches | Standard, a little movement |
| Over 7.5 inches | 8.5 inches | Relaxed |
Most men wear the 8 inch. Between sizes, take the larger one; the room is more comfortable all day. The 8mm bracelet weighs 25 g (28.5 g at 8.5 inches); the 12mm about 56 g. Match the width for a pair, or wear a narrower bracelet under a 12mm chain so the chain stays the main piece; both are legitimate and we sell both.
Buying a chain as a gift?
The best reference is a chain he already wears: measure its full length, clasp included, and the width across one link. If you have to guess, guess 22 inches; it is what 46% of buyers choose and it sits well on the widest range of builds. If he is a big man, 24 inches. For width, 60% of first chains are 12mm; take 8mm if he wears dress shirts most days.
If the size is not right, we exchange it. The guarantee is on the chain, not the account, so it covers him. You can also ask us for sizing help before you order.
Ready to choose?
Choose your width. Then choose your length. Both chains come in all four lengths.
