WHAT THE TOP 3 SILICONE RING BRANDS DO (AND DON’T) HAVE IN COMMON
Are All Silicone Rings The Same?
Who would have ever imagined silicone rings would become a legit replacement for metal wedding bands?
We get it!
People like us, who get sh** done, need a ring that can stand up to what we put it through.
There are a lot of options now in the silicone ring market.
Silicone rings are sold by a number of companies online now, including QALO, Enso, and right here at Groove Life.
Heck, you can easily find a multi-pack of ten rings for real cheap online.
So what’s the difference between Groove vs. QALO? Or Enso vs. Groove? Which one makes the best silicone ring?
Are they all the same? Nope.
So what should we look for?
- Quality - Look for the silicone ring company that only uses the best, medical-grade silicone.
- Performance - Look for moisture control and airflow technology, two of the most important features in a premium silicone ring.
- Price - Yes, price is a consideration when looking for a safe wedding band, but it should be considered through the lens of functionality, fashion, and comfort.
Let’s face it, you want the company who makes the best silicone wedding bands. Period.
Uncomfortable and Smelly
Before Groove Life® exploded into one of the fastest growing outdoor adventure brands in America, our founder, Peter Goodwin, hunted big animals and caught big fish in Alaska for a living.
He couldn’t afford to lose a finger, so he had to find a ring he could wear in the rugged Alaskan Bush.
He quickly found out that the average silicone rings on the market were uncomfortable and left a terrible smell.
But when he broke his first ring—which they are designed to do—Peter gave the company a call to get a replacement. Ahem.
One Customer’s Experience
Although he was thankful to still have a finger, getting a warranty replacement was not what we would call a stellar customer experience.
“Hell, when I’m trying to be your customer and you put me on hold for 27 minutes and then don’t solve my problem, you better believe I’m pissed,” said Peter.
Peter then had a private moment by an Alaskan lake. He chucked that dysfunctional, broken ring as far as he could into that 800 foot deep lake.
At that moment Peter knew he had to do something about everything he just experienced:
- A poorly designed ring
- A bad warranty policy
-
Terrible customer experience
So, Peter set out to design a new kind of silicone ring and back it with a ridiculous warranty.
If there was one hill he was willing to die on, it was customer service.
What sets Groove Life® apart from QALO and Enso
The Groove Life® is Born
He knew there had to be a better silicone wedding band for men like him.
Eight months after Peter threw that first dysfunctional ring to the bottom of that Alaskan lake, Groove Rings launched on Kickstarter.
Over the course of the campaign, we attracted 611 backers for almost $18,000 in pledges.
Groove Life was born.
Hey, we admit it—we didn’t invent the silicone ring, we just perfected it.
We designed the most functional ring on the market.
It’s not because of our superhero insight into building awesome products.
It came from our determination to design a ring that not only shows off your commitment to your most important relationship, but also endures your rugged outdoor lifestyle.
How did we meet our Kickstarter goal and take it to the next level?
The secret is in the name.
Why Groove Ring®?
The grooves make all the difference. That’s why they are the namesake of our brand.
The figure-8 shaped inner channels cover most of the interior surface of the ring. Which means less of your skin comes in contact with the ring.
Result: air in and moisture out. That makes for a crazy comfortable ring.
In fact, it’s so comfortable, you’ll forget you have it on.
Hypoallergenic, non-conductive, heat-resistant, safety stretch—yeah, yeah. Those technical terms mean a lot if you are in the silicone ring business.
But the rest of us just want a durable ring that will save our finger and prove we are already taken.
Groove’s Amazing 94-Year No BS Warranty
This is where it gets crazy!
Break it, stretch it, lose it, or simply don’t like the color—we’ll replace it for free, no questions asked.
When Peter started Groove Life®, there was one uncompromising absolute he demanded of his employees: Excellent customer service. He was sick and tired of the BS he got from company after company when he would call to deal with a product issue.
That’s why we have a 94-year No BS guarantee that backs every product we make.
If you are unhappy for ANY reason, we’ll get you a new one in the mail immediately.
Test it. We stand behind it.
And when you’re on the phone with our customer experience team, you’ll feel like you’ve just met your new best friend.
Our Philosophy
Groove Life® has become so much more than a silicone ring company.
We inspire adventure.
You have mountains to climb, obstacles to crush, and we want to inspire you to live into your highest adventures.
Being part of the Groove family means you have someone on your team who will push you toward success.
Groove Life® Product Lines
Today, Groove Life is home to the Groove Ring®, the Groove Belt®, and Groove Watch Bands.
We have a Groove Ring® for every active lifestyle and we invite you to come shop our styles!
Our product lines include classic Groove Solids, Mossy Oak® and Kryptek® Camo, the uniquely patterned Aspire, patriotic Hero collections, the rugged Men’s Edge and Nomad lines and the King of All Rings—Zeus.
We designed the Groove Belt® to be the toughest belt known to man. We started with a nearly indestructible, high strength aluminum alloy buckle made with rare-earth neodymium magnets. We then added our super-strong webbing to give you a belt ready to go the distance.
The Groove Watch Band stands out for its discreet design and breathable indented grooves which allow air in and moisture out, freeing you up to live actively, safely and comfortably.
Enso Rings
Another Kickstarter alum, the Salt Lake City-based Enso Rings was also founded in 2015 by founders Brighton Jones and Aaron Dalley.
As athletic people with a passion for the outdoors, both were frustrated by the difficulty of wearing a ring with their active lifestyle.
They had each gone through more than one band, and Brighton even sustained a serious ring-related finger injury.
The two set out to create a safe, functional alternative to traditional bands, and launched a successful Kickstarter reaching $2,000 above their goal.
Safety Meets Style
Enso Rings are made from a single piece of silicone. Like most high-quality active rings, Enso bands are hypoallergenic, non-conductive, heat-resistant and made to stretch or break upon expansion.
Enso currently features several distinct Collections: Elements, Legends, Infinity, Ultralite and Women’s Stackables, which are extra thin bands that come in a variety of colors for mixing and matching.
The Symbolism Behind Enso
In the Zen school of Buddhism, Enso (otherwise known as the Circle of Enlightenment or the Infinity Circle) symbolizes strength, unity, enlightenment, single-mindedness, personal development, simplicity, cooperation and many more of human beings’ nobler aspects.
In alignment with these qualities, Enso has committed to making the world a better place by donating a portion of each ring sold to “organizations around the globe that are working to solve problems like hunger, poverty, disease, and protecting our planet.”
Enso’s Warranty
Enso offers a Lifetime Warranty on their rings if you run into any issues. Exchanges and returns are allowed, except for on clearance products.
Qalo
Qalo was founded by two friends, Ted Baker and KC Holiday, who shared a common problem: frustration with the lack of wedding rings on the market for active lifestyles.
Both Ted and KC loved their wives dearly, but their wedding bands were getting in the way of rock climbing, working out, surfing, and more.
So in 2013, they did something about it and started Qalo (an acronym for Quality-Athletics-Love-Outdoors) in Orange, CA. Like most high-quality silicone rings, Qalo’s are hypoallergenic, non conductive, heat-resistant and made to stretch or break upon expansion.
A Mix of Fun and Philanthropy
Qalo’s designers are perhaps the busiest in the field, since their site features more collections and a greater variety of colors than most.
They currently feature lines such as the Strata, Outdoors, Stackables, Wedding, Q2X, and U.S. Military collections.
However, not all of their creative stylings are just for looks:
- Give Back Rings – Qalo partners with nonprofit organizations to design distinctive rings that let customers “wear their support,” while donating a percentage of each ring purchase to the specific cause it represents.
- Thin Line Collection – These rings are specifically designed to be worn by and to show support for police officers, firefighters, and EMS personnel. A percentage of each sale supports these local heroes.
Qalo Warranty
Qalo offers a one-time, anytime warranty on damaged or broken rings, as well 30-day return and 60-day exchange policies.
The Bottom Line
You’re the kind of person who needs outdoor accessories that will stand up to your rugged lifestyle.
One of the best investments you can make is in a high-quality, durable, stylish silicone ring.
Plus, we know no one wants to lose their metal ring. Well, put it in a safe place and trust your silicone ring to do the heavy lifting for you.
Now, pick out your favorite ring!
Get out there and crush every obstacle keeping you from reaching your max potential.
Keep groovin’.