Quick Take: Plug Styles

Sometimes purchasing plugs can be difficult, especially when you’re looking to pick out a gift for someone, but knowing their personal style is a great way to help you narrow down your choices, starting with the type of plug they prefer. Here’s a quick look:

When we’re talking about your standard, solid, run of the mill plug, there’s three basic styles you’ll be looking at. Those are straight, single flare, and double flare or “saddle” plugs. Straight plugs and single flare plugs come with small bands called “o-rings” which are used to hold the jewelry in place. Because of their barbell-like design, saddle plugs generally don’t require o-rings, and are held in place by their shape alone.

Then there are tunnels (hollow items), which also come in three main types: single flare (sometimes called “trumpets“), double flare (normally referred to as just “tunnel plugs”), and screw fit, which means that the end of the item is designed with a threaded cap that can be removed to assist with insertion.

Last, we’ll look at tapers, which are also sometimes called “taper plugs.” These come in a few different styles: straight tapers, curved tapers or “talons,” buffalo curved, spiral, and hanger style, generally called “hanger plug tapers.”

Knowing which type or types of large gauge jewelry the prospective wearer is used to can definitely help determine which items are good candidates. Now if you could only decide on a color…