Today I’m reviewing one of Pandora’s most popular pieces: the charm bangle. The Pandora Bangle was first released almost a year ago – this little promotional poster dates from June 2013.
And yet, I’m something of a late adopter. The reason for this is simply that I have a limited budget when it comes to Pandora, and I’ve always tended to go for the original bracelets, as they’re the ones that I most want to wear my charms with. However, I was recently bought the limited edition pavé version by my OH, and I’m absolutely in love with it. I can’t believe that I didn’t get one sooner.
I’ve decided to go ahead and review it anyway; I know that I still have readers who have not yet purchased the bangle, and are still considering it – plus it’s just an important piece in Pandora’s catalogue, and I feel remiss not to have posted a review of my own.
The Bangle
The bangle’s clasp is spherical, unlike the regular Pandora bracelet; it is modelled on the Pandora Logo clip. The bangle itself boasts a beautifully shiny, smooth finish.
Unlike the regular Pandora bracelet, it only has threads by the clasp – this means that you still screw the charms on and off it. However, you can’t use Pandora clips on the bangle as a result; they will just slide around it unless you use silicone stoppers underneath the clips. In some regions, Pandora will give you a couple for free; in others, you must purchase them, either from Pandora or just from Amazon.
This is how the bangle sits when it is unclasped, with just a small gap between the clasp and the other end of the bangle.
To get the bangle on and off, you twist the ends of the bangle apart to open it. The bangle uses metal memory, meaning that it just spring back into shape after you let go.
The bangle can be a bit tricky to do up if you’re not used to it. I find it’s easiest to get on if you squeeze the two ends together with one hand until the end of the bangle slots into the clasp. You can then let go and clip the clasp into place. I find that I can now put on the bangle almost as expertly as I can my regular Pandora bracelets! ;)
The Fit
The bangle is available in only three sizes currently: 17cm, 19cm and 21cm (6.7 inches, 7.5 inches and 8.3 inches).
I wear a 19cm regular Pandora bracelet, and opted for the 19cm bangle. I can actually just roll my bangle over my hand and take it off without undoing the clasp, so it came up quite a large fit.
However, I found that the 17cm bangle was too small and didn’t have the nice, light feel to it that the 19cm did. I have heard complaints from ladies who can’t find the right size for them; I actually really like the looser fit of the bangle, but I can understand why it may be frustrating not to be able to achieve the perfect fit for you.
Pandora’s official sizing guidelines are as follows:
You can also see that they recommend 7 to 9 charms as a maximum amount for the Pandora bangle; this conflicts with the initial advice from Pandora, which was that the bangle could be fully filled.
However, I’m inclined to wear the bangle with fewer charms anyway; the Pandora bangle is circular, and not oval-shaped. This is fine when you only have a few charms on it but, when you start to fill up the bracelet and the bangle sits tighter against your wrist, it may feel uncomfortable. I know that I certainly found it so.
I like to wear my bangle with only a couple of charms, or just empty. It feels so beautiful and light on its own – plus I feel that the regular barrel clasp bracelet is just better suited to wearing with charms.
Scratching
The smooth finish that makes the bangle look so sleek is also potentially a problem; it is very prone to picking up scratches.
I’ve had my bangle for about a month and a half now, and I’ve worn one openwork pavé charm on it for that time. It’s hard to capture on camera, but it has accumulated lots of tiny little scratches. You can sort of see them if you look closely at this picture (you can click it to enlarge it):
So far, it hasn’t really affected the bangle’s very shiny finish. However, I’ve heard that wearing a lot of charms that have threaded cores can increase the amount of scratching of the bangle. Openworks charms, however, do not have a threaded core and therefore will scratch the bangle less. Wearing no charms or fewer charms on the bangle will also help to prevent scratches.
Moreover, a popular way to wear the bangle is to stack it. Wearing it with other bracelets will also inevitably increase the amount of scratches on the bangle.
Stacking
On the other hand, if you don’t mind scratches, the bangle does look great stacked. A lot of Pandora’s advertising materials for the bangle have focused on layering them up to create a look that’s really on trend.
I tried layering the bangle with a few of my existing bracelets; I don’t usually stack the bangle, as I’m a bit averse to scratching it. I combined it with two of my pink-themed bracelets, and liked the effect. However, if you want to emphasise the bangle, I think it gets a bit lost amongst the two more ‘busy’-looking charm bracelets.
Consequently, I preferred it with one charm-filled Pandora bracelet and this simple bracelet from Tiffany & Co. This way it seems less overwhelmed.
Conclusion
I love the Pandora bangle; it’s great-looking, light, and a welcome change from my heavier traditional charm bracelets. However, I don’t consider it an alternative to the traditional Pandora charm bracelet. I personally would not fill it up with charms, as I don’t like the way it feels on my wrist and I’m concerned about preserving that gorgeous shiny finish.
The Pandora bangle costs £55 in the UK and $65 in the US. Please feel free to post any questions you may have!
Do you own the bangle? Is it on your wish list?
I love the bangle. I got it free with purchase of $100 when Pandora ran a promo after it came out. I also wear it by itself or with a charm or 2. I now want the new bangle with the pave clasp & the LE Mother’s Day Vintage Heart charm. Guess I will be stopping by the jewelry store next week. LOL!!! Would love to have the 14kt gold Vintage Heart with pearl but not paying $400 for it.
You guys are amazingly lucky to get that promo! I’d be tempted to get another one to stack with this one. :) That way they wouldn’t scratch too much.
The pavé version of the bangle is just beautiful, too – I’ve loved the limited edition releases so far this year. I’m pretty sure the Vintage Heart will be my next purchase. ^^ But I know what you mean about the gold version. Even if I had the money, I’m not sure I’d ever be able to get over the guilt of spending £400 in one go! ;)
Ellie
I am hoping to get a bangle in the next bracelet promotion, and have been thinking about how to wear it and with what charms etc.
I hadn’t really thought about the scratching of the bangle before and it’s put me off putting so many charms on it, if any at all.
I think the silicone stoppers sound like the way forward, maybe 2 or 3 of the heart clips / the new daisy clip? spread out that won’t move so won’t scratch the bangle.
Had anyone ever tried squeezing a silicone stopper under a regular charm?
Yes, silicone stoppers are great for protecting the bangle from being scratched by the charms, and your clip ideas sound lovely – I think less is more with the bangle. Although, you could always create a regular design and bracket each end with a clip and silicone stopper, so that none of the charms move? If you don’t mind the stoppers being visible, you can always just use them on their own to stop the charms moving, too.
I’ve heard of people putting them under the openwork charms, but I’m not sure how effective it is, as I don’t know how well they stay put…
Ellie
I stuffed a stopper in a Pave heart and it works perfectly. It’s the only thing on my bangle and it doesn’t move at all.
Ah, that’s useful – thanks for letting us know! :)
Great!
Hi
On the subject of stoppers, I read on the pandora web page that they can be used on leathers, would you know if they work on the multi string fabric bracelets? I quite like the idea of a single clip in the centre, but obviously I wouldn’t want it to move….
I don’t actually own a multi-string fabric bracelet, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen other people using the stoppers on theirs! Can’t see a reason why they wouldn’t work. :)
Hey guess what I finally got the le pave bangle
Just wanna share with you b?
http://instagram.com/p/mrVbukwlVt/
And I see you got your box as well! <3 It looks absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for sharing; you have a pretty amazing collection! ;)
Ellie
Thanks hunnie do you have instagram I can follow?
I only have a personal instagram that I don’t use that regularly, but you’re welcome to follow that if you like: ohhellsbells. :) I am planning on making one for the blog, when I get around to it!
I have just seen a picture of the sparkling butterfly charm on a bangle held in place by 2 plain clips, it looks so pretty and really made a statement of the butterfly! I never really fancied the butterfly before as it looks so big, but it’s given me more inspiration for my bangle – when I get it!
See, the Sparkling Butterfly is really growing on me, too – when I first saw the stock image I didn’t like it as, you like say, it’s kind of big and, I thought, maybe too sparkly. However, in person, it actually looks almost delicate and not at all cheap like I thought it would! I think it would work great as statement piece, with nothing to detract from it or lessen its impact. Great idea!
My daughter gave me a Mother’s Day limited edition 2014 bangle bought in Australia but i was depressed because the heart shape
Button with pandora letters has scratches, I thought it was only a dirt but it’s not, I don’t remember any insident bumping it.. It was the first time I wore it. Is it silver. I don’t think it is..
Ah, that’s such a shame. I’ve found that my bangle has picked up scratches quite easily, but none that are deep enough to look like dirt. Genuine Pandora products are definitely sterling silver, though. :)
Ellie
I’m new to pandora and not show on which charms to start with ??
I got my bangle tonight (3 hours ago) and I am loving it so far. I only have one charm (galaxy) and a twinkling star clip at the opening.
Yay, your bangle sounds beautiful! I love how light and easy to wear they are in comparison with the regular bracelets :D
For the silicone stoppers, what size should I order the 2*6mm or 3*6mm size? I see so many silicone stopper option sizes and I am not sure on which size would work best with the Pandora Bangle.
Ooh I’m not sure. I just had a look at the ones I have and they look like they are 2*6, and they seem to work fine!
Hello!
I have a question: you said you wear 19 cm for the moment bracelet, and then you can remove the bangle without opening it if you take 19 cm too. I wear a 17 cm for the moment bracelet and already find it quite loose, but the 16 cm is too tight full of charms. Do you think the 17 cm bangle would be too loose then? I am planning of wearing my Disney charms on it (so far Eeyore, Tink and the 2 castles). I know i should go to a shop and try but my Pandora shop is quite far from me.
Thanks for your help
Hi Silvine! I imagine that if the 17cm Moments bracelet is loose on you, then you’ll probably be able to get the 17cm bangle over your hand too. :) However I don’t think that will make it too loose necessarily; the bangle is a really nice, light piece of jewellery and I really like mine to be a little looser on my wrist. Especially as there is no flex in it when you add new charms, so a bit of space between it and your wrist is a very good thing. Just makes it a bit more comfortable.
I like the sound of your Disney bracelet! That should be lovely I think. ^^ Hope that helps Silvine!
Thank you for your answer. Mayve the chamilia bangle with its ovale shape is a better option, no? It will be less loose?
Yes I’ve definitely heard that the oval shape is more comfortable, especially if you want to add charms. :) It will fit closer to your wrist, too. I find the Pandora bangle perfectly comfortable, but then I wear mine rather loose and with minimal charms.
Thank you :) :)
<3
My tight wrist measurement is 16cm…may i know its better for me to take 17cm or 19cm for bangle? I just want put around 3 charms n 1 dangle only to my bangle. Need your suggestion.
I think that it depends on what kind of fit you want. If you’re planning on adding those charms, you’ll probably want a slightly looser fit so that your charms don’t dig into your wrist and the bracelet has a bit of movement. For that reason, my instinct would be to go with the 19cm bangle – but you can always go in store and try both on to see which works best for you!
Hi
I found this blog super useful,
I just purchase the bangle one yesterday and I added my charms on it, although I feel like its not a perfect fit, (it seems too small now) I even ask the lady at the store if I add charms on this bracelet will it get tighter? and they said no. So I’m bit confused on the fit I have a second doubt that I should return it and exchange it for a bigger size. Although the first one I tried on was quite bit so I’m not sure what I should do.
I have about 10 charms
Hi! If you’re not comfortable with the size then I would definitely go back and try a bigger one on. A good thing to do is to get your store to let you try on a filled bangle (or with however many charms you want) so you can see how each size feels when full up. :) I find that I like a nice roomy fit with the bangle, as I think it should feel light on your wrist – personally I’d be tempted to go for the bangle size. Of course, it is completely up to you and whatever feels/looks best personally!
Hope that helps :)
Ellie
Okay I’m confused now. Your photo of the open bangle shows the ends don’t meet. I have a bangle, and I’ve always been under the impression mine is faulty because it’s exactly like your picture, there’s a space between the clasp and the end, and when closed, the clasp doesn’t spin easily, as apparently it’s supposed to. It’s a real problem to close too because the ends don’t meet. I wear a 17 cm bangle and can slip it on and off without too much difficulty without opening it, which is why I didn’t return it, and have never bothered to ask about it in-store. So is mine faulty? I think I’ll ask in-store next time I go.
Hi Lola! I don’t think the ends of the bangles are supposed to meet when they are undone. I have three (the silver, the two-tone and the pavé heart clasp) and all of them have a gap between the ends when they are unfastened. The gold one in particular has a big gap, and one of the ends sits a lot higher than the other – which worried me at first, but is apparently perfectly normal. There is some variation between each bracelet. You have to push the ends together on all of mine to fasten it, which can be a bit tricky but you get the hang of.
However, what does sound abnormal is your clasp sticking. The clasps on both my silver and my two-tone will spin freely once done up. It is also not at all difficult to push the ends together with any of my bangles – they will move together with only a little pressure. It is hard to tell without seeing a picture of your bangle when it’s undone or without testing to see how it does up compared to mine. If you want to share a pic, I can take a look – if not, it sounds like it is worth following up with the store. It shouldn’t be extremely difficult to do up and the clasp shouldn’t be sticking, as far as I’m aware!
I have two pictures, but don’t know how to insert them here. One is the bangle open. The second is the open end bit, which shows that it’s bent. Should it be straight? I think that might be why the clasp doesn’t turn freely when closed, and makes a clicking sound when turned, and why it’s so hard to latch.
You could always email them to me at mora0pandora@gmail.com or you can upload them to pinterest or some other image hosting site and post the URL here :) I’m not sure which you by the open end bit haha, sorry – which part of the bangle do you mean? I don’t think any part of the bangle should be bent in any case.
Sent. :-) By the ‘open end’ I mean not the clasp. Yeah I figured I had to do it that way, not worth signing up for an account just for two pictures. I can’t believe I typed 17 cm bangle up there. :-0 It’s 19, which is why I can get it over my hand, making the issue not a huge one.
I replied to you Lola! The end does look bent to me, unfortunately… the end of the bangle doesn’t bend upwards like that on any of mine. :/
Now others with the same problem will read this and know what’s up. :-) And for clarity, because I’m never clear at 4am, in my reply I meant a clip can be clipped onto the “threading” at the open end of the bangle, making it a cuff type bangle. I don’t think all clips can be used, the spherical work best. But again, I don’t like the look of the little end bit sticking out of the clip. Thanks for your help!
Just for reference – here’s a shot of Lola’s bangle. If you look, the end opposite the clasp bends upwards slightly, which is causing the problems:
//morapandorablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/pandora-bent-bangle.jpg
Having problems opening the clasp on my bangle bracelet. My thumb nail is suffering.
Have you tried using a guitar pick or something similar? I don’t have a problem with the bangle bracelet myself but have found it tricky with other stiff Pandora bracelet clasps. :)
Thank you. I will try your suggestion.
You’re welcome!
Hiya
If I want to only have three charms.- the orchid & two muranos, which is the better option, the bangle of snake chain bracelet?, I do like the bangle, but not sure if it is more comfortable than the bracelet, but also the bracelet seems to trap the hairs on your arm when I have been trying them on. I would one that I can wear everyday.
Hi again Marie! If you’re only planning on putting three charms on the bracelet, then I think I would consider the bangle. The snake chain would probably need clips to cover the threads and the bangle is designed to be worn with fewer charms. It won’t trap your hairs either and it’s really light and great for everyday wear. :) x
I thought that as well, even though the lady in the shop said that the snake chain was much more comfortable than the bangle, but she had sold out of the bangle! I’ll probably end up getting a bracelet in time anyway! But for now it will be the bangle or essence bracelet. I’ll let you know what I ( finally) decide on.
Thank you so much for your guidance, I really do appreciate it. X
Absolutely! The snake chain is more comfortable than the bangle when you want to wear lots of charms. For just two or three charms, the bangle is fine. :) You’re welcome, I’m glad it was useful! x
Hi
My husband just surprised me with a Pandora gift. He gave me the bangle. I have the 7.5 cm bangle which feels a little big on my wrist. But when I tried the one smaller size it fit exactly tight around my wrist. And then I saw the snake bracelet in size 7.1 which fit better than the bangle. Now I am so confused whether to stick with the bangle or get the bracelet. I don’t plan on putting too many charms on it.
Please could you give any suggestions.
Great review, it helped me a lot
Hello, I just got a bangle from Pandora well it’s going to be mailed home next week. I was told my the sales person that I need two clips of I want to put a charm on it. I was thinking of just putting one dangled charm. Do I need clips on both sides of the charm? If I do need clips can I just get a non pandora clip from amazon or do you suggest pandora clips
Hi all
I have the bangle, with the rose gold clasp. I currently have 8 charms on it and I still am finding it so comfortable to wear all day. I guess it’s just a matter of preference!