Men's Chain Guide: Cuban, Rope and Tennis Chains Compared
Every chain below is in the hip hop chains collection, and the wider men's jewelry collection has the studs and rings people pair with them.
Three chain styles account for almost every men's necklace sold: Cuban link, rope and tennis. They look different, wear differently, and sit at different price points. This guide compares them on the four things that matter when you are buying one to wear every day.
Cuban link: the heavy one
A Cuban link is a flat, interlocking curb chain. The links are twisted so the chain lies flat on the chest, which is why it reads as a solid band of metal rather than a string of links. Width is the whole decision: 3 to 5 mm is a subtle everyday chain, 8 mm and up is a statement piece. At 8 mm the chain will show over a T-shirt collar; at 12 mm it becomes the outfit.
Our Cuban link CZ bracelet is the same construction in wrist length, and the 8 mm Cuban ring borrows the link pattern for a band. Both are gold plated over a base metal, which keeps them under $40.
Rope chain: the twisted one
Rope chains are made of small segments twisted into a spiral. They catch light from every angle, so a thin rope chain looks brighter than a Cuban of the same width. The trade-off is that rope chains kink if they are stored tangled, and a thin one (under 3 mm) can snap at a link if it is pulled hard. Stainless steel rope chains are the most durable version for the money.
Tennis chain: the iced one
A tennis chain is a line of small stones, each in its own setting, joined end to end. It is the "iced out" look. Because every stone is a potential weak point, the setting quality matters more than the stone: prongs that are too thin will bend and drop stones. Our iced out tennis chain uses four-prong settings on 18k gold plating, and the VVS1 moissanite tennis set moves the same design onto S925 silver with moissanite stones for the version you keep for years.
Length: 18, 20, 22 or 24 inches
- 18 in sits at the collarbone. Works for thinner chains and for layering as the top piece.
- 20 in is the default for a single chain worn over a shirt.
- 22 in lands mid-chest, the usual length for a pendant.
- 24 in is for wearing over a hoodie or as the bottom chain in a stack.
If you are between two, size up. A chain that is too short rides up and looks like a choker on a broad frame.
Metal: plated, steel or sterling
Gold plated brass gives the look at the lowest price but the plating wears at the clasp and where the chain rubs collars, usually within a year of daily wear. Stainless steel does not tarnish, does not wear through, and is the right pick if you shower or train in your chain. S925 sterling silver is the softest of the three but takes a polish back to new, and it is what we set moissanite in.
What we would buy first
One 20-inch stainless steel Cuban at 5 mm. It goes with everything, survives everything, and gives you a baseline to judge whether you want to go wider, go rope, or go iced. From there the chains collection has the tennis and moissanite pieces when you want to step up.