Everything Ear Care: The Guide to Choosing Earring Backs

Push Backs, aka Butterfly Backs

Push backs are common and comfortable earring backs. They are a small piece of metal that pushes onto the earring post. Earrings designed for push backs have a small groove in the post so the earring back can click into place. These earring backs can be kind to sensitive ears if they are made with a hypoallergenic metal, like the titanium replacement earring backs by Tini Lux seen above.

Screw Back Earrings

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Screw backs are a variation of the push/butterfly earring backs. They differ in that they need to be screwed onto the post. If you're looking for earring backs that won't fall off, these are your best bet as they are very secure.

Flat Backs

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Flat backed earrings are designed to be secured with backs that lie flat, making them an extremely comfortable earring back option. If you are worried about earring back sensitivity regarding your posts poking your neck, these could be a good option. However, earring backs do come into contact with your skin, so if you have a metal allergy you will still want to look for flat backed earrings in titanium or niobium.

Ball Backs

Source: Quick Jewelry Repairs

These earring backs are great for piercings where the backs of your earrings will show, like a cartilage or upper lobe piercing. They make for a more decorative earring back, almost like a double-sided earring.

Lever Backs

Source: Quick Jewelry Repairs

Lever backs are less common than the typical French hooks that you see on dangly earrings, but they are much more secure. The wire clasps to the earring and requires no additional elements to stay securely in your ear.

Which are the best types of earring backs in your opinion? Will you be trying out any new styles of earring backs?