At Custom Plugs, we stock a collection of circular barbells — the horseshoe-shaped bar with a bead or cone at each end. Open at the bottom, it gives the look of a ring with the easy fit of a barbell, and suits the septum, ear and more.

What a Circular Barbell Is

A circular barbell — or horseshoe — is a bar bent into an open ring, threaded with a ball or cone at each end. Ours are internally threaded, so the bar stays smooth where it passes through the piercing, and the open shape makes it simple to put in and take out. Cone ends give a sharper, more modern finish than a plain ball.

Sizes and Gauges

Circular barbells here run from 16g (1.2mm) and 14g (1.6mm) up through the larger stretched sizes to 0g — one of the widest gauge ranges we carry, which is why the horseshoe is popular for a stretched septum. Diameters run from 8mm to 19mm. Each product lists its own gauge and diameter.

Materials and Finishes

Every circular barbell is titanium — hypoallergenic and nickel-free — in silver, black, gold and rose gold. For a hinged ring that clicks shut instead, see our septum clickers; for a captive-bead ring, the ball closure rings.

Choosing a Circular Barbell

Match the gauge to your piercing and the diameter to the placement — a smaller diameter for the septum or ear, larger for a looser look or a stretched piercing. Browse our circular barbells today and find the perfect horseshoe for your piercing.