FitnessWear and care
The earring back has had its day. Eight reasons we dropped it
Why leave out the earring back? Because a stud with a back is two parts, and the second one is the part that loosens and goes missing. We think an earring should hold on its own. Baqless has an anchor in the post that lies crosswise behind the earlobe, and you decide how firmly it sits. Here are eight reasons you can check, compared with an ordinary stud with a back, and the cases where the classic suits you better.
In short
Why leave out the earring back? Because a stud with a back is two parts, and the second one is the part that loosens and goes missing. We think an earring should hold on its own. Baqless has an anchor in the post that lies crosswise behind the earlobe, and you decide how firmly it sits. Here are eight reasons you can check, compared with an ordinary stud with a back, and the cases where the classic suits you better.
What are we comparing against?
The ordinary stud with a butterfly back, the one most earrings come with. Its back is a small metal piece with two curled wings that press against the post. It is cheap to make and fits most posts, and it holds by friction. How it behaves at night and in training is described in Earring backs explained.
Our view is plain. For an earring you wear every day, we think one part is better than two. That is an opinion, and we say so. The eight reasons below are facts you can check on our product pages and policy pages.
Eight reasons we left the back out
1. There is nothing behind your ear to lose
A stud earring has two parts. We left one of them out. The anchor that does the holding is part of the post, so there is no separate back to drop in the washbasin or to search for under the bed.
2. It stays until you open it
A butterfly holds by friction, and every time you push it on and pull it off, its wings open a little. With the anchor, friction plays no part. Only when you flip it lengthwise does it let the post go. Think of the evening you cycle home, pull your jumper over your head in the hallway and feel for your earlobe out of habit. With the anchor, there is no back for the collar to catch and pull off.
3. You decide how firmly it sits
Slide the anchor a little closer to the ear and it holds firmer, a little further back and it sits looser. Closer for training, a little more room for the office. With a butterfly, the only setting is how far you push it on.
4. One hand is enough
You push the post through the piercing and turn the anchor at the back with the fingers of the same hand. You do not need a mirror for it. How it works shows the movement step by step.
5. Studs and hoops close the same way
Stud or hoop, it closes with the same movement. Once you know it, you know it for every pair from us.
6. You know what the head is made of
The pairs we ship from Switzerland have a head of sterling silver 925, rhodium-plated or gold-plated depending on the model. Post and anchor are rhodium-plated on every pair, even where the head is gold-plated. Every product page names the material.
7. Every pair has a home
The pair lives in a round tin, on a foam insert. On the move, that is where it belongs.
8. A faulty pair is our problem
If a pair shows a fault, a photo is enough to start. Once we have checked it, you get a voucher for the full price plus the shipping you paid for it, and the pair stays with you. The period is two years from delivery, and your statutory rights apply alongside. Everything else is on our guarantee page.
A stud with a back and Baqless, side by side
| Ordinary stud with a butterfly back | Baqless | |
|---|---|---|
| Parts at the ear | two, the stud and the back | one, the anchor is part of the post |
| What holds it | friction of the wings on the post | an anchor in the post, turned crosswise behind the earlobe |
| Setting the grip | only by how far you push it on, the grip fades with use | you slide the anchor closer or further back |
| Putting it in | usually two hands | one hand, no mirror |
| What can go missing | the back, and with it the stud | the earring itself, there is no back |
| Choice and price | almost endless, from very little | 40 pairs in the 2026 line, CHF 47 to CHF 148 per pair |
| Spare parts | backs are sold separately and fit most posts | nothing to replace behind the ear |
Who is better off with a classic stud?
Quite a few people, and they should know before they buy. Baqless needs a piercing in the earlobe, so without a piercing a clip or a magnet is the right choice. For a cartilage piercing, your piercer will have a flat back, and it is made for that place. A fresh piercing keeps the stud your piercer chose until it has healed.
If you want an earring you never have to take out, we are not the right choice either. The maker advises taking the pair out at least once a week to clean it, and against wearing it permanently. You take it out in the sauna and on the ski slopes as well, because of the heat and the cold.
And if you like swapping tops on one post, or want an earring for a few francs, a classic stud gives you more of both. We make no promise about sensitive skin. The material is named on every product page, so you can check it before you buy.
Four pairs to start with
- Amity Amour Gold A flat heart in silk matte, gold-plated, CHF 82
- Honesty Sol Gold A sun with a face, gold-plated, CHF 77
- Amity Thunderbolt Gold A lightning bolt with smooth edges, gold-plated, CHF 47
- Embrace Turquoise Silver A hoop with nano turquoise stones, rhodium-plated, CHF 108
The whole range is in the 2026 line.
Questions
Why do my earring backs keep falling off?
Most backs hold by friction or tension, and both fade. Butterfly wings open a little each time you use them, and silicone stretches and turns slippery with skin oil. Lost an earring back? covers what helps right now.
Which earring back is the most secure?
Backs that hold by more than friction, such as a screw back on a threaded post. Each of them is still a second part behind your ear that can loosen and drop.
How do I clean an earring without a back?
Once a week, take the pair out, wipe the head and the post with a soft cloth, let it dry and put it back in. The maker recommends this for hygiene, and the anchor keeps sliding smoothly.
Is that just your opinion?
The judgement is ours, and we make it as the people behind these earrings. The eight reasons are facts. Take them, add the list of who is better off with a classic, and decide for yourself. What an earring without a back is, in general terms, is explained in Backless earrings: what they are and how they stay in, and how it compares with flat backs in Flat back, threadless or backless.
Last checked on 13 November 2026.
