I purchased the Martelli rings years ago. They were a game changer for me. They were pricey. They are all I use and I love not wearing gloves. I almost feel like they are magic! The fabric glides nicely and the knobs are placed at just the right location. That has been a solid investment for me, I really only use those rings for my free motion quilting. At one point, the rubber backing started to come unglued on one of the rings. . I reached out to Martelli and they promptly took care of the problem. I also agree with patricej - if the other brand works for you - you are in good shape, look no further. My girlfriend recently purchased the Martelli rings and they came as a solid ring. Mine has a 1" gap which allows me to slide the ring around the shank/needle. My girlfriend ended up cutting a gap into her rings so she could also do that. I'm really not sure why they made that design change and if they are still designed like that, I'm just not sure you'd be happy. I don't think I would be as satisfied with a solid ring - it just doesn't make sense. .