I pretty mine to have a width of about an inch, give or take a half inch, so that way it doesn't cut into the neck too much or feel too "smothering" if you know what i mean.

i think no more than one inch.

i like it as close to the skin as possible, but not choking tight. if that makes sense to anyone besides myself

An inch or less for ladies, or those with shorter necks. 1.5-2 inches seems to be workably comfy on men though. That particular collar is about 1.5 inches wide (I own it) and I can wear it for a good amount of time, but it is a bit irritating and restrictive (more than just regular collar restrictive, that is) as well as funny lookin' on my smaller frame (5'2", with short everything). My partner, however, looks great in the thing and seems to experience no discomfort unless he is sweating or I tighten it a bit too much.

But you have to be careful with going too thin with them or it might be more irritating. Its very much a person by person thing.

Between half an inch to an inch

The one I have now is 2 inches and yea, it's real thick, esp on my little neck, but I like them that way. I would like a thinner one, though.

The one my wife puts on me is about 2" and it's perfect for me. This isn't one size fits all, unfortunately; it depends on you. My advice would be to buy something cheap (maybe from the pet store) and see what width feels best to you.