CroakiesArc Endless System Sport Eyewear Retainer

Excellent and just what I've been seeking for a long time. If you are tired of the heavy weight and feel of standard rope-type retainers (that Croakies and others also make), then this is a product you should consider. I can't feel them at all when they are on because the line is so light and thin. As with most retainer designs, if you have these fully extended and sit back against a high back chair, you will feel the tug of the retainer as it contacts the chair-back. But a cool alternative to this particular product is that with a simple pull of the line, you can take up all the slack and have it virtually right behind your head. In that position there is no extra line dangling behind you to contact things when you sit down and lean back.Bottom-line, I will be ordering more of this product for other glasses. I purchased the 18" version and it is just right to have room to extend for easy lifting around the head. It also contracts (via the design) to allow it to almost come right up next to the back of my head, and I wear a large in hat-size. I've only been using this product for a couple weeks, but use it every day (all day) and have not had a single issue with the quality.Update 8/20/14:After wearing these Croakies daily for (6) weeks, they are holding up fine. Some people have mentioned that the rubber "ends" loosen and then slide off the glasses temples too easily. That happened to me too after weeks of wear. I found my glasses would eventually work out of the rubber ends and then one side or the other would drop unexpectedly.What I found is that the Croakie rubber ends need to be cleaned (inside and out) because they absorb oils from the skin where they come in contact with your head. A simple cleaning can put the rubber ends back into better (not new) gripping ability. I used some Q-tips, soap and water to clean the rubber ends and then dried with a clean Q-tip. The grip is much better after cleaning. Not as tight as it was brand new, but also not easily slipping on the glasses either. I expect that skin oils probably soften these rubber ends over time and at some point they would likely need replacement. As long as I can get (6) months use (with occasional cleaning) before needing to replace the ends, I would consider that OK. Time will tell, but that is probably why Croakies also sells replacement rubber ends.I still love the product and will continue to make them a part of my daily-wear.Update 9/29/14:Well, cleaning the Croakie rubber ends was pretty short-lived as a solution. They began slipping off again within a couple of days. I think they soften and slightly enlarge over time and the only solution that I can see is to replace the ends. My 18" Croakies came with (2) end-sizes (XL and Medium). The XL wore out rather quickly (wouldn't hold onto the frame ends). So, I installed the Medium ends which were a very tight fit on my glasses. The Medium ends split open within just a couple weeks because they were too small for the ends on my glasses frame. It would be a lot better if Croakies would include (2) sets of the end-sizes that you need for your frames rather than one set that fits and one set that doesn't. Anyway, I love the Croakies system. But, to keep using it I'll have to buy a bunch of XL "ends" sets since they only last about a month or two in daily wear (for me). Thought I'd share this point for those considering buying Croakies...you need to also buy more of their replacement "ends" too.Update 11-08-15: Solved the rubber ends softening and not holding issue with an easy, inexpensive solution. If you use a small tie-wrap (the ones that are only 4" long), you can use that as a small, unobtrusive clamp to hold the rubber ends in place. Tie-wraps are also known as "cable ties" which is what they were invented to do. This solution allows you to get a lot more mileage from these Croakie ends and not have to be continually buying replacements every couple months. You can buy a pack of 100 of these tie-wraps for under $5 (in all kinds of colors) and they come in handy for other things too. Here's an example/link here on Amazon and they can also be sourced at local home centers. 400-804BK Steren 4IN Cable Ties 100 Pcs - BlackI'm sure that Croakies loves to sell replacement ends, so they are not likely to address this problem. But, the ends soften and need to be replaced way too often for my liking, so a little "home ingenuity" came to the rescue. I attached a photo so that people can see what I did for my glasses. The main thing to remember is to turn/rotate the trimmed end of the tie-wrap upwards after you tighten it down on the rubber end. That way, the trimmed end points away from the top of your ears to avoid any discomfort. I wear this solution all day every day and it is totally comfortable from the edge of where the tie is cut.

these holders work great - 2 different end pieces for stong grip and can be loosened or tightened on head.

This is a really great product. I think it adds a sense of style to the typical nylon string or neoprene sunglass retainer. I was wearing one of the ugly old style retainers but always felt stupid doing it. I have spendy Maui Jim and Smith sunglasses. I have to wear something because if I don't , I end up breaking or scratching them when they fall off my head. I like to prop sunglasses on top of my head or hat when I am not wearing them. Inevitably they end up tipping off my head or I will spike them into the cement when I remove my hat.So, this summer I came across this product in Santa Barbara. I purchased the fixed length model. They work well and look good. I like how you can adjust the angle of the cable so it doesn't rest on your neck. I just purchased this model a few weeks ago. It is even sweeter because--- it's adjustable. I like to wear it tight to my head. I have short hair so it never eats my hair.Word to the wise, these will not keep your sunglasses on if you dive in water or get rolled by a wave. The little ball and socket joint popped out when I dove off a dock and the glasses came right off. Also, I got rolled by a BIG wave in San Diego that lifted the sunglasses and strap right over my head. They may have stayed on if I had been wearing the adjustable model since I usually wear them very tight, however, I happened to be wearing the fixed length model. Bummer. The same company sells some foam floaties which slide over the cable so the sunglasses float if they come off. I purchased these and slid them over a dedicated fixed length cable. I can pop the cable with the floats into the ball and socket joint without having to slide the rubber tips off the temples. I plan on wearing this cable with floats when I am in the water.Finally, I noticed a lot of negative reviews about the rubber tips that slide over the temples splitting. My retainer came with two sizes of rubber tips medium and small. If you have really big tips you may want to order a different size tip. The package has a measurement aid on the back to help you pick the proper fit. I have only had mine for 6 months but I had no problems with splitting. I have also tried a similar product that starts with C and ends with Z. I like the Arc better because the ball and socket lets you adjust the angle of the retainer while you are wearing it.

I wear reading glasses which requires me to a) have them with me constantly and b) take them on and off regularly. Add to that that I often need to use my glasses while doing home repair projects or other physical activity where they would tend to get pushed out of position and/or fall off.I have used neck chains/lanyards for years, and these are my favorites. I've been wearing them for a couple of months now, and although they are not perfect, they are the best by far.First, if you set them at the longest setting then they work like a regular lanyard, with the exception that you can't lean back on something (pillow, headrest) without pushing your glasses around, because the underlying wire is fairly stiff.Second, anytime I'm doing home repairs and/or physical activity requiring glasses, I can cinch up the spacers to shorten the wires until they are much closer to the back of my head. They don't get tight enough to actually pull my glasses up to my face, but they leave so little free space that they stay mostly in place.When I go to bed at night I switch to a pair of glasses without a lanyard, because these would be impossible to use laying back against pillows without dislodging your glasses.Overall I like them, they are sturdy, and they work. Highly recommended.