Croakies Arc System Eyewear Retainer, Black, 16 Inch

I've had problems over the years with dropping my sunglasses out of my shirt pocket in everyday use, or having wind or water blow them off my face or head to their watery grave while sailing. So, for years I've used some kind of lanyard. I've tried various sorts and quite truthfully just tolerated them because I needed the device to protect my sunglasses investment.My complaints with lanyards are many - they tangle, they snag on my shirt collar, they are too tight or too loose, they at various times look cool or gaudy. The last lanyard I had was for me barely tolerable - it was light weight, black, and didn't tangle much, but it did frequently go down my neck in the back and snag when I was driving. Without many regrets, the gripper thingies that hold it to the temples of the glasses gave out and I was suddenly in the market for a new one.Surfing about here on Amazon as well as on company websites, I came across these Arc Retainers from Croakies. After using them for several weeks, I'll never use another lanyard. All the things I hate about lanyards these things have fixed. The coated wire that makes up the retainer itself is smooth and light. It doesn't snag, pinch, or even lay on my neck. When my sunglasses are on - it just sticks out back around my head. If I rub or bump against something (put on or take off a shirt or jacket, for example), it doesn't snag or grab. If I let the sunglasses hang around my neck, the retainer stays on securely and the wire is so smooth the sunglasses move easily with my body. If I decide to put my sunglasses up on top of my head, the wire adjusts to stay off my neck. If my sunglasses are in my pocket, the wire folds flat and doesn't tangle or snag other things in my pocket. Fabulous.I bought the 16 inch model and I'm glad I did. I think there is an 18 inch model out there, too, and that would also be fine. The 14, like Baby Bear, is probably just a little too small. That size would not be long enough for me to comfortably wear the sunglasses around my neck and I'm not a big guy. The retainer came with two different sizes of attachment things for the temple ends. I used the smaller of the two with my Maui Jim's and they grip like crazy, so no worries about them coming off. Put a little water on the temple ends before sliding them on and it won't be such a wrestling match to get them on.I have one con on this product that isn't worth removing a star, but I thought I should mention it. There are a few injection molded parts on this retainer and there were some sharp sprue ends (sharp edges from the molding process) that should have been dealt with during manufacturing. Either the sprue cutters are dull, or the mold needs reworking. I dealt with it in about a minute with a sharp pocket knife and a fingernail emery board. It wasn't a show stopper by any means, but the edge was sharp and would have scratched me or snagged on clothing. Easy to deal with, though.

Description says "snug fit", but strap length is not adjustable.

Eventhough these were ordered as gifts, I have a pair for myself. I love them. I cannot tell you how many pairs of sunglasses I have lost by putting them in my shirt pocket or clasping them on my t-shirt when going into a store, then finding that when I get to the car, they are no longer in my possesion. I had not realized when they dropped off my shirt and not realized I no longer had my sunglasses until too late. (and no, I'm not one of those people who has to have sunglasses due to the glare). These Croakies don't bother your hair, don't bother the back of your ears, and when you want to take your sunglasses off, you either let them hang on your chest or swing them to your back when you are eating so they won't be in your way. The small cord is comfortable and flexable enough that it folds around so I can still put my sunglasses into the holder built into my car. Also, when I broke one pair of sunglasses, I was able to carefully remove the ends and put them on another pair of sunglasses. This should not be done too many times though, because the ends will stretch if you take them off and on many times, then they won't stay on.

These are a non-adjustable version of the Arc Endless of which I am having trouble finding on the Croakies webite. Looks like the adjustable version was out of stock on Amazon and due to this I bought these by accident. With these the adjustment block is really just used as a brand tag.

I used to have the regular Croakies, both the slim and wide versions. I started to not like the way the fabric felt on my neck and looked so clunky. Over time, I lost two pairs of sunglasses, because I could not stand the Croakies any longer. These, however, are the perfect solution. They have held up well so far with no signs of wear and tear over about 4 months. If you are looking for an alternative to your current eye-wear retainers, these are the way to go. The black cable is very thin, yet durable, and does not steal attention from your other apparel. In fact, it is subtly stylish if you really are concerned about that. I see it as the everyday (rugged) tuxedo of eye-wear retainers. If you wear a collared shirt (or a t shirt even), you can comfortably turn your glasses backwards when indoors and tuck the cable into your outer shirt with it being barely noticeable at most. My sunglasses are large framed and these still accommodate them. The trick is that these are made to go on tight so they stay on; however they come off easily with deliberate force. In other words, don't be afraid to squeeze your sunglasses in as far as you think they need to go. Just use common sense and don't apply to much pressure. I would have to say this is the best eye-wear retainer I've ever had!

The Croakies have become an absolutely indispensable accessory and we have them on all sunglasses. The coated cable is light and comfortable and depending on the position of your eyeglasses, you can easily flip the cable up or downwards with the rotating cable holder. It is maintenance-free - install and forget they are there. We use several of them on the water and no matter what we are doing, the sunglasses are always around. When sunglasses are folded, the coated cable easily adapts and folds away without obstructing since they are very flexible.We've used the neoprene holders in the past at they frequently get stained and dirty and since they don't rotate, the neoprene is always leaning on your neck. Croakies fixes this permanently. The black coated cable blends nicely and is many times hard to see.The attachable ends are hard to fit in the wider earpiece and I use a bit of soap to allow the ends to slide into place. Once they've fit snuggly to the end, they will stay secure in their position.

Quality products. Value for money.

This is the best eyeglass retainer in the world. No long strings to get caught in clothing. I found them by sheer accident and now use nothing else. They do require replacement from time to time (about every 2 months or so.)