The $9 Clip That Finally Kept Ray-Bans on My Head

I bought my first pair of real sunglasses on a trip to Rome last year, and I thought I could handle it. They looked beautiful on my head, no sunglasses strap or anything.

I didn’t even understand the brand until everyone started asking me, “You bought Ray-Bans?!” I guess so! They were the first ‘expensive’ sunglasses I’d ever owned.

I loved them.

Then, during a whirlwind romantic day on a special someone’s private beach, they slid right off my head and disappeared. Gone. I’ve pictured them a trillion times since, rolling on the bottom of the Chesapeake.

I was annoyed with myself. I’d just spent real money on sunglasses for the first time in my life, and within months they were gone. I told myself: never again. No more expensive sunglasses.

But I couldn’t stop thinking about them. So I did what any reasonable person does. I found a used pair of Ray-Bans on Poshmark.

Well, specifically, I had no idea what kind of Ray-Bans they were. So I found a selfie of myself I took in Rome, reverse Google searched the image, and identified my flavor of Ray-Bans.

And this time, I wasn’t taking any chances. I bought a sunglasses strap — specifically the Chums Slip Fit Rope Eyewear Retainer (affiliate link, see our disclosure). Nine dollars, unglamorous, does exactly one job.

Two days later, I flew to Greece. A friend had invited me to sail on a yacht for a week in the Mediterranean.

On the boat, one of her friends had the same clip on. She laughed and said it made her feel like an old lady, but she didn’t care. I told her I felt like a young lady, and I didn’t care either. My sunglasses were staying on my head.

And they did. The whole trip, wind, boats, sun, temples, not one close call.

Why the sunglasses strap worked:

• Slides onto the temples of your sunglasses and grips without pinching;
• Small adjustable bead lets you set exactly where it sits;
• Light enough that you forget it’s there;
• Comes in a few colors — blend in, or stand out!

One thing to know: it’s made for small-to-medium frames, so if your sunglasses are on the chunkier side, it’s worth double-checking the fit first.

Nine dollars is a small price for never having to feel that specific kind of loss again. Some things you don’t need to look cool. You just need them to work.

And sometimes, you get both!

This post contains an affiliate link. If you buy through it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I’ve actually used and would suggest to a friend.