Rosewill Anti Static Wrist Strap Band, ESD Strap Anti Shock Wristband Bracelet with Grounding Wire Alligator Clip, Detachable Extra Long Cord (Packaging May Vary) - RTK-002

Fast shipping. This is a great product to have if you want to feel safer while protecting your expensive equipment. I was able to repair my computer confidently, knowing I had that extra layer of protection and was properly grounded.

The quality is fine, and it does what it needs to, at least as far as I can tell without any real means to test that assumption. One thing to point out is that the strap is not very long. So, if like me, you intend on strapping this around your ankle, you may find that difficult. I ended up extending the length with one of those hook and loop cable management straps and that worked out fairly well.

I've worn this every time I change something with my computer and have never had a problem with shocking my components! Whether newer components might be able to withstand being touched without a bracelet, it never hurts to be cautious. Very simple to use, just strap it on and clamp it to metal before working on your computer.

There are two types of damage that ESD can cause, immediate and latent, with latent being the most common type of damage we see today. A nice, good jolt of static electricity can really damage your PC components. As many Youtube videos prove that you would need a powerful jolt of static electricity to completely fry a computer component outright, other DIY videos on Youtube show that ‘real world’ testing by rubbing your feet on carpet and touching certain components like hard drives, ram, motherboards, etc. would not necessarily fry your component (they will still work), but what people do not realize is that these weaker jolts of static electricity still damage the components! You can search Youtube for the videos under, “Can Static Electricity Damage Computer Parts? Do You Really Need an Anti-Static Wrist Band?” for this demonstration. When an ESD event occurs, the charge surges into the semiconductor IC (integrated circuit), while the total energy transferred is small and the energy discharged is less than a micro second, the voltage is high, commonly up to 10 kV, but up to 25 kV can be reached (max potential achieved on human body). Low relative humidity may also increase the charge buildup. We may not be able to feel it, but to ICs, it is practically like a lightning striking. Note that static discharge below 3000 volts (3 kV) is not typically detectable by humans. Latent damage may not have completely destroyed the circuit and while the circuit may still complete (like the picture shown), the performance will be degraded. There will be higher resistance due to less conductive material along it’s path which can affect timing and signals, which can be critical for high speed communication, especially with todays smaller circuits. The damaged component will continue to operate at a degraded and possibly unstable level until failures start to occur. If you take an ESD course, you will be shown what static electricity does to components under 15,000x magnification. It is small, but the component layer gets punctured by the tiniest of zaps! IC pathways get annihilated! Over time, this damage will cause your component to cease operating. Just because you touch your computer component with static electricity and it still works, does not mean it has not been damaged. The damage is there! Everyone that says, “ESD is not true”, “I’ve built hundreds of computers and never used a strap and everything was always ok”, “I never use a strap because I’m careful and it has always worked” are all full of it. Avoid these people as these people never took the time to do their due diligence. ESD damage is a proven fact and ESD prevention are cost efficient and that is why every single respectable company dealing with components use some type of ESD control measure. From anti static bags to flooring to mats, wrist straps, chairs, ion generators, etc. People that do not use straps don’t kill components outright, but if the component did experience a ESD event, you can be certain that you have damaged it, degraded it and it will fail much sooner than it should. Latent ESD damage is not immediately noticeable because it is very subtle and microscopic, but the damage is there. So you may ask; what makes a good setup for a hobbyist or a home user? Get a proper anti-static wristband and an anti-static mat large enough for your computer equipment, tools and feet/chair. Avoid plastic / synthetic type clothing, make sure you are properly grounded through the wrist strap and make sure your computer and part you are going to install is on the anti-static mat. Another thing to remember is that you don’t need to necessarily touch the component to cause a ESD event, just being close to the component can cause damage. So yes, protect yourselves when handing delicate components! Even if you do not purchase this one, get one! Always properly attach the the chassis of the case (not paint) and make sure it is properly grounded (plug the computer that your wrist strap is attached to into the power outlet). I liked Rosewill’s ESD Anti-static wrist wrap mainly due to it’s price. The velcro was not intrusive and ok, though an elastic band may have been better but this was still comfortable after an hour of use. The metal snap allowed me to disengage and use the restroom. Google, "ESD ElectroStatic Discharge Tutorial", for complete information on ESD. Educate yourselves! To be clear, I attached a picture of microscopic damage from ESD. Hardly noticeable to the naked eye, but damage like this could weaken a circuit path, or outright do irreversible damage, eventually causing it to fail as the cumulative effects of thermal enlargement and contraction. A strong enough ESD event can also cause your hardware to cease functioning immediately which would indicate an "immediate" type ESD event, but most likely it will be "latent" type event.

I purchased this to use while building two gaming PCs from scratch. In the winter my house can get pretty dry and static shocks are not uncommon and even the smallest static discharge can destroy a motherboard, CPU, memory or many other components needed to build a computer from scratch. Yes there are other ways you can protect against static discharges, but with around $2000 per computer on the line, I wanted the best option available and IMO using a strap is the best option. I was an IT manager for over 20+ years and managed the team that deployed PCs in my company. Back in the day we did a lot of upgrades adding memory and graphics cards, etc., and I made it mandatory that everyone used a static strap. We rarely had a problem when following that protocol. That said, this one is very well made. The older models we used did not have the snap so you could not easily disconnect to walk away and then reconnect when working again. That is a nice feature. The cord is plenty long and easy enough to keep out of the way while working. You can remove the clip and use the plug to ground yourself to a surge suppressor or wall outlet. However, the easiest method and the one I normally use is to plug in the PC power supply to a grounded outlet and clip to the fan grill. Either way will work. Good quality for the money and a must have when working on sensitive electronic equipment.

Excellent wrist strap, BUT ONE PROBLEM. I bought it to wear every night when I sleep. It is part of my "grounding" or "earthing" program. I've been using an ELASTIC wrist strap for years, and it works great. The elastic is starting to give out and time to replace it for good electrical contact. This wrist strap uses Velcro. It is well done, and will work great for occasional use, but not every night, and during the night when having to get up. Trying to remove it and then put it back on, when half a sleep wound be too much. I measured the electrical resistance, and it measured 1.003 meg ohm, right on their specification. As an electronic engineer, it is nice to know that they used a decent resistor that meets their spec, but actually the value is not at all critical. Bottom line: Infrequent use, its great. Daily (especially "nightly") use, recommend an elastic band, not Velcro. By the way, the grounding is working great! Has eliminated untreatable back pain, and who knows what else?

This is a great little anti-static wrist strap I got this because I keep buying components that come with big warnings saying to be careful of static electricity and they make me nervous but up to this point I had never done anything special but I figure its good to be safe and it really seems to work I have fried a few components like Mosfets or small IC chips but those have been uncommon but since I've been using this the fatality rate has been zero. It also has a long enough and stretchy enough cord that I can comfortable work more than 5 or 6 feet away from where I have the end clipped which is a big bonus. The only down side I can see to it is the actual wrist strap can be a little small to get it on but once you have it cinched down to make a good contact it's a perfect size. (I do have somewhat large hands and wrists though so most people shouldn't even worry for a moment).

This anti-static wrist strap is effective as you make it. I ordered this for my gaming PC builds, and ended up not using it for the whole second build. it's definitely effective, although limiting. Durability: it's durable enough. the wire is a bit thin, which is good and bad. it's light, and doesn't get tangled easily. the insulation on the wire is glossy and feels more like plastic than rubber. Effectiveness: The wire snaps onto the wristband with a regular snap like you might find on a jacket. this feels a bit loose, but if the cord is being stretched at all, it'll keep itself in contact. the clip end detaches, and the end is a plug like a banana plug, but less "ballooned" (not sure what kind of plug this is called) I didn't get any shocks while using it, but it also wasn't particularly static-y while I was using it, so i can't speak for how well it performed there. I imagine it would have done it's job if it had been necessary. Comfort: This is where it loses stars. the strap is pretty uncomfortable. the metal contact doesn't really make good contact with my skin unless I tension it down pretty well, which leaves the edges of the strap cutting into my wrist. the strap is held with hook-and-loop fastener, and when I say that, I mean it. this stuff is not velcro. the loops are little bundles of loops of thread (?) and feels like it might get ripped up after long use. The biggest point here, which falls under comfort and effectiveness, is the cord length. I've used a few different straps at work, and I wish I'd have just borrowed one instead of buying my own, because this little thing only stretches about two feet max, which can be a pain if there's not a decent grounding opportunity on your case. my case was all painted, and so I needed to use a (switched off) power supply, and it didn't want to stretch far enough with becoming uncomfortable. the cable unstretched is about 3/4 the length of an adult's arm. it can only stretch to about a full arms length before it starts pulling on you and making you want to take it off. for a single build in a low-medium static environment, I would feel safe with this to get the job done, but if you plan on doing more than one PC or using it on a regular basis, I would recommend something a little more comfortable and beefy.