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How to stop glasses slipping while playing?


Horrorhiker

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Hello! 

I'm tired of making sure I keep my head back, and hardly move while playing. My bands pretty active on stage. I used to be too but my eyesight is terrible, I can't wear contacts and my glasses move around loads at the best of times. I was watching a Red Fang performance and noticed the bespectacled bassist/singer had what looked like a swimming goggle strap round his head.

I've since looked at a few glasses straps on Amazon but has anyone had any experience with any of them? I need ones that can get dead tight on the head ideally. We're talking headbanging here, not just John Deacon style nodding. 

Its one of those issues I assumed there was no answer too. Along with the eyesight, I suppose that's another symptom of being old. No faith in technology. 

Thanks in advance! 

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Fellow Specs wearer here.... I know what you mean
I don't need them for bass playing myself - as I don't do head-banging these days ;)

There are several types around. I used to use them for playing tennis. One type has a long "string" which you tighten with a little adjuster in the middle.
These work fine, and are pretty secure - but they leave the "excess string" flapping around at the back of your neck - this can get annoying when playing tennis,
and I'm sure even more annoying when head-banging! ;) On the plus side - they only take seconds to pop onto your specs - each end of the string has a soft rubber tube, which you jam the ends of your glasses' arms into
Sounds like it might be open to failure, but mine seemed really secure

Another type is a short, adjustable strap. This will not flap about and annoy you - but the strap is thicker / chunkier than the string type - if you can live with that...
.... or have enough hair left to hide the strap! lol They're also not so quick to slip onto your glasses as the string type.
I think I bought one set from eBay, and another from a sports shop (but can't recall which one came from where - it was some time back)
I'm sure there'll be something on eBay - or your local sports shop

 

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1 minute ago, Marc S said:

Fellow Specs wearer here.... I know what you mean
I don't need them for bass playing myself - as I don't do head-banging these days ;)

There are several types around. I used to use them for playing tennis. One type has a long "string" which you tighten with a little adjuster in the middle.
These work fine, and are pretty secure - but they leave the "excess string" flapping around at the back of your neck - this can get annoying when playing tennis,
and I'm sure even more annoying when head-banging! ;) On the plus side - they only take seconds to pop onto your specs - each end of the string has a soft rubber tube, which you jam the ends of your glasses' arms into
Sounds like it might be open to failure, but mine seemed really secure

Another type is a short, adjustable strap. This will not flap about and annoy you - but the strap is thicker / chunkier than the string type - if you can live with that...
.... or have enough hair left to hide the strap! lol They're also not so quick to slip onto your glasses as the string type.
I think I bought one set from eBay, and another from a sports shop (but can't recall which one came from where - it was some time back)
I'm sure there'll be something on eBay - or your local sports shop

 

Thanks! I think the thicker strap one sounds to be the best. I'll have a look. I did see the flappy ones you're talking about and I think that could get annoying. 

As for hair hiding the strap, I haven't even got enough hair to hide my head these days unfortunately! 

What with all these age related loss of things, I probably shouldn't be headbanging in the first place. Growing old disgracefully! 

Cheers again for the input. 

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1 minute ago, T-Bay said:

I used to fence at Uni (with an Epee, not selling stolen stuff) and tried a few types. The best ones were the sort with short elasticated sections. The full elastic ones always put too much pressure on and the non elastic ones didn’t work well.

I was thinking more the creosote kind tbh ;) 

I think that's what I ordered. I'll get it through and do some kind of review maybe. 

Cheers!

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7 minutes ago, Horrorhiker said:

yeah ive pulled the trigger already. I'll have neckache by Sunday. 

Just to add, I started wearing glasses at 8, and as the school goalkeeper, the other team would gradually get closer and closer before I could start to see them, to a point in my early teens I had to start wearing glasses on the pitch. I used to use something similar to Frank Black's suggestion, and this was about 28 years ago, they're nothing new.  They used to keep my glegs on whilst jumping all over.  I  do remember not being happy unless they felt really secure, so used to end up digging the nose pieces into my face because I'd pull them so tight!

 

  

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6 minutes ago, Huge Hands said:

Just to add, I started wearing glasses at 8, and as the school goalkeeper, the other team would gradually get closer and closer before I could start to see them, to a point in my early teens I had to start wearing glasses on the pitch. I used to use something similar to Frank Black's suggestion, and this was about 28 years ago, they're nothing new.  They used to keep my glegs on whilst jumping all over.  I  do remember not being happy unless they felt really secure, so used to end up digging the nose pieces into my face because I'd pull them so tight!

 

  

Cool. yeah I can live with them being pulled tight for the length of a gig, so thats no problem. Funny that I never considered this sort of thing. They would have come in handy for loads of things. 

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1 minute ago, Horrorhiker said:

Cool. yeah I can live with them being pulled tight for the length of a gig, so thats no problem. Funny that I never considered this sort of thing. They would have come in handy for loads of things. 

As a teenager with absolutely no dress sense whatsoever, I had loads of them in various garish colours and patterns, I never had just plain black ones xD.

I also seem to remember that after a few wash cycles to get the mud and sweat out, they would lose their elasticity a bit, so you may need a few, depending on how hard and often you use them.

Then again, fabric technology (and my mother's washing machine) have probably moved on a fair bit since then!

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55 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

I think that Croakies were the original neoprene glasses retainer that people are referring to. Used to wear them in my sportier days before going to contact lenses :P They did the job!

 

yes croakies were the original sports ones, i've worn glasses for over 20 years now and have tried most of the options available, croakies do the arc system (which i haven't tried) but it looks like it can be adjusted to suit the wearer, i found that the original style croakies would catch my glasses if they got knocked but wouldn't hold them on my face. (these are very similar to the ones posted above.

these are the arc croakies;

https://croakies.com/product/arc-endless

 

i've got some adjustable neoprene ones at home which sound like they might be similar to what you are after, i'll take a look when i get in and see what make they are (I don't think they are croakies)

 

matt

 

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I recently had to start wearing varifocals which are bigger and heavier than my old glasses. Positioning is critical for the focus to work so the arms are set to grip my head much tighter, uncomfortable at first but I have got used to it. The added bonus is that they don't slip down my nose.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that you may not need to buy anything, just a bit of frame adjustment required which most opticians will do for free.

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Just now, BreadBin said:

I recently had to start wearing varifocals which are bigger and heavier than my old glasses. Positioning is critical for the focus to work so the arms are set to grip my head much tighter, uncomfortable at first but I have got used to it. The added bonus is that they don't slip down my nose.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that you may not need to buy anything, just a bit of frame adjustment required which most opticians will do for free.

Thanks. I am going to be lookimg for some new specs soon so will definately bear 'grippiness' in mind. I'm talking fairly energetic movement so I think that something extra will be required, but I get what you're saying. Any other type of gig, this would probably be enough. Cheers for the input. 

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I’ve bought some if these:

Keepons Lite Clear Prevent Slipping Anti Slip Anti Slide Eyeglass Eyewear Sunglasses Spectacle Glasses Temple Tip Sports Ear Hook Sleeve Retainer (3 pairs) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NKZPOD0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HLXFAbMH1E2AR

that arrived today. I’m gigging tonight so will let you know if my specs stayed in place tomorrow!

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