Twist Tie alternative?

I am wondering if anyone has a good alternative to Twist Ties for keeping stuff like ear bud wires, usb connector cords, and other stuff that has small gauge wire connected to it, from getting all tangled?

Granted Twist Ties are cheap but they can be a bit of a pain to twist and untwist. I tried using bobby pins but they are too straight. I was thinking along the lines of small padded alligator clips. Maybe something I could find in a Dollar Store.

I don't have a junk drawer for these kind of resources. I have to pretty much buy everything I need for specific purposes. With all the hw guys out there I figure there must be ingenious solutions too.

Granted Twist Ties are cheap but they can be a bit of a pain to twist and untwist.

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So I take it you are not looking for permanent or semi-permanent solutions, otherwise I would recommend tie wraps, which is what I use to keep my case interior and the back of my desk tidy.

For cable that you do frequent wrap and unwrap, you might consider Velcro cable ties. Being in different colors can some times be handy. If you need many and don't care about colors, a 25-pack may be what you need.

I won't have a Desktop again for quite some time. I just have a Laptop. I found these plastic fish that I am going to try. It is free shipping so for less than $1 each it is worth a shot. While waiting for them to arrive I can use the ordinary twisty ties.

The belkin wraps look cool for the wiring mess behind the pc or stereo syndrome though. There is also a 5 pack of 150 mm length Velcro brand. That would likely be okay for large headphone cable. But for bud wire it may take up too much space or require too much wrapping. Hard to say when I don't have hold of one to try it though.

I like Belkin stuff. The products seem to work well. I had a Belkin kvma splitter that got all power from the PS/2 connections. I must have used that over 10 years. Not bad for about $65.

I guess I misunderstood your requirements. I was not thinking of using ties for "wrapping" up your earbuds while not in use. That would be a pain for me as I would not know what to do with the wraps when I was wearing the buds - so I would probably set them down somewhere, then lose them. But as you note, the price is such that little is lost if you don't like them.

Belkin does make great quality accessories. I just bought a couple more of these because the soft fabric cover on one I had been using for over 20 years finally wore a hole through it. I bought 2 to keep 1 as a backup because I don't know if they will be available in another 20 years - assuming I'm still around by then!

Speaking of Belkin pads.. I use a thin blue "slippery" basic mouse pad for my optical mouse. But I keep a thick gray Belkin mouse pad in my bag at all times. The outdoor benches, chairs, tables etc. here in Miami all have crisscross metal leaving diamond shaped holes. If you sit on one for more than 10 minutes your ass gets quilted. Belkin mouse pad to the rescue! It is just thick enough to absorb the quilting effect. Trouble is if I get distracted I forget the mouse pad. Fortunately they are only 2 bucks and change at Walmart. I must have purchased a half dozen of the gray ones so far.

I have used and heard of mouse pads used for many things besides mousing. That's a new one. Might have to remember it. I don't need one with my desk and laser mouse so I have a bunch of pads laying around.

Just for chuckles I searched Walmart for zip ties. Not as convenient maybe but I found a pack of 50 for $2.99 free shipping.

Seismic Audio - Zip Ties - 4 Inches (Pack of 50) NEW Cable Organization - SAPT143 - Walmart.com

I figure if I leave a small gap I can snip them off later with scissors. Not for the buds I use everyday. But it should be okay for the emergency old buds saved in my baggy.


btw the mouse pad also helps with those stone benches in picnic areas in some parks. Also stone steps or sea wall hanging around by the ocean. Not recommended for lying on a bed of nails Swami Style(tm) though.

I keep a large assortment of tie wraps of all different sizes and several colors too. I use them for cable management in my computer builds and other uses, large and small.