I came across beaded cable ties at my local hardware store, figuring maybe it was some common thing I just didn’t know about — and maybe it is — but I cannot find more than a single video about this stuff online. So I figure I can at least right that wrong here.

Think of this as a cross between a zip-tie and a velcro or hook & loop strap. It’s cheap and plastic like a ziptie, easy to reuse like velcro, but also kind of it’s own thing.

Let’s say you’ve got a cord to tie up. You wrap it around, thread it through the bottom hole, and then when you go back through the top hole you get a loop you can use to hang this up.

If you have multiple cords to bundle together, you can also use that second loop to wrap another cable.

Depending on the cord you’re wrapping, you could also wrap one notch just on the cord, and use the other notch for wrapping the entire bundle. This helps keep the wrap with the cord when you undo it.

If you have something big to wrap and need a longer cord, you can chain these together until you get the size you need. They also just sell bigger and smaller versions of these if you already know what kind of job you want them to handle.

Best of all, these come undone with just a little gentle encouragement. I feel they’re easier to undo than reusable zip ties, but not so easy you have worry about them falling apart.

Compared to a hook & loop strap, the hook and loop looks nicer and is more intuitive to manage — but they’re not cheap, you don’t really get the secure chaining feature, and you don’t get the built-in loop for hanging.

I’m not saying they’re perfect, but I’m glad to have them around, and they’re cheap.

-- Donald Bell 01/16/18