There are all kinds of tricks and accessories to tackle the perennial problem of tangled headphones, but a new invention called Spoolee might be the answer we’ve all been waiting for. The tiny neoprene ring fits around your finger and allows for quick cord rolling and unrolling, and the clever invention smashed through its Kickstarter funding goal last month.
With the Spoolee round your finger, your headphones can be wrapped in a secure loop quickly and easily. A velcro tab keeps the cord, earplugs and jack in place, and when you need to listen to some tunes you can pull the headphones right off the padded ring — no more valuable minutes wasted undoing knots and getting your headphones straight.
There’s an interesting backstory behind the Spoolee, as outlined by TechCrunch: Industrial designer Ray Walker gave up a lucrative day job to commit all of his time to the Spoolee and offer relief from the pain of tangled headphones. “As a product designer and frequent earbud user, I sought to transform this annoyance into something people might actually enjoy,” says Walker. “Spoolee adds a touch of fun to earbud management along with unbeatable organization, speed and convenience.”
Walker’s efforts were inspired by his wife, who challenged him to come up with a solution to a problem that many of us will be all too familiar with. The Kickstarter campaign has wrapped up — after raking in more than five times the original $8,000 target — but you can still get your pre-order in for $9.99 if you like the look of the Spoolee. There are five different colors to pick from and you should get your accessory by the end of March.