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

Others have posted that the strap fails a continuity test. I initially had the same results, and even started the return process, but decided to experiment and found that the strap has a resistance of 1M Ohm (1002K Ohm specifically) ... Which is within the specification. So if testing the cable, do not expect to get no or low resistance. This amount of resistance is intended; if the strap had no resistance, then your body may become the prefered path to ground if not insulated from the floor.IMPORTANT: Proper Grounding while working on electronics ...Read this overview of Static buildup: [...]You can build up 20,000 volts in static within only a few minutes. Touching metal is not enough to prevent issues especially if humidity is low in the location the work is being done. Remember You can ground yourself to a chassis, but as soon as that hand is removed 2 minutes later you can (and probably do) have a charge.Today's CPUs and RAM operate at or under 3 Volts (high end RAM and CPUs run at 1.5 volts now). You will not know you built up a charge until you actually discharge with that all to familiar ZAP!, by this point, you have thousands of volts coursing through you. If you have a high enough build up you do NOT even need to touch the component, just bring your pinky close and it can be damaged.You NEED to ground yourself. The point of the wrist strap is to even out your resistance with the components you are working on. If you do not ground the chassis, then you are only extending the static that will build up in your body from walking on carpet in moving etc. into the equipment. though you may not get a ZAP, the electrical levels are still rising and can still damage the equipment.Best practice is to use a ground mat with a wrist strap for working on circuit boards. For working on a chassis, the chassis must be grounded (either by a dedicated ground conductor, or by having a power supply installed (turned off), but plugged into the wall with a third prong.), AND you must be attached to the chassis by way of a wrist strap connected to an unpainted portion of the chassis.Use an Ohm Meter between the third prong on the power supply and the wrist strap (noting that the resistance will be HIGH) to confirm you have a good ground.I suggest installing a permanent banana socket bonded to the chassis (case) to ensure a good ground connection for future maintenance.

If you take apart and handle the innards of computers or tablets or many kinds of electronic gear, static electricity build up can destroy your equipment. I mean the same kind of thing that builds up in your body to shock your wife when you kiss her after walking around on a wool rug. Zapping you wife won't win you any favors, but doing the same thing to a computer or tablet can cost you a ton of money. Computer techs take care to make sure that they are grounded like lightning rods to take any built up static electric charges and conduct them away from costly equipment.This wrist strap at $6 bucks including shipping was a smart investment I made before taking apart my tablet to work on its sensitive components. I just clipped one end to the ground terminal of a handy electric outlet. The wrist strap has a little metal plate that lies in contact with my skin. Any built up electricity is conducted away to the ground wiring of my house. I don't feel a thing. But the best part is, neither does my computer.Any downside? Only one, it has a stretchy coiled cord. I would have preferred about a six foot long single, non-coiled wire as the resistance of the coiled card makes me feel a little more tied down than I like, although it is only an inconsequential sort of nuisance. And maybe also an elastic wrist strap instead of a Velcro-fastened one. I think it would be easier to put on. But then this is something that rarely gets used as I don't normally routinely do anything like tech work. Except when you need it, it you need it. Six bucks is little to pay for the peace of mind afforded by knowing that you are not going to wreck something becauseyou aren't careful enough or think it can't happen to you. Do what you can to avoid those "famous last words."

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.