The Original Chum retainer was created in 1983 by Colorado River guide Mike Taggett and his friends, who sought a simple, comfortable way to keep their expensive sunglasses out of the river. The first prototype was fashioned from shoelaces and foam rubber, but it never made it to market. A few years and several dozen prototypes later, the right design was found, and fellow guides were enlisted to field test Chums and provide feedback.

As luck would have it, the resulting product — The Original Chums, now the Original Standard — not only worked remarkably well, but also looked pretty cool. The Chums name now graces a wide variety of glass-keeping-on straps and other handy devices that help you Hang On to your stuff.

Since the river guide service he worked at was based out of Hurricane, Utah, and Mike had become partial to small-town life, he made it Chums' home.

Every cotton and rope retainer is home-grown in Hurricane, Utah — manufactured in the USA. Although it isn't rocket science, we are very proud of the proprietary machines Chums Research has developed over the years to make Chums retainers the most durable and long-lasting retainers on the planet.