My friend's father is in his 80s and has short term memory loss. She wanted him to have a pre-programmed cell phone he could easily use and not misplace. The Rewind Gear Retractor Lanyard will keep the phone with him. Excellent! [Rewind (TM) Gear Retractor Lanyard for Flashlights, Multitools, Knives Etc.]]

Better perhaps than others out there. Came really fast from seller Civilian Lab (Aug 2008).

PROS: clear plastic coated steel cable; firm reel retraction spring -- at least now when it's new. Action is smooth. Metal spring-loaded hooks feel like they have good quality springs.

CONS: The casing is plastic and a loop on the casing is plastic too. A small ring attaching the casing to a spring-loaded hook is cheap and bent easily. (Do not let anything valuable dangle from this until you have replaced this nasty, weak, open ring.) The metal from which the hooks and swivels looks and feels like it belongs on junk from China. It does not looks like it will bear up to any use beyond mild & gentle.

SUMMARY: Definitely NOT soldier-proof, but I'll try it out for attaching light kit (plastic compass, whistle, etc.) to outer clothing loops, and supporting them in a pocket. I am not comfortable attaching anything valuable such as gps, phone, flashlight or anything weighing more than an ounce or two to this. I certainly wouldn't let anything dangle from it outside a pocket even if you replace that dodgey ring with say a v small split ring (key ring); the plastic ring on cable housing is just too weak a point of failure to be reliable.

A reluctant four stars only because so far, it is better than anything else at which I have looked in this category. I'll post an update if & when I have more information.

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(Sep 2008) UPDATE:
Now a reluctant three stars. I used this item a little for a day or so as a key ring slung from a belt loop and supported in my pocket. The plastic snap-latch with the cord (examine the pictures) detached itself and was lost -- thankfully without anything attached to it. Minus one star -- perhaps minus two, but Amazon won't allow me revise the stars in "Rate this item" ..sheeshh!

Overall the metal parts (other than the cord) feel flimsy -- not inspiring of confidence. Since I lost a part and already threw away the packaging I will keep it -- though I know I shouldn't have kit around in which I can't be confident. Oh well.

SUGGESTION: Consider Nikon's Nikon Retractable Rangfndr Tether Rltre Rangefinder 8173 instead. It too has a braided metal cord, good springs etc. It is beefier and less fussy than the one from Civilian. It is intended for tethering rangefinders -- which weigh a little less than 1lb. I Paid about $20 for it at a local outdoors store.

Another Nikon one on Amazon is this one: Nikon Retractable Rangefinder Tether which is cheaper than the above and claims a 60lb breaking strength. Even though they are made from plastic, I think either would be better than the one from Civilian.

The Nikon one I bought was made in the USA too -- a rare find these days. In light of China's reputation in manufactured goods, that alone should recommend the Nikon.

THE RETRACTABLE KEY CHAIN IS VERY NICE. I THOUGHT THE CASING WAS MADE OF STEEL INSTEAD OF PLASTIC THOUGH. ALSO, ONE OF THE HOOKS COULD HAVE BEEN LARGER. I PUT ONE OF MY OWN ON THE END OF IT.

We purchased this retractor for our farmer friend who frequently lost or broke his cell phone while working the farm or running the tractor. He had tried 2 other retractors and they did not last 2 weeks. He loves this one so much he is getting a spare and another farmer wants 2 for himself. Great testimonial from some hardworking men.

I got this to replace the worthless badge retractors my office building hands out. It's definitely overkill for the purpose, but the steel cord and nice action on it are sturdy. I've been using it for just over a month and haven't had a single problem. Connecting it to my badge was a little bit of a hassle, though it's not intended for badges so I'll let it slide. It could be a little longer, but it reaches from inside my Saturn to the badge reader well enough.