Slap bracelet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A slap bracelet (or snap bracelet) is a bracelet comprising layered, flexible metal bands sealed within a colorful fabric cover. The bracelet can be straightened out, creating tension within the springy metal bands. The straightened bracelet is then slapped against the wearer's forearm, causing the bands to spring back into a curve which wraps around the wrist, securing the bracelet to the wearer. The slap bracelet was a popular fad among children, pre-teens and teenagers in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was available in a huge number of then-popular patterns and colors.

Many schools at the time banned the bracelets on campus after students suffered wrist injuries while putting the bracelets on. The school bans helped to usher the fad out of the mainstream once children were no longer able to wear them to classes. Additionally, there were accounts of slap bracelets being used as sexual toys (Jon Muller 2006).

The original "Slap Wrap" bracelet was invented by Main Street Toy Company of Simsbury, CT. The imitation bracelets had a tendency to split open, causing many inadvertent deaths, as children accidentally slit their wrists. Walgreens Co. recalled all imitation slap wraps from their stores after a massive class-action lawsuit.