If you like the keychain you have, I will not influence you. Keychains are like coffee mugs – if you like your mug, especially if it has a backstory, no one's favorite mug will win your heart.
But there will come a time when you need a new set of keys. Maybe you lose yours, or the one that brought you joy every day starts to subtly annoy you, becomes heavy in your pocket and clumps in your pocket.
A good key ring should not be underestimated. I can't think of another object that so elegantly embodies the freedom to venture out while giving the strength to return. Since college, I've had a small parade of sentimental keychains, each with its own story and strange charm. I loved them all, but little by little I noticed their inevitable flaws, one by one – the weight they added to my coat pocket, the dent their edges left in my palm when I held them on my walks, the way they sank to the bottom of my bag, eluding my attempts to fish them out or the occasions when they gobbled up valuable real estate in a mini bag.
I had committed myself to a nostalgic original Jean ring that was looped around my belt loop but was a hassle to remove when I came across the Nite Ize G-Series Size 3 Dual Chamber Carbine at the checkout line at REI one day. I've always been a fan of carbines (their implied capabilities, their dexterity, their style, IYKYK), and this one had a pleasing symmetry, cut and elongated proportions. The added appeal also included two hinged chambers for added security, allowing you to clip and unclip the carabiner without risking a key slipping.
The price was less than $5. I bought it locally.
Selection of personnel
This stainless steel carabiner has a slim size, yet offers space for many keys and is particularly secure thanks to its double lock design.
It may seem like an exaggeration, but since switching my keys to this carabiner, I feel a weight lifting every time I leave my apartment. When I go out, my goal is to feel as unencumbered as possible while keeping the things I need safe. There is an inevitable tension in my desire to be both unencumbered and prepared, but the Nite Ize Carbine has alleviated that tension.
Pretty, unobtrusive, functional, elegant – the Nite Ize carabiner is made of durable, rust-proof stainless steel, but adds little extra weight to my keychain and feels like it only weighs as much as my keys.
It has the same hands-free effect as any other carabiner, easily clipping and unhooking from my belt loops with a reassuringly stiff snap when I'm out walking, or around the straps of my tote bag or backpack when I'm on the move. But its small size and slim proportions give it a versatility that some carabiners lack: When I don't have a pocket, the Nite Ize carabiner can be comfortably looped around a finger without snagging. When I'm on a hike, it stores safely in my backpack without being bulky or falling on the ground. When I'm feeling feminine, I simply hide my keys in a mini bag.
Nite Ize sells the G-Series style in a few compact sizes ranging from about 1.5 inches to 3 inches in length. The one I chose (#3, about 2.5 inches long) keeps my keys close to my body, but still easily holds a ton of space – in my case, three house keys, a brass pipe, and a car fob. (I could add a friend's spare set of keys and also my parents' if necessary.)
Added to this is the price, about $5. That's definitely more than the cost of not replacing the keychain you currently have, which may serve its purpose just fine (or so you tell yourself), or perhaps the high-end keychain as a birthday present that isn't actually yours, or maybe the free keychain your landlord gave you. But $5 is very little for a two-year warranty and a small but meaningful life upgrade that literally holds the key to getting you home.
I still have my old key ring as a reminder. But it will remain retired. I've gotten too used to feeling elated, ready, and smooth. If you have a keychain that you think I would like, I'm sorry – I don't think I want to hear about it.
This article was edited by Alexander Aciman and Hannah Rimm.