From The Straits Times    |

We’re living in a time where a mobile phone can cost more than a computer. Which means you’ll want to pull out the stops to make sure you 1) Keep it FOTB (Fresh Out The Box) for as long as possible and 2) Urh, try not to lose it.

But if you’re constantly fishing your phone out of your pocket or everyday bag to check it – because Instagram! Facebook! Tinder! Whatsapp! – then No. 2 is likely to happen.  

Singapore label Besbes is on its way to helping us eliminate this scenario once and for all. Its idea is brilliant: design a transparent phone case that attaches securely to a cord. As long as you’re wearing a Besbes phone necklace, you have very little chance of losing your mobile phone.   

The brand was founded by Audrey Lim in November 2018. It wasn’t because Lim was paranoid about dropping her phone in a club, or was going sky-diving or any form of globe trotting activities. She lost her phone at work. She was at a fair in Guangzhou that she describes as “three times the size of our Singapore Expo”, when she emptied her bag to search for her handphone. She ended up leaving her passport on the floor. It was returned eventually but the experience made her think: if she could have found her phone easily in the first place, she might not have had to suffer the worry of losing her passport.  

That aside (and beyond being that extra item you can use for your Instagram flatlays), there are other merits of a Besbes phone case. First, it’s eco-friendly. The materials used to make it are 100% recyclable, as are its processes. The cord is made of polypropylene, which is a non-toxic plastic that is impermeable to water and doesn’t conduct electricity. The case itself is made of thermoplastic polyeurethane (TPU), which is scratch-resistant.  

Each phone necklace is 1.4 metres long and adjustable: wear it over your neck, crossbody style or even as a shoelace knot to make it look fancier.  

We’re not the only ones loving it. “Besbes has travelled to Patagonia, Barcelona, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and more! It is now on its way to Nepal because a fellow Singaporean (living in Nepal) saw Besbes and felt that it would be useful for the trekking season in March and April. She is intending to stock it at her store,” says Lim.

Each Besbes phone necklace costs $27 and fits a range of brands, including the iPhone (6 – XS max), Samsung (S8-S9+), Huawei P20, and Oppo R17 Pro. Shop Besbes today at www.Besbes.co.