As a teacher, I wear a lanyard daily, but I never considered the importance of a breakaway clasp until I began making my own.

First off, what are breakaway clasps? 

Breakaway clasps are small pieces attached to the ends of a lanyard that break away (snap apart) when pulled. They vary in design and look, but they are often small so that they are light and do not detract from the style of the lanyard.

They can usually break away multiple times; you snap them back together.

Why do I need a breakaway clasp?

Breakaway clasps serve several essential roles on lanyards.

1. They protect you from snags! Whether you wear your lanyard in a classroom, office, hospital room, etc., there are lots of areas it can easily get caught or hung. This includes things like doorknobs, cabinet handles, or even in your car door. As you can imagine, this could cause quite a jolt if you don't notice. Without a breakaway clasp: you could end up with injuries to your neck, you could fall and injure your head or other body parts, etc.
2. They protect you from others! As a teacher, nurse, doctor, or office worker, you're exposed to many people each day. An unstable patient, confused student, or other people could accidentally grab your lanyard and thereby cause injury to you. A breakaway clasp allows the lanyard to release from around your neck, preventing any damage or harm.
3. They protect the lanyard! In all of the above situations, a breakaway clasp prevents also prevents damage to the lanyard. Instead of other pieces breaking, the breakaway opens to prevent damage to your lanyard. And, of course, the breakaway can quickly be snapped back together, while things that might otherwise get damage can't be easily repaired.

With all of this in mind, it's no wonder that many workplaces REQUIRE all lanyards to have breakaway clasps.

Bonus Use

For our beaded lanyards, the breakaway clasp serves as an easy way to adjust the length of your lanyard. Just follow these quick steps to adjust your lanyard to a shorter length:

1. Open the breakaway clasps on your lanyard.
2. Feed one side of the lanyard string through the breakaway. You should see a knot.
3. Cut this side of the string to shorten it as much as you desire, and tie a new knot (single knots will hold if you tie them tight.)
4. Close your breakaway clasp.

We have a great illustration showing these instructions here.

All set! Enjoy your perfectly sized lanyard!