Broken Token: Box Band-Its accessory – review

Maker	The Broken Token
Sizes	4″, 8″ & 10″

You may have seen these items showing up in your local game shops and have been wondering:

• What are those for?
• Do they work?
• Are they worth it?
• Do they damage the games?

History

Originally, called H Bands, these rubber bands designed to be used in book restoration. They are used to keep books tightly shut while repair work is being done. Prior to this libraries and archivists would just use heavy duty rubber bands. The H band was an improvement since they were easier to put on and remove as opposed to regular rubber bands.

 

They worked so well that manufacturers  began offering them in different sizes and colors so they could be used on a larger variety of books. While also allowing some built-in color coding options. They are still available today as a common item from companies that offer book restoration supplies.

 

Of course, it didn’t take long in this golden age of board games, for  someone who was aware of H Bands to use them to secure their boardgames. After other people saw how useful they were in this application. It wasn’t long before individuals began selling these at gaming conventions.

After that, Broken Token saw the opportunity to add these items to their accessories.

What are those for?

In general, these are used to keep board games from spilling open when you travel. That being said, even if your games don’t leave the house, these can allow you to store and display your games the same way you would books. This can dramatically save on storage without worrying about games accidently spilling open when you go to grab one.

Do they work?

Yes, they work very well. This is why they have seen such widespread use. That being said, they are still rubber bands and like any rubber band, they will break if abused and/or overused.

Are they worth it?

It really depends. If you like taking your board games with you to places these are almost indispensable. They are inexpensive enough that even when one does break it’s not that big of a deal to replace them.

Do they Damage the games?

If you put the right size band on the game this isn’t an issue. The force is distributed out enough that they are surprisingly gentle on games. Even if you try to put a tiny band on a large game the band will break before it causes any damage to the game.

Conclusion

These are a really wonderful accessory for any serious board gamer. If you don’t want to buy them from Broken Token then don’t. You can find them for sale at most gaming, conventions, book restoration supply companies and even office supply places. The only disadvantage to the latter locations is that you may have a harder time finding the sizes your games need.