How to Take a Wristband Off

If you frequently go to bars, shows, concerts or festivals, you're likely well aware that these venues often use wristbands to mark attendees by paid status or age. Sometimes, wristbands designate who is of drinking age and who isn't. Most of the time, wristbands are required for access in and out of the event, especially at festivals that may go on for days. They can be challenging to take off, but there are some tricks.

The point of the wristband is to make it difficult to remove so that you can't pass it off to friends who haven't paid (or are underage). The easiest way to remove one of these wristbands is to wait until the event is over and simply cut it off your wrist with scissors. However, if you want to save the wristband as a keepsake without cutting it apart, there are a few methods you can try before resorting to the big cut.

Wristbands made from paper are less expensive, and as such, they may be difficult to remove without damage. Some wristbands leave a tab of paper free on the inside; pulling this tag can separate where the overlapping portions are stuck to each other, allowing you to peel off the paper wristband. You can usually reattach the ends using some of the residual glue.

Plastic wristbands can vary in the way they connect. Some have fasteners that click together, which you should be able to pull apart with a bit of force. Other plastic wristbands may attach with irreversible fasteners, which means you'll have to resort to cutting them off.

Big concerts and festivals usually use fabric wristbands that can withstand a bit more action. Some fabric wristbands are secured onto your wrist by a small plastic toggle with one-way teeth on the inside. This means you can tighten the wristband, but you cannot loosen it through the toggle.

The best way to remove one of these is to take the two loose ends of the fabric and twist them together as tightly as possible. This will slim down the fabric substantially. Once they're twisted enough that the diameter of the twisted fabric is less than that of the plastic toggle bead, you should be able to slip the plastic security clasp down the twist far enough that you can get the wristband off your arm.

Some events use a fabric wristband closed with a metal security toggle, often applied with a clamp, press or pair of pliers. No amount of twisting will help a toggle closed with force. Your best bet is to find a friend with a spare set of hands and have him pry open the clip using pliers or a flat-head screwdriver. Be careful during this operation, as tools can easily slip and damage your wrist. Once the metal toggle is open enough that you can slip one end of the wristband out, you can then reclamp it in place by using a pair of pliers to close the metal toggle once more.

With any kind of wristband, if you're close to being able to get it off your hand but can't, you can get a bit more leverage on the situation using a plastic bag. Stick your wristbanded hand into the bottom of the bag and then work the bag underneath the wristband so that it covers your arm.

Pull both handles back over the hand in the bag with as much force as you can stand. The plastic should help the wristband slip over your hand with minimal pain. This won't work if your wristband is too tight, however.