In 2010, Philosophy professor David Barnett had a problem: when getting his groove on listening to music on his phone, his earphones got tangled. In a moment of genius, he glued a button to the back of his phone to keep the cord neatly wrapped—this was the moment when the seed for PopSockets was planted.
Fast forward to today, that simple button had expanded into a simple device that really did work great as a cord wrap, but also as a handy phone grip and a phone stand.
So what’s a PopSockets Grip?
It offers a secure grip when texting or snapping a selfie, and propping the phone up for catching the latest video. Double PopSockets Grips are great for competitive mobile gamers who want a solid grip on the base of their phone to put their twin thumbs into action. They are also a great tool to store untangled earphones by simply winding them over the knobs.
When combined with the PopSockets Mount, the phone can be hanged just about anywhere. PopSockets Grip slides easily into the mount for hands-free function while driving, video chatting, and more.
It may have started out of Barnett’s garage but PopSockets soon became a commercial success. It is a huge hit with many fans including celebrities such as Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Fifth Harmony, Serena Williams, Gigi Hadid, and Jared Leto, as well as Olympian Michael Phelps.
According to reports, the company has sold over 35 million PopSockets Grips and Mounts in 2017 and is on track to double that number to 70 million this year, with its expansion into other markets including the Philippines.
This mobile phone grip has over 100 original designs priced at P499. It is also available in designs made with premium materials such as vegan leather, metal, and real wood for P749. Licensed designs from well-known franchises such as Harry Potter and Marvel, which will be available in the next coming months, are also priced at P749. It also comes in a combo pack composed of one black PopSockets Grip and one mount for only P749. PopSockets Mounts cost P499.
PopSockets is available at Urbanize, Elecom, Bratpack, and Rustan’s department stores.
