Chip Clips Galore

Heap of potato chips with rosemary over wooden background. View from above.

My husband is relentless. I was ready to shift gears from reviewing kitchen gadgets and tell you about some outdoor solar lighting I’ve found. However, he’s asked, no begged, that I not quit writing about the kitchen area until I’ve told you about his favorite thing ever……are you ready? The OXO magnetic all-purpose chip clips! I know. Stop laughing.

It is true. If you look at our refrigerator, you’ll see a half dozen of small chip clips holding up the stuff we all keep – reminders of the upcoming vet appointment, works of art, the shopping list of necessities to pick up before your sister comes for the weekend. I’m not even sure why we call these chip clips because they have so many other uses.

The thing is, these chip clips have a magnet in them that holds more than the light bill. Imagine! I get so tired of having things slide slowly down the fridge. Magnets that are twice as big but only hold one drawing are just wrong. These babies are strong and secure. Oxo clips keep the chip bag closed. The spring is adequately strong.

Where do chip clips go? Are they with the stray socks?

But don’t expect them to stay on the fridge or the Fritos. Mysteriously, all my Oxo chip clips migrate to the truck where they hold mail on the visor, secure phone charging cords, and keep insurance and registration papers together. I don’t know why you need chip clips in the garage, but there you have it. Better just get two sets to begin with. Click here to get the medium ones.

If you get the set of larger chip clips, you’ll find yourself using them to keep cookbooks propped open. Or as an easy organizer for paperwork till bill writing day. That is, if they aren’t out in the garage holding a box lid back, or a trouble light cord.

One might be in your home office with a calendar on your file cabinet. Writing about it has helped me to understand why I must keep buying more chip clips. They seldom make it to the chips at our house. (sigh….) You can get two large red clips here.

Chip Clip Bag Cinch

I think my favorite in the chip clips line up is the OXO bag cinch. Those metal twisties become nasty in no time. My bag cinch keeps bagels and bread bags tight and secure, reducing food waste. These clips are so easy to use because all you do is push the spring loaded end in, and pop it over the twirl of plastic where the nasty twist tie would have been. No more dried out bread getting tossed out.

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Yup, I’m guilty. I hate the metal twisties so much I twirl the bag, spinning the bagels around and around. I assume the plastic is going to stay tight….that somehow, it’s going to stay that way, but it never does. But now the is problem solved. And kinda cute, too! I think I might need another bag cinch or two.

You might want to consider getting the 20 piece value set. It comes with six bag cinches, two large red, and 12 all-purpose clips. A set like this would get you about everything you need, or at least off to a good start.

The 20 piece value set would make a great housewarming gift too. You can pick them up here.

For that matter, if your daughter or son is away at college, a set of these would be a fantastic idea! You know there are “occasionally” chips involved in those late night study sessions, but it’s expensive to keep tossing stale ones away. Bingo!

The rubber on the end of these pieces is what separates them from the rest. Things do stay secure. I’ve tried just about every kind of clip out there and thrown out more than I care to admit to because they are inadequate…

A different style of Chip Clips – Gripstic

There’s one other kind of closure that’s pretty impressive, especially for larger bags. It’s Gripstic. Entirely different in design from a clip style closure, these plastic rods secure over your bag, but they don’t take up much room in the drawer between uses – they are about the size of a straw. The Wire Cutter, A New York Times Company, chose the Gripstic as their favorite for its longevity in keeping foods fresh.

I’ve used the extra-large size on larger bags, like sacks of dog food. I got the Gripstic initially because I needed a secure plastic tub for Molly’s kibble but couldn’t find the one I wanted. I thought these Gripstic rods might make do till I found the container. And I’ve been happy with them. No worries about her food getting stale since we buy it in larger bags, and the bag has so far, always remained secure!

Other Uses For Gripstic?

Since then, I’ve started using Gripstics on bags of sugar, flour, flaked coconut, and other baking products, as well as cereal and family size bags of chips. No moisture with these on duty. They did take a bit to get the hang of because the rod is covering the width of the entire bag rather than just keeping it closed, clip style.

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I discovered that it worked better for me to pull the Gripstic on rather than try to push. And the slide style closure works best if you fold the lid over, making a lip or a fold. Then the slide will have a guide. You can pick up a set by clicking here.

Of course, if all you are looking for is cute magnetic paper holders, there’s always Animal Clips. Each package has a set of 3 animals. Monkey, hippo, giraffe, or, cat, cow, and pig. There’s also, elephant, tiger, and bear.

These are the kind of clips that are fun to have for a quick “giggle gift” for the farm or wild animal enthusiast. They are also a big hit with the younger set. Expect them to come flying off the chip bags and into the hands of small ones as they become instant puppets. The actual clip is not deep, so only tiny bags or piles of paper, please. For animal fun, click here.

These are fun, but if you are looking for a chip clip to keep your kitchen safer and fresher, I’d go with the Oxo or the Gripstic.