CB6000S base ring broke open unexpectedly

Out of the blue, I was sitting on the floor and just felt something wasn’t right. I got up and headed to the bathroom, only to find that my base ring had cracked. The small ring at the connection point where the guide posts pass through snapped open, leaving the device hinged wide. Naturally, I’m annoyed; since I bought it directly from their site, it’s not some cheap Chinese copy. Sure, I have other rings, but that misses the point. This was the 1 7/8 size—the next one down is too tight for long-term wear, and the next one up at 2” feels a bit loose for my taste, plus I can slip out of it.

I’ve messaged them to request a replacement because I’ve owned it less than 90 days and view this as a manufacturing defect. We’ll see if they follow through or not; I’m certainly not dropping $20 on a new U ring just like that. Naturally, I had to share the news with my wife. She wasn’t upset about the crack itself, but she is irritated by the money spent on something that failed so quickly.

So I see this as an extra excuse to persuade her into letting me order a Jailbird now. My only hesitation is sizing. Since it’s a metal ring and less bulky, do you think I can get away with ordering one size down—a 1 3/4 inch base oval? I don’t want it too tight, but it seems most people manage fine with slightly smaller rings without issues. Thoughts or comments are welcome.

I needed the same base ring size for my JB that worked with my CB’s, though I recall others having different results. You might want to order both rings: the 1 7/8 and the 1 3/4. I ordered an oval ring but didn’t care for it, so William swapped it out for a round one for just the shipping cost. Again, experiences vary between round and oval shapes among users. That said, I believe almost everyone with a metal mesh JB agrees they are fantastic and definitely worth the price.

I’ve dropped my rings and tube multiple times because the silicone lube makes my hands so slippery that holding onto anything is a struggle. Even when they hit hard tile floors, nothing has cracked yet. I was expecting it to happen, but so far so good. I have heard of welds separating, but never a ring breaking completely. Those rings are fairly thick, but as with everything, defects can occur. Do keep us updated on how this turns out.

Yes, I’ve broken several myself. They all tend to snap where the alignment pins go through. We ordered a Queens Keep from MM, using the same base ring size but in an oval shape. We also used our CB as a reference for length and got lucky with the overall fit. My longest lockup was about seven months so far; I haven’t broken any steel yet:) The comfort difference is huge—you really will enjoy it.

Well, I did email CB-X and they are sending me replacement parts for free. At least that part of the issue is resolved. I mentioned it in another thread already, but I went ahead and ordered a Jailbird this afternoon as well. Very excited to get it.

Over the years wearing CB plastic products, I’ve broken my share of base rings just like described here. Since switching to metal, the only thing that has actually snapped is my willpower.:lol: Lockedchef, if you can afford it, I suggest getting two base rings: one in your current size and another one size smaller. The wait is tough but definitely worth it.

Yeah, I emailed CB-X about the cracked ring on Sunday night, and by Wednesday a replacement arrived at my house completely free. So yes, they honored their warranty since I’d only had it for 60 days, though I still wasn’t entirely pleased with how it broke. It even gave me a good scratch. This happened while I was sitting on the floor playing cars with my kid—not doing anything particularly unusual. I told my wife earlier that day if she didn’t let me out soon, I felt like bursting. Looking back, I guess I wasn't exaggerating:) For now, I’m only getting one ring. I stuck with the 1 7/8 since that’s what I usually wear. The 1 3/4 just doesn't feel right for sleeping on me. It is amazing how much difference that 1/8 inch makes for my comfort, but I didn’t want to order too tight and end up unable to wear it immediately. That was part of why I wondered if the thinner metal ring could handle being ordered smaller. I went with the smallest gap possible to keep it snug. I’ll likely wait and spend that extra $55 on a second ring later, then just deal with returning this one when needed. It was already like pulling teeth getting permission to order in the first place; don't want to push my luck too far. My concern remains the pull-out issue with the 1 7/8 size CB6000s. I can pull out and get back in, provided there is enough soap or lube. But with the 1 3/4 ring, while I can pull out, I <u>can't<u> manage to put it back on inside easily. I plan to try wearing the smaller ring again for a few days this week to see if I can make it work. I’m not into pain at all and want to avoid misery. I considered anti-pullout pins, but they don’t seem practical in every situation. Either way, I’m happy with my decision; the device will be here eventually.