A utility retractor having a utility adaptor, and having a retractable tether comprised of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) material. The UHMWPE exhibits many important qualities suitable in a utility retractor, including abrasion resistance, the ability to be knotted without tangling, and it is very slippery to achieve a significant useful life. The retractor may also include an energy absorber disposed on the tether configured to prevent the danger of the utility adapter flailing indiscriminately during retraction. The energy absorber can be selectively positioned.