Walking Equipment and Accessories

ZlideOn Broken Zip Pull Solutions | Review

‘This might be a small item, it might look pretty unexciting, but its impact could be big.’

Why We Chose It: Could save a lot of gear from going to landfill
Price: €8-25

According to ZlideOn, a survey in Sweden revealed that one in three people will throw away an item if the zip is broken. I don’t want to do us Brits too much of a disservice, but I imagine the proportion is going to be a fair bit higher over here.

So imagine how much outdoor gear is ending up in the landfill then. Tons of plastic jackets and tents piling up, all because of one small malfunction.

” You can see why the British Army uses these”

Granted, there have always been ways to fix a zipper, but none of them have been particularly straightforward. Could this new product from ZlideOn change that though?

Earlier this year I was part of the jury that gave ZlideOn a Scandinavian Outdoor award. We were all massively impressed by the product and the potential it has towards reducing the overall environmental impact of the outdoor industry (and beyond).

The product is simple but effective. Basically it’s just a zip pull (available in a number of sizes, colours and styles) that you can swap onto any broken zipper in a matter of seconds. Whether it’s a jacket, backpack or tent, just remove the broken pull, with pliers if needs be, press the back of the ZlideOn firmly to open up what is essentially its mouth, then place it either at the very bottom of the zipper or where it sticks together, then firmly close it.

During my tests with it, I found that in some instances it takes a couple of goes to get it just right but in others you can have it on perfectly at the first crack. It’s not necessarily the most permanent of solutions, but if the zipper happens to drop off, at least you can simply re-attach it even while on the go. I’ve decided that I’m now going to make sure I have a couple of these with me in my first aid kit on any multi-day backpacking trips I go on – it could get you out of some pretty sticky situations. In fact, you can see why the British army use these.

ZlideOn have some interesting stats on their website that are worth repeating here. For instance, if you mend the zipper on a Polyester item instead of buying a new one you apparently save at least 5 kg CO2 – and the landfill doesn’t receive a new item to slowly break down over 200 years. Also, when you mend the zipper on your old favourite jeans instead of buying a new pair you save 10,000 litre of water.

We talk a lot about new items with recycled fabrics or that are free from PFCs, but it’s longevity that, in the end, really counts the most. This might be a small item, it might look pretty unexciting, but if enough people are aware of it, it’s impact could be big.

More info: zlideon.se