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.