How to choose the right zipper for your handbag？

Aside from the quality of materials and workmanship, an important component that can make or break a handbag is the zipper.

However, with the wide range of options on the market today, choosing the right zipper for a particular style of handbag can be quite difficult. What kind of material should you use? What type of slider?

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a zipper for your handbag:

Quality and Durability: The zipper of the handbag should be strong and durable to ensure that it is not easy to break or get stuck during prolonged use. Metal zippers are generally more durable than plastic zippers, and zippers from reputable brands such as YKK are usually of higher quality.

Sliding properties: The zipper should move smoothly and easily, with little or no chance of jamming. When buying a handbag, you can try to pull the zipper a few times to observe its sliding performance and smoothness.

Look and Style: The look and style of the zipper should match the overall style of the bag. It can be a zipper of the same or similar color as the bag, or it can be a metal zipper, nylon zipper, or colored zipper, depending on personal preference and the design of the bag.

Water resistance: If you want your handbag to be waterproof, you can choose a bag with waterproof zippers. This type of zipper usually has a special coating or sealing design to prevent moisture from seeping into the bag.

Convenience: Some handbags may require frequent opening and closing of zippers, such as for quick access to items or for easy storage. In this case, choose a two-way zipper or a zipper with a large pull tab for easier access.

Security: If you have higher requirements for the security of your handbag, you can choose a zipper equipped with a lock. This increases the security of your bag and prevents unauthorized access to your bag.

Most importantly, when purchasing a handbag, you can carefully observe the quality and function of the zipper and make a choice according to your needs and preferences.

To help you out, here are some step-by-step guides to choosing the right zipper for your handbag.

1. Material type

Zippers are available in plastic zippers, metal zippers and coil zippers. The type of material you choose will largely depend on the project you are working on. Plastic zippers are great for sportswear as well as clothing like raincoats and down jackets. Coil zippers are commonly used on office clothing such as shirts and skirts.

Metal zippers are great for items that get a lot of daily wear, like shoes and handbags.

2. Zippers and zippers Finished zippers

Zippers generally come in two forms: continuous zippers or finished zippers.

Finished zippers, as the name suggests, are off-the-shelf zippers that are pre-cut and measured to a specific length, with all necessary components already assembled and secured. All the manufacturer needs to do is attach it to the product.

While off-the-shelf zippers are convenient, they are generally not recommended for handbag projects. Pre-cut sizes will severely limit the kinds of bags you can make. In this case, a self-cutting continuous zipper would be a more appropriate choice.

With the zipper, you can customize the length of the zipper according to the specific needs of the handbag prototype.

3. One-way closed-end zipper and two-way closed-end zipper

Another further classification of zippers is by the mechanism by which the zipper separates and closes.

Closed-end zippers are used for items that only need to be opened partially (eg, handbags, luggage, pants, tents, footwear), while split zippers are used for items that require the zipper halves to separate completely (eg, jackets, sweatshirts), even hoodies). These closed-end zippers are then further classified according to the number of their sliders.

One-way closure zippers have only one slider that can only move in "one way," while two-way closure zippers have two sliders. While both types are used in handbags, the latter is more commonly used in luggage and travel bags with longer closures. The two-way closure zipper also allows for easy closure of a full tote.

4. Types of sliders

There are two types of sliders: locking and non-locking.

Locking sliders are often found on jackets and other such items. These locking zippers have a mechanism inside that locks the zipper in place unless you pull on the tab.

However, for handbags, non-locking zippers are used. The zipper moves freely across the chain and never locks at all. This makes it easier for the wearer to easily zip up the handbag with one hand.