Care for wetsuit zips and changing robe zips

“Clean your zips!” say Ceri Belshaw and Rosanna Watson from Snowdonia Gear Repair, who have advice for looking after your wetsuit and changing robe zips

Whether a wetsuit, changing robe or cosy down jacket, failed zips are one of the most frustrating things to go wrong on your beloved gear. I mean, how annoying is it when you’re wrapping up after a swim, the heavens open and when you go to zip up your robe, the zipper gets jammed? Cue a soggy and potentially chilly walk back from whence you came. Thankfully, there are things you can do to prevent issues like this arising.

Clean zips are your friend

Salt and grit from your adventures build up over time, so it’s a good idea to periodically give your zips a quick service. For this, all you need is a toothbrush and some Gear Aid Zipper Wax:

• Rinse your zip with fresh water
• Give the zip teeth a scrub with the toothbrush 
• Run the zipper wax along the teeth and then open and close the zip a few times to help distribute it. Your zip should now be feeling much smoother!

Not zipping? 

If you notice your zip teeth separating, this could indicate a slider issue. Sliders can distort and bend out of a shape over time. To fix this, take a pair of pliers and squeeze gently to return it to its former glory. The tape gap should be of equal distance all the way along.

Shopping for new gear

Here are some quick tips on what to look out for when purchasing items with zips:

• YKK make the best zips, period
• Two-way zips tend to fail much quicker than one way due to their complexity, so stick to one way where you can
• Waterproof zips, although a necessity in some outdoor gear, can fail much quicker than non-waterproof zips
• Last but not least, bigger zips will always last longer than smaller zips

Snowdonia Gear Repair is an independent business based in North Wales, specialising in outdoor clothing and equipment repairs or follow them on Instagram @snowdoniagearrepair