2019 test7 productsFasteners & Hardware
Which Zip Tie Brand Wins?
We compared 7 zip tie options head to head. Strong Ties came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Strong Ties
Price shown in test: 9 cents each
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Runner-up
Hyper Tough
Price shown in test: 15 cents each
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Budget pick
Storehouse
Price shown in test: 3 cents each, by far the least expensive product tested
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Ambient temperature tensile strength test | High temperature test (about 160 F) | Cold temperature test (about minus 13 F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Strong Ties9 cents each | finished on top in the first round, described as having twice the girth of the competition, promises 120 lb of tensile strength | did not quite meet its 120 lb capacity but came out on top, nearly edging out the Hyper Tough brand | not tested |
| 2Hyper Tough15 cents each | one of the top three performers, rated for 75 lb, the host said he was impressed to see it in the top three | very close behind Strong Ties, nearly edging it out for first place | not tested |
| 3Storehouse3 cents each, by far the least expensive product tested | one of the top three performers despite being the cheapest brand and having the lowest rating (46 lb working load) | continued to do very well, demonstrating why it is a much better value than the brands that finished below it | not tested |
| 4TR Industrial | rated for 50 lb; no individual measured result was given separately from the general group performance | not tested | not tested |
| 5Cambridge releasable zip tiemore than twice as much as the competition (exact price not stated) | rated for 50 lb tensile strength; no individual measured result was given separately from the general group performance | not tested | not tested |
| 6Flurhrt7 cents each | rated for 50 lb tensile strength; no individual measured result was given separately from the general group performance | not tested | the only brand that did worse in the cold rather than better, though the host noted it is only rated to 5 F and was tested below its rating |
| 7Lenitech13 cents each | averaged only 89 lb despite a 120 lb rating, nearly finishing in last place | a really disappointing performance considering its 120 lb rating and price more than four times the cheapest brand | once again failed to impress |
How it was tested
- tensile strength test at ambient temperature (about 75 F), pulled to failure with a chain hoist and weight scale, averaged across three samples
- tensile strength test after heating the zip ties to about 160 F
- tensile strength and brittleness test after freezing the zip ties to about minus 13 F
- attempt to use zip ties (with alignment studs) in place of cylinder head bolts to hold a cylinder head onto a running engine
“to me, strong ties is the best zip tie we tested today”