Which Are The Best? Buttons or Zippers

Decisions decisions, will that be buttons or zippers? One might be surprised to realize that such a discussion might occur but it happens more often than you might think. After all when purchasing clothing and outerwear it can be quite a toss up. Buttons and zippers both have pros and cons so which are the best?

There’s no question that both buttons and zippers have their advantages and disadvantages, and recently there’s been a new kid on the block. I’m sure you’ve met him, he’s called Velcro. So now we have three competitors competing for your attention. How to choose becomes the question.

The correct choice really depends on the garment and the functionality of the clothing. For example if you are looking at a purchasing a winter jacket the choice might be a little clearer. Velcro would be fine for tightening cuffs and waists to reduce air intake but would be a horrible choice as the main closure device. Buttons would be functional but not practical as a great deal of cold air can enter in the gaps. Therefore for everyday and sports wear jackets a zipper is the best choice. And a zipper that has a flap over top that has buttons or snaps is perfect because you get the added protection.

Buttons are great on a dressy winter jacket which is more fashionable than functional. Buttons are also fine on a spring or summer jacket. The style of the jacket also comes into play. Picture a jean jacket with a zipper. It’s just not right is it? Jean jackets have buttons period! So of course style comes into play on every jacket. The choice has to look good as well as be functional.

Cardigans are great with either buttons or zippers. Generally the style of the sweater will determine which is used. Dressier cardigans will usually have buttons while more casual cardigans tend to use zippers.

Buttons on shirts, blouses, and tops are for more appropriate than zippers. Usually a zipper will add bulk and the garment will not hang correctly. Of course there is always the occasion exception. Formal blouses often have a zipper in the back which works well.

Pants usually have both a button and a zipper. Zippers are much more convenient then buttons on pants and zippers hold up much better than buttons do. Zippers are also easier to open and close on pants then buttons are.

Velcro has become quite common as a substitute for buttons and zippers especially on sports wear, outer wear, and children’s clothing. It can be very convenient and easy to use especially on children’s clothing. It takes a lot less time to do up or undo a piece of Velcro. However if it’s used often it can begin to break down and it also tends to get stuck on other items which can be a pain.

Buttons can add pizzazz, and they can be fancy and functional all at the same time. They are cheap to buy and easy to replace. The disadvantage however is that buttons tend to fall off the garment more easily and so you have to reattach them. They also tend to break easily especially the light weight buttons that are commonly used on blouses.

Zippers on the other hand are much stronger and they tend to hold up much better. They are easier to do up than buttons especially if you are suffering from arthritis in the hands. However they aren’t nearly as pretty as buttons can be. They are however very functional! They can sometimes jam and occasionally a tooth can get broken which means you’ll have to replace the entire zipper but this doesn’t happen very often.

So which is the best? Buttons or zippers? Well I guess it depends on how you look at it.

Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.