Introduction
My guide is on “Replacing A Broken Zipper on Luggage.” Have you ever gotten a brand new set of luggage, try to use it for the first time and something gets broken? This happened to me on a brand new piece of luggage that I purchased for almost $200—after a couple uses, it was mishandled prior to reaching me at baggage claim. I was tired of having one of these zippers, on my expensive luggage, broken. You could imagine my frustrations after realizing this was the case. Usually, the first thought is “Oh, it’s broken, I can’t use it anymore” or “I have to get a new luggage because I can’t use it anymore” but these aren't really the only options, and I wanted to share that in six easy steps.
You will need to purchase a replacement zipper. This is done for as little as $2 on Amazon or other supplier sites depending on the kind of zipper you need (heavy duty zippers can be a little bit more).
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Remove the metal stopper at the end with the pliers (which ever set works for your size zipper), using a bit of pressure to pry it off of the slider. This will help the current, broken zipper come off easier.
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Dismantle the current, broken zipper on the slider. To do this, you'll need to use pliers. Apply pressure vertically to pry the zipper away from the teeth of the slider.
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Use the other pair of pliers to keep the zipper in place while you remove it. It should then smoothly slide off of the slider.
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Install the new zipper. To do this, simply slide the new zipper over the end of the slider chain in the same direction than the old one. This should secure the teeth together for a comfortable fit.
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Secure the new zipper, using the pliers, setting the stoppers back in place and molding it back together.
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Mold and bend the stopper, using the pliers, to set the stopper back in place.
4 comments
Thank you. I am about to try this. A few suggestions— you say we need a screwdriver but don’t actually describe using it. It would helpful to identify the three parts of the zipper— the pull , the slider train and the stop—right at the beginning, and be consistent throughout.
aurora -
Thanks for trying to help but you seem to miss out all the critical (difficult) steps. I have read the guide and still have no better idea of what to do.
what is a slider chain?
You have highlighted the zipper slider but say to remove the metal stopper. What do you mean?
Simon Bird -
Misleading photo.
There is no metal stopper. If there is one, it’s inside the fabric (where the zipper ends). OR, there is no metal stopper. The zipper goes inside that fabric at the end. You’ll have to remove the stitches to expose the end of the zipper. You need access to the end of the zipper to be able to slide in the new slider.
After that, you’ll have to resew the fabric “stopper”.
Kelly J -