Right vs Left-hand Zippers - What's the Difference?
Do you have a right- or left-handed zipper?
All one-way separating zippers have a right- or left-handed designation. This designation describes where the zipper slider is located.
This guide will help you determine what you have and what you need.
Does it Matter?
A right-handed zipper does not need to be replaced with a right-handed zipper, and the same goes for a left-handed zipper.
Selecting whether your zipper is right-handed or left-handed is mainly a matter of personal preference. Sometimes it just "feels" better to have the slider on a particular side.
Often times, however, making a zipper right- or left-handed is a matter of utility. Those with limited access on one side of the body might prefer having a slider on a a particular side.
Right-hand Zipper
Zipper Shipper® zippers come standard as right-handed, meaning that the slider and box are on the right side as worn (insertion pin is on the left).
This means that when you’re wearing the zipper, you pull the slider up with your right hand.
Left-hand Zipper
A left-handed zipper has the opposite configuration of a right-handed zipper.
On a left-handed zipper, the slider and box are on the left side as worn (insertion pin is on the right). This means that when you’re wearing the zipper, you pull the slider up with your left hand.
How to Make a Zipper Left-Handed
All Zipper Shipper® zippers are stocked as right-handed zippers, but we can customize most of our zippers to be left-handed.
We will reverse the configuration of the zipper, so that when the zipper is worn, the slider will be on the left side and the insertion pin on the right.
The left-handed customization option is available on all metal and molded plastic zippers. On applicable product pages, simply check the box for “Make left-handed”.
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Let customers speak for us
I have never been disappointed with quality of products or service.
Ordered custom length zippers before. Good Service. Good Quality. Zippers arrived shortly after ordering.
It is nice to have a zipper ease stick on hand. I feel a smoothly operating zipper extends its lifespan. This stick is more like a beeswax than a flaky bar soap consistency.
Basically I got the "grab bag" to have a few in the sewing chest in case of need. What arrived is a good assortment of lengths and colors. Three were heavy duty and separatable, they ranged in length to short like for a zippered pocket, to long like you would use for a cushion slip cover. Some were metal teeth and some were resin.
I was in a pickle because I had a zipper slider that I needed to replace that I had never seen before. I googled ‘zippers’ and saw the catchy ZipperShipper name. I told them my predicament and they said ~ oh! This is the one you need! ~ Sure enough they were right! Many thanks to the team! I ordered a few extra for future use🤓
Zipper Shipper is a great resource! Good quality and excellent delivery service.
i recieved the zipper and havent had time to put it in yet but looks like a nice zipper
The zippers I ordered were shipped quickly. The colors were true, size exact.
I already need more!
Thank you
The colors and quality are amazing.
Good to know I can get what I need here.
Always wonderful to work with- I’ve been ordering with them for many years and have always had great experiences with them
From the quality, customer service and prices, they are all great
I bought a length of sturdy #8 zipper and four sliders, to fix a worn-out zipper on an old but still-useful backpack. (I think the original pack used #5 zippers; most of them still work but the big compartment gets a lot more use). Your website has great info about best weights to use, and how to make a bag-type double zipper, and great selection of sizes (and colors for lighter weights), and fast delivery. As for DOING the replacement, I find the original zipper was sewn early in the assembly, ends covered by many layers of stiff fabric and webbing! It's going to be a tough reach for our little sewing machine. Worst case I'll hand sew it (doesn't have to be beautiful)...I'll figure it out. Your brand-new zipper is my best possible starting point.
I never even knew this type of zipper existed, until I was asked to replace a broken slider. I went right to your website, found what I needed, and also found one of your videos explaining how to replace it. Thanks!!
