topic Re: Winter Coat Zippers in Community Chat

Winter Coat Zippers

Yardlie — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:01:06 GMT

Does anyone else get frustrated with those darn zippers on winter coats? My coat is down-filled. It has two different zippers so that you can open up just the bottom part if you need to. I try to get everything straight, really push the one end into the correct zipper hole, and it just won't go up. Sometimes I have to try six or seven times. My husband has the same problem with his winter parka. He has just left his coat open a couple times.Then I have to help my 92 y.o. mother get her coat on...same problem.

What is it with zippers these days? I have seen other people in doctor's offices trying to get their coats zipped, and they were frustrated also. I've tried "lubricating" the zipper with a lead pencil...no luck. I have had luck using a pencil on handbag zippers though.

I wish manufacturers would design a coat zipper that will go up easily! Grrrrrr!

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:06:32 GMT

Use a candle, run the candle up and down the zipper, it should make it a lot easier to zip up.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Krimpette — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:09:35 GMT

You have to be sure both of the zipper "handles" are facing down and the the zipper is fully seated at the base. Then pulling up the top should be easy and you can pull up the bottom one as needed. Hope I explained it clearly, since it becomes much easier once you get the hang of it. They're the only zippers I like on coats, so I can release the lower portion when I get into my car.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Yardlie — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:14:10 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs ... Thanks, I'll give the candle trick a try!

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Vivian — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:18:46 GMT

I have been waging a zipper-war against my winter coats for decades. I have not yet won. I can't count the number of times I've walked out with my coat open. My mother would kill me if she knew (LOL).

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Yardlie — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:20:08 GMT

@Krimpette ... Thanks for the suggestion. I'm quite sure that I'm doing it that way now. I spend time arranging both the zipper pulls and insert the zipper all the way into the hole. I can even feel a click that it is all the way in, but the darn thing still won't go up! I think manufacturers need to go back to the drawing board on zippers. I mean it is difficult enough trying to zip up a puffy coat...trying to prevent fabric from getting stuck into the zipper.

I don't have that problem with spring/fall coats. The lighter weight ones seem to go up with no problem. Maybe I need to lubricate the base of the zipper so that it slides into the hole more easily???

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Q4u — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:21:23 GMT

The best zippers on winter coats I've found have been on CarHart coats. Not the most attractive coat out there but it's my warmest and the zippers are great! My go-to winter coat....

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Yardlie — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:22:15 GMT

@Vivian ... LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one. I was trying to zip up my coat as I was leaving Walmart the other day. I was having trouble, and a stranger came up to me and said, "Aren't those zippers troublesome?"

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Yardlie — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:24:06 GMT

@Q4u wrote:
The best zippers on winter coats I've found have been on CarHart coats. Not the most attractive coat out there but it's my warmest and the zippers are great! My go-to winter coat....

CarHart, huh! I've heard of those. Maybe I need to write to Land's End (where my coat came from) and suggest that they put in CarHart type zippers.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

jaxs mom — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:24:35 GMT

I don't currently have any that zip from both ends. I prefer coats that button anyway.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Krimpette — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:24:56 GMT

@Yardlie. Sorry that doesn't work for you. Hope lubricating it works for you. I've never had to go that route, thankfully.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

software — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:26:46 GMT

I never could zip my kids zippers either.

They learned themselves eventually.

Got tired of me trying to do it.

There is also several types of silicone products on the market, similar to WD40 but better. I couldn't survive without it.

@Brinklii wrote:
Does anyone else get frustrated with those darn zippers on winter coats? My coat is down-filled. It has two different zippers so that you can open up just the bottom part if you need to. I try to get everything straight, really push the one end into the correct zipper hole, and it just won't go up. Sometimes I have to try six or seven times. My husband has the same problem with his winter parka. He has just left his coat open a couple times.Then I have to help my 92 y.o. mother get her coat on...same problem.

What is it with zippers these days? I have seen other people in doctor's offices trying to get their coats zipped, and they were frustrated also. I've tried "lubricating" the zipper with a lead pencil...no luck. I have had luck using a pencil on handbag zippers though.

I wish manufacturers would design a coat zipper that will go up easily! Grrrrrr!

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Trinity11 — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:38:07 GMT

I no longer own any coats with zippers because I was tired of always having difficulty with them. My winter coats are all either casual thinsulate coats from Lands End with snaps or wool coats with buttons from LLBean.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

kaydee50 — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:38:12 GMT

I agree about the difficulty of zippers. But on a coat especially a two-way zipper is a must for me. I have passed up a lot of nice looking, expensive coats because they don't have a two-way zipper. Don't know what the big deal is--can't be that much more expensive.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:42:27 GMT

@Yardlie

Okay, I have to ask the obvious ...... WHY are you even purchasing coats with zippers?

You can purchase outer wear with buttons, hooks, toggles, snaps, velcro ... or, my personal favorite, wrap ties .... like you see on bathrobes. They are also the fastest to put on or take off (see below)

If you really INSIST on buying this kind of annoying fastener, try putting paper towels on either side of the zippers and spray the entire length with WD-40. Problem solved.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

Trinity11 — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:46:34 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Yardlie

Okay, I have to ask the obvious ...... WHY are you even purchasing coats with zippers?

You can purchase outer wear with buttons, hooks, toggles, snaps, velcro ... or, my personal favorite, wrap ties .... like you see on bathrobes. They are also the fastest to put on or take off (see below)

If you really INSIST on buying this kind of annoying fastener, try putting paper towels on either side of the zippers and spray the entire length with WD-40. Problem solved.

Love those coats! I have been wearing them almost my entire life because I love a cinched waist on outerwear.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

kaydee50 — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:56:12 GMT

Nice looking coats but here in Chicago when it's single digits and the wind chills are below zero a wrap coat won't do the trick. Need something that is closed from neck to knees at least and that will stay closed. These coats may work in other climates but for me, not here. Don't even like wrap bathrobes. They always open up on me.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

hennypenny — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:02:03 GMT

A bit off topic, but what I hate are zippers that go to the top of the fabric. they poke at your neck.

I had to send a jacket back because of that (and a hood that blocked my vision), and had a vest with that problem, but ended up sewing the corners of the vest down so that the zipper didn't keep poking me.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

itsmagic — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:18:01 GMT

I have a long down coat with a single zipper and I am always getting my zipper stuck on the lining. I had to step out of it the other day to work on getting it unstuck.

Re: Winter Coat Zippers

MalteseMomma — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:18:17 GMT

That is why I NEVER buy a down coat if it does not have additional snaps over the zipper. If the zipper fails ,you throw the coat away,if it also snaps closed it lasts forever........lol

I had to loose a few good coats to get smart!.........lol