Reclosable fastener tapes offer a lightweight, flexible way to mate materials together, resulting in faster production processes as well as many of the other benefits commonly provided by pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes. Unlike PSA tapes, reclosable fastener tapes offer the added benefit of being able to detach and reattach joined materials many times, while PSA tapes need to be removed and reapplied any time you need to detach and reattach substrates. This allows for design flexibility in products across nearly any industry.

What are your options when it comes to reclosable fasteners? Two of the best options on the market are hook and loop fasteners (commonly known as brand names like Velcro®) and Dual Lock™ fasteners. What’s the difference between the two, and which one is right for your application?

What is Velcro®?

The terms “Velcro” and “hook and loop fastener” have become synonymous over the years, but Velcro® is a brand name for a specific type of hook and loop fastener. It’s a company that manufactures these products, but it doesn’t encompass all the different types or brands of hook and loop fasteners. Other companies have brands of hook and loop fasteners including 3M™ Scotchmate™ and Texacro®.

What Are Hook and Loop Fasteners?

Hook and loop fasteners are comprised of two different strips of material (generally made out fabric or a similar material). One strip is made of very small fabric or plastic hooks, the other is made of very small fabric loops. When placed together, these two pieces of fabric mate to one another by having the hooks latch onto and the loops. This creates a bond that can only be detached with a certain level of force. Once the pieces are separated, they can be reattached and pulled apart many times before they fail to adhere to one another. Typically, the hook and loop are adhered to substrates with a pre-applied pressure sensitive adhesive laminated to the back or sewed on.

What is 3M™ Dual Lock™?

Dual Lock™ is a brand of reclosable fastener made by 3M. Like hook and loop fasteners, these reclosable fasteners are made of two separate strips of material. Rather than fabric hooks and loops, Dual Lock uses interlocking mushroom shaped heads made of plastic on each strip. Often times, the mating strips will be exactly the same Dual Lock product. When placed together, these interlocking heads snap together. Although their bond is much stronger than traditional hook and loop fasteners, these reclosable fasteners still have a quick release capability that makes them ideal for applications where pieces need to be frequently detached and reattached. Given their strength, Dual Lock has strong prelaminated PSA options including acrylic foam tapes similar to 3M VHB.

The Advantages of Using Hook and Loop Fasteners Like Velcro and Scotchmate

While the strength of the bond formed by Dual Lock is decidedly stronger than Velcro and other hook and loop fasteners, there are many reasons why engineers would prefer to use hook and loop fasteners in their application:

They are easier to pull apart, allowing them to be repositioned as needed.
They can be an economical choice.
They are available in flame resistant options (and can meet regulations in the aerospace and motor vehicle industries).
They can be used in fabrics and applications that require sewing or stitching (this makes them ideal for furniture cushions and other fabric applications).
They can be bonded with liquid adhesives.
They are available in myriad color options.
When compared to Dual Lock, they can be attached and detached many more times (5,000 for hook and loop vs 1,000 for Dual lock).

The Downsides of Using Hook and Loop Fasteners

Like all technologies, there are specific reasons to choose hook and loop fasteners, while there are some drawbacks to using them:

Two different products must be purchased and stocked for any fastener pair to operate (the hook and the loop).
They can be cumbersome to use since they will attach upon contact. This can slow down assembly processes and make precise attachment a challenge.
The attachment force is relatively weak when compared to Dual Lock.

The Advantages of Using Dual Lock

The primary advantage to using Dual Lock in any application is the bond strength, which can be five times stronger in terms of resisting tensile forces when compared to hook and loop fasteners. Outside of raw bond strength, there are many other reasons why engineers would recommend Dual Lock over hook and loop fasteners:

They have an audible snap when a bond is formed, giving you the certainty that the bond has been made.
They do not suffer mate on contact. Light pressure must be applied for the mating to occur.
Prior to fastening, the parts can touch and be repositioned before allowing the bond to be made.
They can be temperature, moisture, and UV resistant. They can also operate under more rugged conditions.
They can help with applications that require vibration dampening.
Only one product is required for fastening.
Because the bond strength is higher, in some instances less of the material must be used.

The Downsides of Using Dual Lock

Some of the drawbacks of using Dual Lock reclosable fasteners include:

Fewer opens and closes.
No fire-retardant option.
Fewer color options.
The material is slightly thicker than hook and loop fasteners like Velcro.
They can be the more expensive option.

Both Options Can be Paired with Pressure Sensitive Adhesives

Both hook and loop fasteners and Dual Lock reclosable fasteners can be laminated with your choice of pressure sensitive adhesives, allowing the reclosable fasteners to be attached to substrates in nearly any environment. At Engineered Materials, we can also cut and fabricate your reclosable fasteners to create custom parts that are easily used within your products and can be quickly applied during your assembly process.

Comparing Hook and Loop Fasteners (Velcro) and Dual Lock Reclosable Fasteners