zippers, made better.
Why We Built DuraGlide™
A custom water-resistant zipper developed with Zoom® for smoother pulls, strong durability, and better real-world use.
Most people never think about a zipper until it feels bad. Too stiff. Too sticky. Too much force when you only have one hand free.
That’s exactly why we built DuraGlide™.
In partnership with Zoom®, we developed a custom laminated water-resistant zipper engineered with UHMWPE thread in the chain stitching, then tested it head-to-head against YKK water-resistant zippers to see how it performed.
The Tradeoff With Water-Resistant Zippers
Water-resistant zippers are great for bags because the laminated film helps keep gear dry in rough conditions. But that added lamination usually comes with two common downsides:
- Higher operating force
- The risk of lamination wear over time.
That was the problem we wanted to solve.
What Makes DuraGlide™ Different
DuraGlide™ is the result of a proprietary collaboration between Matador® and Zoom®.
It was engineered with ultra-strong, low-friction UHMWPE thread in the chain stitching to create a zipper that feels smoother in hand while holding up to repeated use.
how we tested it
We put DuraGlide™ and YKK water-resistant zippers through two side-by-side tests:
Reciprocation test
Repeated opening and closing under lateral and longitudinal tension to simulate real use under load. The industry standard is 500 cycles without failure, but we pushed testing much further: 2,000 cycles, 5,000 cycles, and 20,000 cycles.
Operating force test
A force gauge measured the highest force required to close the zipper on a flat surface at a 0-degree angle. This helps show how tight or smooth a zipper feels in use.
What We Found
Tested under load — about 11 years of repeated use if opened and closed five times a day.
For both systems after extreme reciprocation testing.
operating-force test
#10 size vs. YKK:
lower operating force.
DuraGlide™ showed lower operating force than YKK in #5 and #10, with #8 nearly identical.
Durability Under Repeated Use
After 2,000 cycles
Both zipper systems showed no functional failure and no visible wear on lamination, teeth, or thread.
After 5,000 cycles
Both still showed no functional failure, with minor lamination wear appearing on #8 and #10.
After 20,000 cycles
Both remained functional, though visible wear appeared on the lamination.
The comparison report notes that Matador’s lamination appeared more resistant to wear overall in that extreme test.
Why Smoothness Matters
A smoother zipper sounds like a small detail until you use the bag every day. Water-resistant zippers often feel tight because of the added laminated film.
In the operating-force test, DuraGlide™ required less force than YKK in the tested #5 and #10 sizes, with nearly equal performance in #8.
So, Why Not YKK?
Zippers are arguably the most important component on a bag. They’re the most-used touchpoint and often the first part to fail. Simply put, a better zipper makes for a better bag.
Our partnership with Zoom® gave us the opportunity to develop a premium custom zipper engineered for smoother operation, longer life, and reliable weather resistance.
In testing, DuraGlide™ exceeded the industry standard in virtually every category.
That’s why we use DuraGlide™.
