The best zip tie uses are the small jobs that would otherwise need a bracket, a clamp or a roll of tape. A zip tie does them in seconds, holds firm, and costs cents. The trick is matching the tie to the job: too thin and it snaps, too short and it will not close, plastic near heat and it softens.
Every idea below names the size we would reach for. Widths and strengths come from our range: 8kg at 2.5mm, 18kg at 3.6mm, 22kg at 4.8mm, 55kg at 7.6mm and 80kg at 9mm.
Around the home
- Tidy cables behind the TV and desk. Bundle leads every 30cm or so with 2.5 x 100mm or 2.5 x 150mm ties. White suits light walls; black disappears behind dark furniture.
- Label chargers and leads. A zip tie marker with a write-on tag tells you which cable is which.
- Keep coiled extension leads coiled. One 3.6 x 200mm tie around each coil, or a releasable tie you can open each time you use the lead.
- Hang Christmas lights and decorations. Releasable 7.6mm ties let you take everything down in January without cutting.
In the shed and workshop
- Hang hoses, leads and tools. Screw a mountable zip tie to the wall and the bundle hangs off the screw.
- Run leads along a bench. Stick zip tie mounts under the bench and thread 4.8mm ties through them.
- Bundle offcuts and steel. 7.6 x 300mm ties at 55kg hold lengths of pipe, conduit or timber together for storage or transport.
- Colour-code tools and gear. One colour per person or crew, so tools come back to the right box.
In the garden
- Fix shade cloth and mesh. Black 4.8 x 300mm ties are UV stabilised for years in the sun.
- Support plants. Loose releasable ties let you adjust as the stem grows, so the tie never cuts in.
- Secure irrigation lines. Tie dripline to stakes or fences with 3.6mm or 4.8mm ties.
- Repair a fence temporarily. Wide 7.6mm ties hold a loose paling or wire until it is fixed properly.
On the ute, trailer and 4WD
- Tidy a wiring loom. 4.8 x 200mm or 4.8 x 300mm black ties, spaced along the run.
- Stop hoses rubbing. Dual handcuff zip ties hold two hoses side by side with a gap between them.
- Clip a loom to a panel or rail. Push mount zip ties clip into factory holes; button head ties suit chassis rails.
- Hold a loose undertray or trim until repair. Several 7.6mm ties. Treat it as temporary and fix it properly.
- Near the exhaust or engine, use stainless steel zip ties. Nylon softens with heat.
Camping and outdoors
- Tie a tarp to a frame or tree. Black 4.8 x 300mm or 7.6 x 300mm ties through the eyelets.
- Splint a broken tent pole. A straight stick and a few 4.8mm ties get the tent through the weekend.
- Hang a lantern or bag. Make a loop from one tie and leave it loose enough to slip a hook through.
- Pack a kit of mixed sizes. 4.8mm and 7.6mm ties cover most campsite fixes; our trade bulk box has both.
- Flying with zip ties? Read can you take zip ties on a plane before you pack.
Which tie for which job
| Job | Tie |
|---|---|
| Desk, TV and charger leads | 2.5 x 100mm or 2.5 x 150mm |
| Coiled leads, light household jobs | 3.6 x 200mm |
| Wiring looms, mesh, shade cloth | 4.8 x 200mm or 4.8 x 300mm black |
| Steel, pipe, signs, tarps | 7.6 x 300mm |
| Anything you will reopen | Releasable 7.6mm |
| Hot or coastal jobs | 304 or 316 stainless |
Not sure of the length? The zip tie sizes guide shows how to measure a bundle.
When not to use a zip tie
- Never to lift, hang or restrain anything where a snap could hurt someone.
- Not on a hose under pressure: use a hose clamp.
- Not as a permanent fix on a vehicle part that affects safety: repair it properly.
How to store zip ties
Keep each size in its own labelled bag or tub, sorted by width. Store them out of direct sun, especially white and coloured ties. A few of each common size in the ute or toolbag (2.5mm, 4.8mm and 7.6mm) covers most jobs on the go.
Common questions
What can you use zip ties for?
Bundling, hanging, fixing and labelling: cables, hoses, mesh, plants, tarps, tools and temporary repairs. Choose the width for the load and the length for the bundle.
What is the most useful zip tie size?
4.8 x 200mm. At 22kg it handles most household, garden and wiring jobs.
Can I use zip ties instead of a hose clamp?
Only on a hose with no pressure, such as a drain or overflow line. On anything under pressure, use a proper hose clamp.
Written by the team at Zip Tie Man, an Australian zip tie supplier since 2016.
Stock up on zip ties in every size, or read what a zip tie is and how it works.
Featured image: Horst Kiechle, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).
