YKK AquaGuard

YKK AquaGuard is the YKK range of water-repellent zippers with a polyurethane coating on the tape. Two main variants exist: 1) AquaGuard Coil, where the plastic spiral runs on the inside and the matt PU-coated tapes form the outside; 2) AquaGuard Vislon (e.g. 8VT AquaGuard, 10VT AquaGuard), where the Vislon plastic teeth are PU coated - here tape and tooth colour can be chosen independently. AquaGuard zippers are water-repellent but not fully pressure-tight: they resist rain, splash and light flooding but can leak under high hydrostatic pressure (deep submersion). In outdoor apparel they have widely replaced conventional waterproof zippers with a storm flap because they build slimmer, save weight and give a cleaner jacket look. Typical uses: outdoor and softshell jackets, cycling apparel, weatherproof bags and backpacks.