As the leading supplier of cable ties in the United Kingdom, we stock hundreds of different sizes, colours, and different types of cable ties – which can make choosing the cable tie hard if you don’t know exactly which one you require!
This article is for you, if you wish to get some additional help in choosing the correct type and size of the cable tie (focusing on the most common uses of cable ties only).
Let’s start by asking a few questions that should help you decide which cable tie to choose…
How strong do the cable ties need to be? Are there any weight or tensile strength requirements?
One of the most important factors to consider is whether the cable ties need to be strong enough to hold a heavy load which is commonly the case in construction work such as when building scaffolding, or whether the cable ties need to be just strong enough to hold a bundle of cables together for simple cable organisation needs.
While our nylon cable ties are all strong and high quality, it is still important to choose a suitable tie to ensure safe use: Either a cable tie that is thick enough (and has a high tensile strength), or for the most demanding uses you can also choose our premium quality stainless steel cable ties.
Our three strongest standard cable tie widths are:
7.6 mm width – 54.4 kg tensile strength (Popular size: 370 x 7.6 mm)
9.0 mm width – 79.4 kg tensile strength (Popular size: 530 x 9.0 mm)
13 mm width – 114 kg tensile strength (Popular size: 580 x 13 mm)
However, if you wish to have even stronger cable ties: You should choose our 316 marine grade stainless steel cable ties.
Our strongest stainless steel cable ties come in various lengths, and three widths:
4.6 mm width – 89 kg tensile strength (Popular size: 290 x 4.6 mm)
7.9 mm width – 163 kg tensile strength (Popular size: 360 x 7.9 mm)
12 mm width – 320 kg tensile strength (Popular size: 520 x 12 mm)
If there are no special weight requirements and you wish to choose a cable tie for general use, we recommend choosing our 4.8 mm wide ties which have a tensile strength of 22 kilograms. Our 2.5 mm and 3.6 mm ties are more suited for light loads where you wish the cable tie to be small enough and easy to be cut off if required with normal scissors – such as in computer cable management.
How long do the cable ties need to be?
We highly recommend paying attention to the planned use case and the length of the cable tie required before placing an order.
As a general rule: The diameter of the bundle or the cables you are planning on using the ties for, should be approximately 20% or one fifth of the total length of the cable tie. This ensures that the cable tie is long enough to strap around the bundle easily, but also that there is a small amount spare that will make the installation and tightening the cable ties easier.
Or in other words: To figure out how long of a cable tie you need (at least), simply multiply the thickness or diameter by five!
The theoretical maximum bundle size (diameter) is always a bit longer than the suggested 20% rule (typically around 25-30% depending on the cable tie). But as mentioned above: Having cable ties that are a bit too long are a lot easier to use than ones that are ‘just right’ (or too short!).
As an example: Our most popular black cable ties size is 200 mm x 4.8 mm – which are perfect for bundles that have a diameter of 4 cm or less.
If you are unsure about the sizes you need, we recommend ordering one of our cable tie assortment kits that come with a handy range of most popular sizes and lengths (up to 370 mm length) – so you’ll be always able to have the most popular sizes at hand and to know what to order more of next.
Do you need to reuse the cable ties?
Although you are technically able to open most plastic cable ties by pressing on the tongue / tooth of the cable tie’s head – we do not recommend doing this as this is will lessen the strength of the cable tie.
Instead, we recommend using one of our releasable cable ties that are built for this exact purpose if you plan to release and reuse the cable ties.
We stock three kinds of releasable cable ties:
1. Trigger release cable ties in black, white, red, blue, green and yellow – which are easiest to release by hand quickly
2. Extended or tooth cable ties in black and white, which are recommended for use cases where you need to release the cable ties frequently; but in which you must avoid the cable ties being accidentally released
3. Red polyethylene cable ties, which are beaded cable ties with no sharp edges that also allow you to tie two bundles together
Do you need to identify the cable ties or the bundles?
Especially in cable management applications, it might be important to be quickly tell one bundle of cables apart from another. This can be done very easily by utilising different coloured cable ties for different bundles or cables.
If you need further information to help you identify the correct pipe or hose the cable tie is on, we recommend using our marker cable ties that come with a small tab that you are able to write on with a marker, or alternatively to stick a label on.
Will the cable ties be used indoors or outdoors? What conditions will the cable ties be subject to?
Even though our high-quality standard black cable ties are great for more than 99% of all use cases (both indoor and outdoor use thanks to the black colour being naturally more resistant to UV rays); sometimes you might want to consider a different cable tie for harsher conditions.
For extended outdoor use, we recommend our UV-stabilised cable ties that have an expected outdoor service life of 7-8 years. If you wish to have a stronger cable tie for outdoor use: You can choose between our stainless steel cable ties and coated stainless steel cable ties that have an additional polyester coating for added protection from the elements and chemicals.
Do the cable ties need to be recycled?
As our standard nylon cable ties are made from pure quality nylon, they are the perfect candidate for being recycled and reused depending on your local recycling facilities and schemes (not available everywhere). If recyclability is the most important factor and your local recycling scheme does not recycle nylon materials, we recommend our polypropylene cable ties for ultimate recyclability – as polypropylene (or PP) is commonly recycled in every country.
Still unsure? We’re happy to help!
If you still require assistance in choosing the right kind of cable tie and in the right size; please get in touch by sending us an email with your requirements to: sales@cableties.co.uk