Zipper Pull Tab Broken Off: How To Open the Bag

Thread a safety pin, paper clip or key ring through the slider hole to move it. If the slider crown is broken, replace the slider.

Published October 27, 2026 · 3 min read · Topic: Repairs, Zippers & Hardware · Repairs & hardware

Typical situation

The pull tab of your bag’s zipper has snapped off, and you cannot grip the slider to open the bag.

Main answer · berabags Editorial Team · Repair view

Thread a safety pin, paper clip or small wire loop through the hole in the slider, and use it to move the slider. Zipper Rescue says that if the metal crown of the slider is still intact, you can use a key ring or a piece of wire as a new pull.

What Zipper Rescue says

Broken pull tabs are very common.
If the pull is missing and the slider seems stuck, you may have a locking zipper, which locks automatically so the zipper stays closed.
To free it, feed a safety pin, paper clip, wire or similar through the hole where the pull was attached, and pull outwards.
You can use a key ring or a piece of wire to make a pull, if the metal crown of the slider is intact.
If the whole crown that the pull connects to has broken off, you can replace the slider.

What to do

Look at the slider and find the hole where the pull was.
Thread a safety pin, paper clip or small ring through it.
Pull gently outwards and move the slider.
Add a cord loop, ring or ready-made pull if you want a lasting fix.
If the crown is broken, replace the slider.

What to avoid

Do not pull hard with pliers on the slider body, since it can bend or break. Sliders are often made of cast metal, which can break under stress.

Where this answer stops

This is general advice from a repair supplier. If the zipper has other damage, or the bag is valuable, a repair shop can advise.

Sources and further reading

Zipper Rescue: Zipper FAQ

Three more perspectives

berabags Editorial Team · Maintenance view

Replace a worn pull before it breaks. A pull that is cracked or thin at the loop is about to fail, and a new one is cheaper than a repair after a failure.

berabags Editorial Team · Selection view

Check how the slider is made. If only the pull has gone and the crown of the slider is intact, a loop of wire or a key ring is enough. If the crown is broken, you need a new slider.

berabags Editorial Team · Use view

A cord or a ring fixed through the slider hole works as a temporary or lasting pull. Keep it light, because a heavy charm adds strain to the slider.

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