The zips charge in sunlight (UV) and can be used to enhance safety features as well as a fashion accessory for all articles of clothing.

All the zip’s components including the teeth, slider, puller and textile tape have luminescent properties which are white in daylight but give a green luminous glow in darkness.  Possible uses include sportswear, childrenswear, backpacks, tents and outdoor equipment.  They also charge, to a lesser extent, in artificial light.

Rajiv Sharma, CEO, Industrial Division, Coats plc, said: ‘Coats is constantly looking to innovate popular products to extend their use or provide alternative applications.  An Opti P Lucence zip turns a standard clothes fastener into a fashion statement and increases visibility, in turn enhancing its safety features.’

Opti P Lucence zips are the latest addition to the luminous range of products by Coats which includes Coats Lucence, a high tenacity thread for use in embroidery and decorative topstitching applications.

Coats