[SOLVED!] Dual Lock Vs. Velcro: The Fight Of Fasteners

Quite a few factors influence the difficulty of assembling pedalboards but everything should turn out fine if you have good fasteners. Currently, once it comes to fasteners for pedalboards, modern guitarists often choose either Dual Lock or Velcro. Since different fasteners have different characteristics, they feature distinct performances in specific settings. Spare a bit of your time and check out my article if the topic of Dual Lock vs Velcro also piques your curiosity.

Overview

Velcro

When guitarists mention “Velcro”, they are referring to the hook-and-loops fastener (a.k.a hook-and-pile fastener, touch fastener, …). The name sticks as a result of the fasteners’ origins as well as the prominence of the Velcro brand.

In 1941, the original hook-and-loops fastener was invented by a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral which was later dubbed “Velcro”. The idea came to him after observing burs sticking to his clothes and his dog’s fur after a hunting trip via a microscope. From Mestral’s point of view, the burs’ hooks latch themselves onto anything with a loop such as clothing, hair, fur, etc. He later founded the Velcro Companies in the 1950s and nowadays, his fastener sees extensive use in quite a few fields.

The principle of modern Velcro is plain: On the surface of two fabric strips, one side contains tiny hooks while the other side contains small loops. The moment the two surfaces make physical contact, they stick firmly together and serve as fasteners. In times of need, it’s possible to pull the surfaces apart which makes Velcro an ideal fastener for everyday use: clothing, shoes, etc. For a number of guitarists, Velcro is good at securing components of their pedalboards and restricting their movements.

Dual Lock

To put it plainly, Dual Lock is also a type of fastener but it differs from Velcro in terms of design. It comprises mushroom-shaped stems that interlock with another one of its kind if pressed together. There is no hook or loop so people only need to press one open side to another to form a lock. Since Dual Lock is a product of 3M, an American multinational conglomerate, a lot of people refer to Dual Lock as “3M Dual Lock”.

Comparison

Stability

If you put stability over all else, you should know that Dual Lock beats Velcro in most of the cases. Known as the strongest fastener system on the market, Dual Lock is the best choice for heavy-duty applications ranging from automobile to building construction. It possesses five times the tensile strength compared to the average industrial hook-and-loops fastener. Aside from that, Dual Lock is completely weatherproof so it’s going to work as expected even if the weather is hot, cold, wet, dry, etc.

On the other hand, Velcro is the average standard hook-and-loops fastener which means it will not be as stable. Noteworthily, Velcro is also prone to being worn out from extended use but as a whole, it’s sufficient to keep everything in place.

Convenience

Regarding convenience, there is no doubt that Dual Lock wins handown:

• More binding strength means you need to use fewer fasteners. For instance, you would need to cover the whole board with Velcro while you only need to use two or three Dual Lock fasteners.
• Dual Lock is actually easier to take apart than Velcro once you’ve gotten used to picking off their edges. In addition, while Velcro sometimes leaves behind sticky residues, Dual Lock stays spotless.
• Due to having no hook side or loop side like with Velcro, you don’t need to think about which side to use.
• Velcro lets out a loud noise when the strips come apart.

Price

In layman’s terms, price is more or less the only disadvantage of using Dual Lock but it honestly makes sense. Dual Lock is in essence one of the best fasteners out there so you get what you pay for. Dual Lock’s superior quality does not come cheap as you must pay around $11 for every 2 strips (2 ft). Of course, you will likely receive a discount if you purchase multiple strips in a single order.

Meanwhile, you can buy enough Velcro strips for the whole pedalboard by spending around $6 – $10.

Summary

	Dual Lock	Velcro
Stability	Very strong	Standard
Convenience	More convenient	Less convenient
Price	Expensive	Cheap

 

Final Words

Is it better to use Dual Lock rather than Velcro for guitar pedalboards? If you can afford it then Dual Lock is definitely better than Velcro. Most guitarists who have tried Dual Lock have very positive opinions of it. The only thing to keep in mind is Dual Lock is not completely required. For guitar pedalboards, Velcro works just fine for keeping everything in place whereas Dual Lock would just be overkill in most cases.

So, if you are looking to get a Dual Lock for your pedalboard, consider the following:

• Do you move your guitar around a lot?
• Can you comfortably accept Dual Lock’s high price tag?
• Do you live in an area with a harsh climate?