We like snacks almost as much as we like testing our products, so it was inevitable that our bag clips would end up in a QLP test at some point.
Since a bag clip’s job is to clamp a snack bag shut, we wanted to test their grip strength. All it took was a plastic bag, our clips, and a lot of snacks (granola bars, in this case.)
Types of Bag Clips
The clips we tested fell into two categories. It turns out that there aren’t official names for different types of bag clips, so I’m going to call them bar clips and clothing peg/peg clips.
Bar clips are the classic wide clips with the hinge at the top.
Clothing peg clips look more like, yes, clothing pegs: they tend to be long and narrow.
Another key difference between these two types of clip – as well as the shape – is that the clothing peg clips usually have horizontal ridges on the section that grips the bag, whereas bar clips don’t. This may or may not become relevant later.
Method
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1
Clip the clip onto the bag.
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2
Add one 0.84oz granola bar at a time, making sure the weight is distributed as evenly as possible.
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3
When the bag falls from the clip, count the granola bars and calculate the weight the clip managed to hold.
Wait, granola bars?
Yes: Granola bars are long and thin, which means their weight is distributed evenly in the bag. They are prepackaged, so you can add one at a time, and they’re all the same weight (with minor variations.) At 0.84oz, they come in small enough increments to show the difference between two very similar clips. And you can fit a lot of them in a bag if you need to, so they’re a good test for the stronger clips too.
Video
Key Takeaways
Look for Clips With Ridges
Yes, those ridges on the peg clips appear to have made a lot of difference! We tested 17 clips, 12 of which were peg clips and 5 of which were bar clips. There was a clear winner: The top 11 were all peg clips. The peg clip in 11th place still held two more granola bars than the top-performing wide clip. (That’s an extra 1.68oz for anyone who still hasn’t come around to the concept of measuring weight in granola bars.)
The bar clips tend to have two small lips on each side of the clip that meet but don’t overlap. In contrast, the ridges are able to clamp the bag between them, which gives them a stronger grip.
Size Didn’t Matter
You’d think that a bigger clip would mean more surface to hold more weight, but that’s not what we found. The two biggest clips were both bar clips. One was 6.25” wide and 2.63” high, and that one came 12th out of 17. The second-widest was 4.25″ wide and 2.63″ high, and came 15th. Great for making sure a giant bag of chips stays closed, but not very strong.
Four Clips Held Over 1lb
For context, 1lb is the weight of four ½ cup butter sticks (i.e. a one-pound box of butter), a large bag of coffee, or a loaf of bread. It’s quite impressive that a little plastic clip could hold that much weight, and four of our clips held more than that.
The Bottom Line
The width you get on classic bar clips might be good for holding down as much of the top of your bag as possible, but they are not designed to have a strong grip. If you want that, look for the narrower clothing peg-style bag clips, and specifically ones with ridges. These will crimp the bag between them and grip much better.
| Q# | Product Name | Image + Clip | # of Granola Bars Held | Weight Held (lb) | View Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q8273 | Jumbo Magnetic Clip |
|
16 | 0.84 | View Product |
| Q8694 | Safety Seal Bag Clip |
|
6 | 0.32 | View Product |
| Q8696 | Bag Clips 6.25″ x 2.625″ |
|
9 | 0.47 | View Product |
| Q17536 | Heart Magnetic Memo Clip |
|
12 | 0.63 | View Product |
| Q22754 | Super Star Power Clip |
|
22 | 1.16 | View Product |
| Q22755 | House and Home Power Clip |
|
23 | 1.21 | View Product |
| Q23835 | Alligator Clip |
|
11 | 0.58 | View Product |
| Q27017 | Plastic Power Clip |
|
18 | 0.95 | View Product |
| Q27025 | Power Clip Jumbo |
|
15 | 0.79 | View Product |
| Q32714 | Round Shape Clip |
|
20 | 1.05 | View Product |
| Q33920 | Mini Bag Clip |
|
3 | 0.16 | View Product |
| Q61667 | Wide Rectangle Clip |
|
16 | 0.84 | View Product |
| Q64009 | Snack-In Clip |
|
6 | 0.32 | View Product |
| Q73201 | Potato Chip Clip |
|
7 | 0.37 | View Product |
| Q88145 | Magnetic Clip Memo Holder |
|
9 | 0.47 | View Product |
| Q88807 | Square Magnetic Clip |
|
22 | 1.16 | View Product |
| Q90398 | Tooth Magnetic Clip |
|
18 | 0.95 | View Product |
Natasha Lavender
Natasha is an experienced writer and editor who has covered topics including technology, health and safety, business, and pop culture. Her work has been published by Good Housekeeping magazine, Forbes, Success, and more.
