What are the Different Types of Cable Ties?

Cable ties are among the most versatile pieces of equipment you’ll find in any tradesperson or DIY enthusiast’s toolkit.

What Can Cable Ties be Used For?

Despite the name, cable ties aren’t just useful for cable management and can be used in several ways, from temporarily securing items while you work to keeping similar items together and even as a makeshift lock.

How Easy are Cable Ties to Use?

Cable ties are among the safest and easiest pieces of equipment to use. In a matter of seconds, you can use them to achieve your objective and get on with the next task.

To secure a cable tie, all you need to do is place the pointed end of the cable tie into the locking piece. Once it’s through, you then pull it as tight as you need to in order to secure your cables or whatever it is you’re tying up.

The cool thing about cable ties is that they only work one way, so you will never find yourself fixing a cable tie the wrong way.

Once you’ve finished fastening the cable tie, you cut the loose end off (if you choose to) and can move on with your next task. If you need to tension the cable the tie we recommend using a cable tie tensioning tool.

What are the Different Types of Cable Ties?

A “standard” cable tie will typically be a nylon cable tie and is generally a single use piece of kit. You’ll find such cable ties in a variety of lengths and widths. This allows you to specifically buy the size of cable tie you need for the job you have in mind ensuring you have adequate length and tensile strength from the tie.

Here at Trade Warehouse, our standard cable ties are available in sizes from 2.5mm x 100mm to 9mm to 1168mm.

Within our nylon cable ties you’ll also find a wide variety of the following types of ties.

Black, Natural, or Coloured Cable Ties

You can choose from whatever colour of cable tie you wish. Black and natural coloured ties – natural in this case meaning an off-white colour – are typically the most popular and these are the majority of what we stock. We recommend using coloured cable ties if you are potentially going to need to identify specific cable groups in the future, while they can also be useful if you need to organise or tie up other things around your home. Black cable ties can be useful if you have external wiring that needs securing.

Releasable Cable Ties

Releasable cable ties are becoming increasingly popular and are widely available in black nylon. You might also see them commonly referred to as reusable cable ties.

These are a great piece of kit to have if you need to secure things temporarily and regularly over a sequence of time. Fastening and unfastening will usually prove quicker than repeatedly tying and cutting single use ties, especially if you are working with cables or pipes and will need to ensure maximum tension on your ties while being careful when subsequently cutting them.

Releasable nylon cable ties have a small lever that allows simple release, so you can undo the tie and put it to use once more.

As use of releasable cable ties increases, an increasing number of colours are becoming available with a range of uses in mind. Green reusable ties, for example, are often seen being used for horticultural purposes, with the additional beauty of a reusable cable tie of course being that you can refasten it in this instance as your plants grow.

Mounted Head Cable Ties

A variety of different sized mounted head cable ties are available, and what they all have in common is a mounting hole so that as well as securing cables or pipework, you can then subsequently secure the fastening to the wall.

Mounted head cable ties are typically used outside, although are also common in areas of the home where you might have a lot of wires but where they won’t be visible, such as in built-in cupboard spaces, or attics and basements if your home has one.

Many people choose to use cable clips, cable tie mounts or staples for securing cables in visible areas of the home as these tend to be more subtle than using a mounted head cable tie.

Stainless Steel Cable Ties

While standard nylon cable ties are fantastic, sometimes you need something stronger to do the job. That’s where stainless steel cable ties come in.

Typically used in factories, the automotive industry, solar installations and in the fire protection industry, a stainless steel cable tie might be a good choice if you simply want something more robust and additional peace of mind that whatever you’ve tied is secure and is cable of coping in hot or corrosive environments.

Choosing the Best Cable Ties for Your Needs

Cable ties are great, and it can be tempting to fill up your tool bag with a variety of them despite the fact you might only ever use one or two types in your work. They are versatile and can be useful in unexpected situations. Always make sure you have some at hand.

Take time to choose the right cable tie for the job you need to do. Shop our full range here to get exactly what you need to save yourself time and money on your next project.