How Velcro Works

Velcro is a clever fastener made of two strips. One strip is covered with tiny stiff hooks. The other strip is covered with soft fuzzy loops. When you press them together, the hooks grab onto the loops and hold tight. Pull them apart, and you hear that familiar ripping sound.

The Invention of Velcro

Velcro was invented in 1941 by a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral. He noticed that burrs from plants stuck to his clothes and his dog's fur after a walk. He looked at the burrs under a microscope and saw they had tiny hooks. He spent years creating a fastener that worked the same way.

How the Hooks and Loops Work

Each square inch of Velcro has hundreds of tiny hooks on one side and hundreds of tiny loops on the other. When pressed together, the hooks slide into the loops and catch. The connection is strong enough to hold things in place. But you can still pull them apart because the hooks bend and release the loops.

Fun Facts

• NASA uses Velcro on spacecraft to keep things from floating away in zero gravity.
• The name Velcro comes from the French words velours (velvet) and crochet (hook).
• A two-inch square of industrial Velcro can hold up to 175 pounds.

Did You Know?

It took George de Mestral over eight years to perfect Velcro after getting his idea from burrs. Many people thought his idea was silly at first. Now Velcro is used in everything from shoes to space suits!