Ties vs Press Studs on Patient Gowns: Which Fastening to Choose

Ties are cheap, adjustable, metal-free and easy to repair, but they tangle in the wash, come undone and can be hard for patients to fasten behind their back. Press studs are faster for staff and patients, stay closed and keep gowns tidy in the laundry, but they add cost, can fail or pull out over time, and metal studs are a problem in imaging. Many hospitals use a mix: press studs where speed matters, ties where metal must be avoided or fit needs to be adjusted.

This post compares the two in detail and suggests which fastening suits which ward.

How each fastening works on a gown

Ties

Ties are fabric tapes sewn to the gown at the neck, back or side. On a back-opening gown there are usually ties at the neck and at the waist or mid-back. On a wrap-around gown, an inner tie holds the under-panel and an outer tie wraps around and fastens at the side or front.

Press studs

Press studs (snaps) are two-part fasteners pressed into the fabric. On gowns they are used at the neck, along the back opening, on shoulder openings for IV or line access, and sometimes along the sleeve. They come in metal and plastic versions.

Mixed fastening

A common hybrid is press studs at the neck and shoulders, where staff open and close the gown most often, with a waist tie for adjustable fit. The combination depends on the gown style; our post on back-opening vs wrap-around patient gowns covers how each style closes.

Side-by-side comparison

Factor	Ties	Press studs
Speed of fastening	Slower, especially for patients doing it alone	Fast
Ease for patients with limited dexterity	Hard to tie behind the back	Easier, though small studs can be fiddly
Adjustable fit	Yes, ties allow for different body sizes	Fixed positions; some gowns use two rows
Stays closed	Can loosen or come undone	Generally stays closed
Behaviour in the wash	Can tangle and knot with other items	Gowns stay separate, but studs take wear
Common failures	Ties torn off or frayed	Studs pulling out, losing grip, or damaged
Repair	Simple to resew	Needs the right tool and parts
Metal content	None	Metal unless plastic studs are specified
Cost	Lower	Higher

Ties: strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Adjustable fit. One gown can be tied tighter or looser, which helps when a size range is narrow.
• No metal. Useful where metal must be avoided, subject to the imaging team's own policy.
• Low cost and easy repair. A torn tie can be resewn by most linen rooms.

Weaknesses

• Tangling in the laundry. Ties knot together in washers and dryers, slowing folding and increasing handling. Some laundries ask for ties to be fastened before washing to reduce this.
• Patient frustration. Tying a gown behind the back is difficult, so patients leave ties undone or ask for help, and gowns gape.
• Loose ends. Ties can be pulled off over time. In some settings, such as mental health units, ties are reviewed as a potential risk; see our post on patient gowns for mental health units.

Press studs: strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Speed. Staff can open a shoulder or back quickly for examination, ECG leads or IV access and close it again just as fast.
• Tidy closure. Gowns stay closed, which helps dignity, particularly when patients are walking.
• Laundry handling. No ties to tangle, so gowns fold faster.

Weaknesses

• Wear and failure. Repeated high-temperature washing and drying puts stress on studs and the fabric around them. Studs can loosen, lose their grip or pull out, sometimes taking a small piece of fabric with them.
• Reinforcement needed. Studs should be set into reinforced fabric, such as a folded facing or an interlining, to reduce pull-out.
• Metal. Metal studs are not suitable for MRI and can show up on X-ray images. For imaging areas, specify metal-free fastening and let the imaging team confirm it against its own policy. Our post on patient gowns for MRI explains this further.
• Cost. Studs and their fitting add to the unit price.

Which fastening suits which area

These are common patterns, not rules. Your nursing and infection-control teams know their patients best.

• General wards: a mix often works well, with press studs at the neck and shoulders and a waist tie.
• Day surgery and procedure areas: press studs speed up changing before and after procedures.
• Imaging and MRI: ties, or plastic fastenings if the imaging team approves them, with no metal.
• Cardiology and telemetry: shoulder or front press studs help with leads and monitoring access.
• Elderly care: press studs or wide, simple fastenings are often easier than ties for patients with arthritis or limited dexterity.
• Paediatrics: press studs keep gowns closed on active children.
• Mental health: decided by the clinical and safety team.

What to specify

If you choose press studs:

1. State metal or plastic, and where each is allowed.
2. Specify reinforcement behind each stud.
3. State the number and position of studs for each opening.
4. Ask how the studs and the fabric around them hold up after repeated washes at your laundry's temperature.
5. Keep a small stock of spare parts or agree a repair route.

If you choose ties:

1. State the number, position and length of ties.
2. Specify tie width and how they are attached (stitched into the seam, bar-tacked, or both).
3. Agree with the laundry whether ties will be fastened before washing.

Testing fastenings before bulk

Fastenings are one of the first things to fail on a reusable gown, so test them on the sample. Launder sample gowns through your normal process several times, then check for loose or missing studs, torn fabric around studs, frayed or detached ties, and gowns that no longer close properly. Ask a few nurses to fasten and unfasten gowns on a colleague, and ask patients for feedback where possible. Our post on how hospitals launder patient gowns covers what the wash cycle does to fabrics and trims.

Ordering from MISHAREN

MISHAREN makes reusable patient gowns with ties, press studs or a mix, and can specify MRI gowns without metal fastenings on request, with your imaging team confirming them against its MRI policy. Gowns are made to order at its own production unit in Konni, Kerala, and shipped to the UAE for delivery across all seven emirates. A sample is approved before bulk, so you can test the fastenings in your own laundry first.

See our patient gowns page or contact us for a quotation.