Last year was a difficult year for trying to find canning supplies. Because of 2020 and the canning chaos, I decided to take matters into my own hands for the coming year. If you have ever wondered which reusable canning lids work the best I now have results to share with you before you make your purchase.
Please note that there are affiliate links in the post. If you click a link here and purchase I may earn a small commission.
The 3 Brands I’m Testing and Why
When it comes to reusable canning lids, options are honestly pretty darn limited. This was disappointing for me. However, it also means that those on the market are doing a good job since the consumer is not demanding a new/updated version.
The three brands that I decided to start with for my review are probably the best known brands throughout the US right now.
Tattler is the most well known brand out there. They are basically the first company that created reusable canning lids. Harvest Guard comes in as a very popular second option and is said to be owned by the son of the Tattler business creator, although I cannot find confirmation of this anywhere.
I also decided to give Weck Jars a chance to make their debut here on the blog. These are primarily a European jar but they are beautiful and versatile. I have lots of good things to say about this brand.
If you prefer not to read go ahead and hop on down to the video of the review below.

Tattler Reuseable Canning Lids
Tattler lids, as mentioned above, are the original and most well known reusable canning lids dating back to 1976. These lids are BPA free which is awesome since we are always looking to keep our preserves as wholesome as possible. If you are interested in learning all the specific health details about Tattler lids you can find that right here.

One of the unique things that sets the Tattler lids apart from the other options is the indentation on their lids on one side. You can see it in the above picture on the top of the image area. I have not been able to find out why this design was created this way. No information on this indentation is provided on the directions for use slip, that is included with your order, or on their website.
Tattler does have a nice durable lid and the gaskets are orange in color. The gaskets fit well around their lid edges.
Harvest Guard Reusable Canning Lids
Harvest Guard is a pretty impressive reusable lid option. This company is said to be founded by the son of the previously mentioned brand. Because of this the products are extremely similar. But let’s be honest, how much can you really change about the way a canning lid looks and works?
When it comes to this product you will find that the lids are very comparable to other brands. They do lack the indentation that you find on the Tattler and I’m ok with that. I also love that they have an option to purchase these lids in red.

I found that many people who have used reusable lids for years say their lids are stained by tomato based items so a red lid would be handy for this.
The gasket of the Harvest Guard brand is very impressive. I like the red color and have found that it fits most securely around any lid brand available.
Weck Jars (A Complete Jar System)
These jars are GORGEOUS!!!
When it comes to canning jars there really isn’t too much of a difference. I was in awe after a friend told me about Weck Jars. These European based jars are built to last generations.

A friend of mine grew up in Croatia and she assured me that this is what her grandmother used when she was growing up. She also warned me that no matter how hard you tug on that lid ‘unless you pull it’s ears, you will not get in.” This was pretty cute since she was talking about the grand kids stealing grandmas amazing jams and she’s now over the age of 40. What a great childhood memory.
The glass on these jars is thick and durable. Their website does not provide additional information about the glass which was something I had hoped to find. I have never found glass as thick and strong feeling as these jars.
A WECK word of Caution
An interesting note. According to their website, only those products that have the WECK strawberry and word WECK printed on them are true WECK products. There must be a knock off out there trying to get into the business so be cautious when you purchase and go to a trusted source.
I also found this statement on their website which was very interesting to me.
This really got me thinking about the potential sealing method that we have been using here in the US, the same method that I grew up using. I think it warrants looking into in the future but I’m also not going to give up canning since it has been working for many people for many years following the screw-type method.
My Review Results
For my review I determined that it would be best to do one batch of the same item using all the different jars. I did single jars of both the Tattler and Harvest Guard lids as well as a Weck jar. However, since I really wanted to test the gaskets to see if they are interchangeable I mixed and matched a Tattler lid and gasket with that of a Harvest Guard.
Below I have labeled a clear winner, or winners, in each of these main areas for my review. Yes, I’m sorry in some areas I did have to award more than one winner.
Ease of Use
When it came to the ease of use, I took into consideration the ability to get all the items on the jar easily without too much clumsiness. Reusable lids feel like a lot more work just by adding that one extra item.
Honestly all three brands tested very high in this area. Everyone had a gasket that fit easily around the lid and closed with minimal effort.
Many people have shared the biggest concern they found when using Weck jars was the clamps. The clamps simply require a bit of a learning curve. The clamps were super easy to use and get into place. I also found that you have to convert everything. The jars are labeled in liters, therefore recipe conversion may be needed. They are much larger than a pint size jar but it was fairly easy. I also struggled with getting them out of the pressure canner using my standard jar lifter.
Overall all three jars are equal winners in this area.
Cost Comparison
When it comes to the cost of investing in each type of reusable option there are some BIG differences.
Tattler and Harvest Guard had comparable prices with Tattler costing a few cents more per lid/gasket set. However, the biggest difference I found was in the price of the replacement gaskets. To learn more about how often you will need to replace your gaskets you can read my other post.
Since gaskets are something you will need to replace after several years, and for the lifetime use of your lids, this is a good thing to know. When it came to comparing the two Harvest Guard won hands down with a different ranging over $10 cheaper per 100 count. That is a substantial difference.
Why WECK Jars Can’t be Compared
Weck Jars are very hard to compare price wise to the other two brands as they are a totally different product. You cannot purchase just the lid for these jars since they do not fit on a standard mason jar. When purchasing Weck Jars it is an all or nothing deal. To get a dozen jars (6 asparagus and 6 mold jars) it cost me a little over $55 with shipping costs added in. So 12 jars at $55 is not the best of deals. I was also unable to find any type of coupon code or large order discount. This would be a pricey option for a starting canner.
Our winner for the cost comparison section is Harvest Guard! Tattler came in at a close second but the cost of the replacement gaskets is very high compared to our winner. Weck Jars came in third but as mentioned it’s really not a fair comparison (apples and oranges or since this is canning should I say jams and jellies).
If you would like to see my spreadsheet price comparison for Tattler vs Harvest Guard please feel free to request it at sonia@momwifehomesteadlife.com.
Seal Results
The results in this area are truly polar opposites sadly.
Let me start with the best lids and end with the one that is the poorest, or poorest in my experience. I say in my experience since I have heard good things about this brand but did not experience those same results myself.
Weck Jars sealed perfectly when I used them. I was surprised to find how easily the clamps were to put on these jars. Honestly, they were a fear of mine since they are so different than what I normally use. The jars that I used for this canning process, the mold size, worked great. Testing the seal on these lids was super easy as well since they have such a large lid to grasp.
Harvest Guard was also a 1st prize winner. Every single jar that I used a Harvest Guard gasket with sealed. This includes both those that had the Harvest Guard lid and those with a a Tattler lid. I was super impressed by these jars. Their seal seems to be thicker and you can even see how it expands farther out than that of the Tattler.

My least favorite brand by far was the Tattler. I know many people have had great experiences with this brand but I did not.
The vast majority of the jars that I did with Tattler, under the same canning conditions as the other jars, did not seal. This was very disappointing. I have video that you can see of the review coming soon.
Seal Results
The winners in this seal quality are Weck Jars and Harvest Guard.
Here is the running total of seal results (this will be updated as I can more):
Weck Jars: 1 for 1 – 100 percent success
Harvest Guard: 2 for 2 – 100 percent success
Harvest Guard Gasket and Tattler Lid: 3 of 3 – 100 percent success
Tattler: 2 of 6 – 33 percent success
Tattler Lid gasket and Harvest Guard Lid: 1 of 3 – 33 percent success
Which Reusable Canning Lids I’m Going to Keep Using (and get more of)
Hands down in our household we are going to keep using and get more of the Harvest Guard lids. I currently have about 150 lids but I know from a recent pantry inventory that I have over 300 jars. Now that I know how much I love this product, I will be purchasing more of them prior to this years gardening season beginning.
Luckily for all of you I have a great COUPON CODE from Harvest Guard. Use the code ‘canning15’ to save on your reusable canning lids purchase today. Thank you Harvest Guard for providing this great savings on your amazing product.
I will also be continuing to use my Weck Jars. I don’t know that I will be purchasing many more simply because the cost is so high.
If you haven’t had a chance yet to see why I think it’s so important to switch to reusable canning lids you can check that out first. For our household these were the three main reasons that we found for making the switch for our family.
Check out all the reusable brands:
Tattler
Harvest Guard (be sure to use the coupon code ‘canning15’ at checkout)
Weck Jars
Thanks for reading my review on reusable canning lids. I would love to hear what your experience has been. Comment below.
Thank you so much for your post! Finding supplies has been such a challenge the last year and I had no idea reusable lids existed! I appreciate your testing them and sharing your findings and will be ordering some right away! <3
I’m so happy that this was helpful to you. I would love to hear how it goes with your reusable lids. Please feel free to email me or tag me on social.
Thank you for this comprehensive review of reusable canning lids. It has been super helpful to me. I haven’t tried reusable a yet myself but it has been on my to do list for awhile.
It was on my list for a long time too. I hope you can find the brand that works the best for you. There is a lot of reassurance having reusable lids in my home now. If you have any questions please reach out to me. Happy to help.
I have never used reusable canning lids before, so I greatly appreciate your review of the different brands available. May give them a try this summer!
Lana be sure to grab that great coupon code from Harvest Guard, which has become my favorite brand, so that you can save extra. Happy canning!
Thanks for doing all this research! I have never used reusable lids before, but after last year’s struggles I might have to give it a go!
I’m so glad this was helpful to you! Yes, I felt the same way after the struggles of trying to find canning lids. Be sure to use the coupon code to save when you order. It’s a great deal.
Are the gaskets the same as for the Jewel jars in Canada. I was always told that you could only use the gasket once. Is that true? I’ve never tried using them twice because of this. Thank you
Great questions. It truly depends on the brand. For Tattler and Harvest Guard I was told you could use them for canning up to five times each. If you use them for pressure canning year after year they will degrade faster than if you simply were doing a hot water bath canning. I’m planning to keep track of these stats as well going forward this year for canning season.
Saved as a favorite, I love your site!
Hello there! This is kind of off topic but I need some guidance from an established blog. Is it difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any tips or suggestions? Thank you
I would be happy to provide you with tips to get started setting up your own blog. Feel free to email me at sonia@momwifehomesteadlife.com
You’re so awesome! I do not believe I’ve truly read anything like this before. So great to find somebody with a few unique thoughts on this issue. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This website is one thing that is required on the web, someone with a bit of originality!
I could not resist commenting. Very well written!
Only wanna admit that this is handy, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
Happy to be of help! I’m so glad it was useful to you.
I know the last year it has been a challenge to get lids, but the side of this, several different Individuals took the bull by the horns, created USA born companies.
ALOT of our canning supplies (if not all) were coming from China.
Yes I noticed those same trends in where the supplies were coming from. I love these reusable canning lids so much. It’s been great to start this years canning season and know I’m saving even more since I’ve been using them for almost two years now.
Thanks very nice blog!
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is excellent blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.
Thanks for finally talking about > Which Reusable Canning Lids Work the Best : A Review –
< Loved it!
Thankfulness to my father who shared with me about this blog, this webpage is truly remarkable.
I need to to thank you for this fantastic read!! I absolutely loved every bit of it.
I’ve got you book-marked to check out new things you post…
Thank you so much!
You may have just saved me! I ordered one set of Tattler years ago and loved it so much, I took advantage of a case sale and ordered a case of Tattler. Much to my dismay, my results with those lids and gaskets were the complete opposite, but the company that sold them wouldn’t accept a return. So they’ve been sitting in my garage, occasionally getting used for short term storage purposes only. Now, thanks to you, I’m wondering if some Harvest Guard gaskets could be the solution to putting all those Tattler lids to proper use. Thanks so very much!!
Absolutely! Give them a try and see what you find. I’ve had very good success with Harvest Guard and I really love them. I stand by them so much that I ordered enough for every jar in my pantry. Be sure to use the coupon code to save extra.
Thank you for every other fantastic post. The place else could anybody get that kind of
information in such a perfect manner of writing?
I’ve a presentation next week, and I am at the looking for such info.
I think you did a wonderful job on your write up comparing these three brands. I’m fairly new to canning and am learning so much. I think I need to invest in some of the reusable lids.
I absolutely love them. If you are serious about canning I would say go for it! Be sure to use the coupon code if you choose Harvest Guard though.
Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content.
Please let me know. Cheers
Feel free to share online.
The reason Weck are so insistent on branding is that in Europe the name has become synonymous with this type of jar. In fact we use it here as a verb for the act of sealing jars with heat. This means there are many products based on the originals, they’re cheaper and easier to obtain, in fact I don’t recall the last time I’ve seen an original Weck in a store.
Thank you Andrew for that valuable insight. It’s good to know Weck is the standard in Europe. I really love their jars and they are beautiful!
Great info. I just tried the guard harvest and they work great. Unfortunately your coupon code is expired and I need more lids
Do you find it easy to tell if the Wecks are sealed? I’ve read that the best way to tell is if the little grab tab on the gasket is up or down. Also, I’ve read that while pressure canning with them, it’s better to use 3 clips. I appreciate your thoughts and your time.
Hi Kathy, I actually reached out to Weck and was surprised to learn that they don’t suggest actually pressure canning with their jars (shocking to me since it seemed that was what they were suggesting they be used for). When it came to the jars that I have canned with I’ve only used them for water bath canning. The jars were easy to tell if they were sealed. I simply lifted them by their lids similarly to the way I tested Harvest Guard’s lids. Those that seal don’t release their cap. If it isn’t sealed it will pop apart so be ready and lift carefully. Let me know if you have any other questions.
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50 to 60% is the best I got with Harvest Guard reusable lids. Over and over I followed each of the suggestions they emailed to me as I wasted time, money and produce. It is not for lack of trying or following directions. Please do not buy these lids in bulk until you try some. I bought in bulk on sale during a non-canning season. By the time I tried them so frustratingly unsuccessfully, the deadline to return/refund had past. I can’t afford to waste money like that. Can you?
Hi Kathy, I’m so sorry you were having trouble with Harvest Guards lids. I actually had the exact opposite experience. I have had a few that didn’t seal. I kept track of those on a spreadsheet to ensure I was seeing the results I wanted. I found that Tattler was the least reliable brand when I tested them between the three I reviewed in this article.