Last updated: August 22, 2026
Every August the same thing happens: the store shelf where the flat metal lids live is empty, and the season does not wait. That is how most people end up looking at reusable canning lids in the first place. Buy a box once, the argument goes, and stop depending on a shelf that runs out.
The catch is that reusable lids are not a drop in replacement. They are a different closure with a different routine, and if you treat them like a metal lid you will get seal failures and conclude the product is junk. This guide covers how the system actually works, where it is genuinely better, and what the research says about failure rates, so you can decide before you buy a box for the whole pantry.
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Quick Answer
Are reusable canning lids worth using?
- They are a plastic disc plus a separate rubber ring, held on by your existing metal screw band.
- The routine differs: bands go on loose during processing, then get tightened the moment jars leave the canner.
- Research from the NCHFP has found higher seal failure rates than with standard two piece metal lids.
- They pay off over seasons, and only if you check every seal and keep spare rings.
Bottom line: worth it for a steady canner who follows the different routine, not a shortcut for a first season.
What a Reusable Lid Actually Is
A reusable canning lid is a two part closure. There is a rigid plastic disc that sits on the jar rim, and a separate rubber ring that goes under the outer edge of that disc. Your regular metal screw band holds the assembly down. The names you will see are Tattler and Harvest Guard, and both work on the same principle.
The difference from a standard flat lid matters. A metal lid has a sealing compound bonded to it, which is why it is single use: once the compound has been compressed into the rim it will not reliably do it again. A reusable lid keeps disc and gasket separate, so the disc lasts for years and only the rubber ring wears.
The Routine Is Different, and That Is Where People Fail
This is the part that decides whether they work for you. With reusable lids the screw band goes on and then gets backed off about a quarter turn before processing, so the jar can vent air during the heat. Then, as soon as the jars come out of the canner, you tighten every band firmly to bring the rubber into contact with the rim while the jar is still hot.
Miss that second step, or do it ten minutes later once the jars have cooled, and the seal does not form. Almost every angry review describing lids that would not seal describes this sequence going wrong. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the box, because they are more specific than any general canning guide.
Wide Mouth and Regular Mouth Are Not Interchangeable
Lids and rings come in both mouth sizes and they do not swap, so count your jars before ordering. If you are unsure which jars you own, our guide to wide mouth against regular mouth sorts it out in a paragraph.
What the Research Says About Seal Failures
Be clear eyed here. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has documented higher seal failure rates with Tattler style reusable lids than with standard two piece metal lids. That does not make them unusable, and it does not mean a sealed jar is somehow less sealed. It means you should expect to find more unsealed jars on the counter the next morning.
The practical consequence is a habit rather than a rule change: check every single jar after cooling, and treat any jar that did not seal as a refrigerator item to use first. That check is standard practice with metal lids too, and our guide to jars that will not seal covers how to test a seal properly.
Metal Lids Against Reusable Lids
Neither closure is universally better. The table sets the trade offs side by side so you can see which column matches how you can.
| Aspect | Two piece metal lid | Reusable plastic lid | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reuse | Flat lid single use, band reusable | Disc reused for years, ring is the consumable | Fewer trips to the store in August |
| Processing routine | Fingertip tight, leave alone after | Loose during processing, tighten straight after | An extra step at the hottest moment |
| Seal reliability | Baseline in the research | NCHFP has found higher failure rates | Check every jar, expect a few misses |
| Upfront cost | Low per season, forever | Higher once, then rings only | Pays back over seasons, not in one |
The Rubber Ring Is the Part That Wears
The disc is the durable half. The rings are the consumable, and they are sold separately in both mouth sizes for exactly that reason. Inspect them each season: a ring that has taken a permanent groove, gone stiff, cracked at the edge or stretched out of round belongs in the bin rather than on a jar of green beans.
Store rings away from heat and sunlight, which age rubber faster than use does, and keep a spare pack with your canning gear so a tired ring never becomes a reason to skip the check. A pack of replacements costs a fraction of a set of lids.
Who Should Actually Buy These
Reusable lids suit the person who cans every year, in volume, and who already runs a tidy process. If you put up dozens of jars each season, the arithmetic works, the supply problem disappears, and the extra step becomes muscle memory after one afternoon.
They are a poor first purchase for a beginner. In a first season you want the fewest possible variables between you and a sealed jar, and standard metal lids are the closure every tested recipe and every extension publication assumes. Start there, get comfortable, and switch later if the reuse argument still appeals. Our guide to canning lids covers the metal options and bulk buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can reusable lids be used for pressure canning? The makers list them for both boiling water and pressure canning, following their own instructions for band tightness before and after processing. The processing time and pressure still come from your tested recipe, not from the lid.
Why did my reusable lids not seal? Nine times out of ten the bands were not tightened immediately after the jars came out of the canner, or they were left fully tight during processing so the jar could not vent. Reread the sequence in the box, and check that the ring was seated flat and the rim was clean.
How many times can I reuse them? The plastic discs are made to be used for many seasons and the rubber rings are the part you replace. Inspect both every year and retire any ring that is grooved, stiff, cracked or stretched.
Are reusable lids approved by the USDA? Neither the USDA nor the NCHFP certifies or approves canning equipment. What exists is research, and the NCHFP has documented higher seal failure rates for reusable lids than for two piece metal lids, which is worth knowing before you commit a whole season to them.
Do they fit any mason jar? They fit standard mason jars in the matching mouth size, so buy wide mouth for wide mouth jars and regular for regular. They do not fit decorative or import jars with nonstandard threads. Details in our canning jars guide.
Can I reuse the metal screw bands with them? Yes, and you need to. The bands you already own do the clamping. Retire bands that are rusted or bent out of round, since an uneven band puts uneven pressure on the ring.
The Bottom Line
Reusable lids trade a supply problem for a procedural one. Learn the loose then tighten sequence, keep spare rubber rings, check every seal, and they earn their place for a canner who fills a pantry every year. For a first season, ordinary metal lids remove a variable you do not need. Read next: canning lids for the metal side and bulk buying, and what to do when jars will not seal.