When you think about lanyards, you think about cords that carry identification cards for work or for school, which are hung around the neck. This is the primary use of the lanyard as we know it today. There are however other uses for the lanyard, apart from carrying your school or work ID around with. Here are some of the not-so-common uses for these cords:
Key holders – if you are one of the many people who lose their keys on a regular basis, maybe you should consider using a cord around your neck to hold your keys.
If you already have a lanyard that you use regularly for school or work, you should get yourself an attachment that allows you to clip on your keys to your lanyard. This way, you won’t have to worry about not finding your keys since these will always be with your ID on your lanyard.
Pen holders – like your keys, pens can be very easy to misplace. Put them down somewhere after using and you end up forgetting where you put them down. There is a way to keep your pens with you at all times and this is with the help of a lanyard.
Some people may think that you will need to remove your lanyard every time you need to use your pen, but there is an attachment that allows you to use this pen even while it is attached to the lanyard around your neck. This is called a badge reel and is often used on IDs that have proximity cards that need to be scanned for entry.
Phone holder – another use your lanyard can have is for holding your phone around your neck. Just like other things you may end up losing if you tend to forget where you place these, your cellphone can be attached to your lanyard easily with the use of another attachment, which is called a cellphone attachment. This comes with a loop that you string through one part of your phone, and the other end clips onto your lanyard to help you find your mobile phone easily.
Compass holder – this is for those who love hiking, camping, and exploring the great outdoors. The use of a lanyard to hold your compass is not only for keeping it with you at all times but also to enable you to easily use it whenever you need to. You won’t need to dig into your pockets or into your backpack for your compass since it will be around your neck, on a lanyard, easily within your reach.
This same function can be used with other essential tools and equipment for hiking and camping, such as maps, important documents, and other small items that you need to have handy.
Political giveaways – another use lanyards have, particularly those that are customizable, can be imprinted with campaign and political slogans. These can be worn with IDs and badges that campaign personnel have with them at all times. They can also be given out alongside printable wristbands during sorties to help drum up support for the candidate being campaigned for.
These can also be worn during rallies and other events that the candidate is attending, and can be handed out to attendees ahead of time. This is to help bolster the confidence of the candidate and to show that a lot of people do support their run for a specific political post.
Emergency tool kit – maintenance personnel can carry small tools around their neck at all times with the help of a lanyard. These can be in a small carrying case or pouch that they can attach to the lanyard, which they can easily access when the tools are needed. Some of the tools that can be carried in such a small pouch include small screwdrivers, a hex key set, allen wrench set, and other small items that are light enough to be carried around the neck.
This can also be used to carry a pouch that has clockworking or watch repair tools, jewelry repair tools, computer repair tools, and other tools that are small and lightweight.
Aside from allowing people to carry essentials around their neck easily, lanyards are also used for marketing and promotional purposes. The thicker the lanyard, the more can be done with it in terms of advertising and marketing. This is why lots of companies use these to help increase brand familiarity and why these are often given away to people during special events, like trade shows, conventions, conferences, and the like.
These lanyards can also be used to help keep people safe when they are walking to their car alone or in the streets at night. A whistle can be attached to a lanyard and can be used when you suspect someone is about to assail you, or you can attach a small canister of pepper spray to a badge reel on your lanyard, which you can also use in this same situation.
