Lanyards are most commonly seen in office or school settings, as they are used for carrying identification and proximity cards, as well as security badges. You’re also likely to encounter lanyards at different trade shows, conventions, conferences, and other similar events, where they are emblazoned with the names, logos, and mottos representing the participants and organizers of the event.
These various modern applications might make you think that lanyards are somewhat a recent invention. However, lanyards appear to have been used as early as the 15th century, when the French military used them to have soldiers carry essentials such as whistles and guns, which they semi-permanently attached to their uniforms, ready for action at any time. In fact, the word “lanyard” comes from the Old French word lanière, which means “to strap.”
This knowledge of the historical purpose of the lanyard gives you an idea of just how useful these straps can be. You may even already be thinking of a project where you can creatively use a lanyard and showcase its versatility. The only question is, what kind of lanyard would suit your purpose?
Wristband Creation’s Array of Lanyards
Wristband Creation offers four main types of lanyards, namely tubular lanyards, woven lanyards, polyester lanyards, and nylon lanyards. And with our customization options, your choices are greatly magnified.
All of our lanyards are available in a wide range of colors. If you have a specific shade in mind, you can rest assured that we can replicate it onto your lanyards by referring to the Pantone Matching System. Our lanyards can also be customized with your preferred designs and texts, as well as different attachments—such as key rings, break-away clasps, bulldog clips, badge reels, various hooks, and cell phone loops—to serve different functions.
But which one of these is really for you? Here is a quick guide to help you choose the right lanyards for your company or organization.
For the Budget Conscious: The Tubular Lanyard
Tubular lanyards or tube lanyards is the ideal choice for those who have limited budget. However, affordable doesn’t necessarily mean settling for sub-par standards. With their premium-quality polyester composition, the quality of our tubular lanyards is not compromised.
Structure- and appearance-wise, tubular lanyards are similar to tubular shoelaces—the loose stitching allows these lanyards to slightly stretch to accommodate weightier items. They are also highly durable and can hold their shape for a long time, even after stretching. Another advantage of tubular lanyards is that they are more stain resistant and quicker to dry because they are made of polyester, a non-absorbent synthetic fiber
When it comes to design, the go-to option for tubular lanyards is silk-screen printing. The fabric does not soak up the paint, resulting in well-defined text and art. However, while you are free to choose any design or logo you want, it’s best to remember that tubular lanyards have a rather limited space, with standard widths of 3/8 or 5/8 of an inch. Logos made with simple shapes and fewer details work best with tubular lanyards so that the design can still be recognizable when resized to smaller dimensions. Conversely, sans serif fonts with solid, clean lines are ideal choices for text components so that they are easy to read.
Tubular lanyards are the perfect choice for holding lightweight items such as ID cards, keys, and flash drives. Thicker styles may also be used to hold slightly heavier items such as a cell phone or small tools like flashlights or pocket knives. If your goal is for people to focus on your message or motto, rather than capture their attention with detailed graphics, then a tubular lanyard is your most cost-efficient option.
For the Best-Value Hunter: The Woven Lanyard
Those with a bit more budget to spare might want to consider woven lanyards. As the name implies, the logo and text will be woven directly onto the main polyester fabric strap using fine, differently colored threads. The process is similar to the ones used in embroidering t-shirts or making patches. The output is a flat, soft, and lightweight yet heavy-duty lanyard with a slightly raised design and a textured feel.
Like tubular lanyards, non-intricate logos and fonts are ideal for woven lanyards, since complex designs may result into a distorted or pixelated output. However, woven lanyards can be made thicker for optimum visibility. Wristband Creation offers a range of three sizes (5/8 inch, 3/4 inch, and 1 inch) so that there is more room to embroider your company’s name, logo, or message.
If your organization has a recognizable name or motto, using woven lanyards can work in your favor. Woven lanyards are ideal for promoting a name—say a company, a school, a sports team, or even a non-profit. What’s more, because the materials used are all fabrics, you can wash woven lanyards without worrying about damaging or removing the design. When cared for properly, woven lanyards can maintain their look and overall quality for a long time.
Woven lanyards can also carry identification tags or serve as identification tags themselves. To achieve the latter, you simply have the text embroidered directly onto the lanyard. For example, if you’re holding an event and want your guests to identify security personnel even from a distance, you can have the word SECURITY woven into your lanyard in bold, high-contrast letters.
For the Inexpensive yet Premium Look: The Polyester Lanyard
The polyester lanyard is Wristband Creation’s most popular type of lanyard, as it offers the best combination of aesthetics, high quality, and affordable price. It’s a mainstay of the lanyard industry, as it is made of a durable, versatile material that’s also easy to customize. In fact, most businesses and organizations who use lanyards in their everyday operations opt for polyester, specifically because the material is designed to withstand daily wear and tear.
Polyester lanyards from Wristband Creation also have the benefit of a bigger print area. This allows for more elements to be included in the design, including more detailed graphics and more elaborate fonts. The design is printed onto the lanyard through silk-screen printing, resulting in clear, crisp text and logos. If you so choose, you can also incorporate multiple colors in your design. And because polyester is non-absorbent, you can be sure that the dimensions and colors of the design will be replicated accurately as the ink won’t seep into the fabric too much.
Another reason why polyester lanyards are so popular is that they are not prone to fading. If you want a lanyard that will look good for a long time, then polyester is the way to go. Polyester is also resistant to wrinkles and stains (and even most chemicals), and it also doesn’t shrink—three more characteristics that contribute to their longevity.
The most popular use of a polyester lanyards is, of course, an ID or badge holder especially in schools, offices and other similar establishments. However, event organizers who handle annual or more frequent events also prefer polyester lanyards as they are easy to care for and can be stored for a long time without losing their quality.
For the Stand-Out Choice: The Nylon Lanyard
Polyester and nylon lanyards are very much similar, although nylon has a thicker and yet finer texture at the same time. It also has a natural sheen to it, so if you want your lanyards to look sleek and shiny, nylon is the way to go. It’s slightly more expensive than other products, too, although you can rest assured that you will get your money’s worth—and more—with a nylon lanyard.
If you have a complex logo or other intricate designs, nylon lanyards are your best option to accurately capture the most detail. Nylon is also designed to be more flexible, more durable, and weather-resistant, so if you are planning to use your lanyards outdoors, this is a very good choice. With its high tear strength, nylon is also the ideal material for lanyards that will see quite a bit of rough-and-tumble use, such as in sports activities.
Should you need to store your lanyards for a long time, say you ordered in advance to take advantage of a discount promotion, you don’t have to worry about degrading quality. Nylon lanyards are not only resistant to molds, mildew, and other fungi, they also return to their original shape even after compaction or folding.
Your Lanyards, Your Way
If you want to promote awareness and fuel interest to your cause or your company through visual elements, your best bet are lanyards from Wristband Creation. Not only do they look good, they’re also lightweight so people won’t have any issues about wearing them for long periods, resulting into more mileage for your brand. If you’re ever looking to create your own wristband that will pair nicely with your lanyards, then Wristband Creation can offer that as well.
Lanyards are truly more than just a length of fabric hanging around your neck. From basic card holders to customized marketing materials, lanyards are as versatile as your imagination and creativity. However, it’s also this versatility that might make it challenging to choose the right products—especially since every type of lanyard has its own appeal and its own set of great qualities. Ultimately, the type of lanyard you choose is dependent on your design, budget, and intended purpose. Nevertheless, you can rest assured that whichever you pick, Wristband Creation guarantees only the highest quality of lanyards in the most affordable prices.
