Which Wristband Do I Need?

The array of wristbands on offer can be bewildering. Categories include Tyvek, Plastic, Digital, Thermal, Woven, Promotional & Medical.

Each category contains many variations from Printed to Non Printed wristbands, colour & print variations, adhesive or snap closure. There would be a PhD out there for someone prepared to do the research & analysis of all the different wristband possibilities.

Identification & Security

Wristbands essentially fall into two main FUNCTION groups, they are IDENTIFICATION & SECURITY. The positive thing about wristbands for Identification, is that ALL wristbands fulfill that requirement & their intended use then determines which wristband is best suited for the purpose.

• Do you require a wristband that can't be transferred?
• How long is the wristband to be worn for?
• Do you need to account for every wristband?
• Do you wish to use the wristband to gather information?
• The list could continue with as many variations as wristbands.

So let's simplify it for the wristband user... will the wristband be used for Personal use or Business?

Wristbands for Personal Use

Personal wristband use often includes identification for a Party where to make it easy for security a highly visible wristband is a simple & effective option.

Tyvek wristbands are a very popular choice, they come in a range of bright colours & can be custom printed with your message, details or even used as a party invitation.

These tyvek wristbands are cheap, non transferable & available in both 19mm & 25mm widths in small minimum quantities & be suitable for most personal situations where you are seeking to identify your guests & if in a club or pub situation for an 18th or 21st birthday, they simplify things for staff easily identifying who is entitled to what.

Medical ID or alert wristbands are self evident where personal information is written on the wristband & can be retained or updated as required, these medical wristbands may also be used for Kids ID where personal information can be accessed quickly anywhere.

Wristbands for Business Use

Wristbands for business are often more diverse depending on the intended use, the message you wish to portray to customers & the control required by your organization.

If you require a simple solution not unlike the Party situation already outlined then Tyvek or Plastic wristbands will meet your requirements. Both wristbands are available in many different colours & may be custom printed with your message & logo or that of a sponsor.

Thermal wristbands are also a good option if you need a "print on demand" wristband ( your own wristband printer would be necessary for this ) where you produce only as many as you require & can vary the information printed to quickly adapt to your situation.

It's also a way to control potential losses if wristbands are not kept in a secure location. Digital wristbands offer high quality photo quality graphics if you are looking to send a strong corporate message. They can be custom printed as well with variable data, including names, dates individual seating etc. These wristbands can also have barcodes or RFID chips which are ideal for verifying entitlements & capturing data for later analysis. An access scanning solution is required to be used with barcode & RFID applications. Woven or fabric wristbands are becoming more accepted in the festival market where data capture is not required, but there are still mixed reports on the security of these wristbands. Promotional wristbands are multi varied from the discredited Power wristbands to Insect repelling & motion sickness wristbands to wristbands containing anything from watches to USB's. Since the majority of promotional wristbands are Cause or message bands we'll restrict our comments there. Silicone wristbands are the best known in this category & have a multitude of types from Embossed, Recessed, raised or screen printed etc they are commonly used as merchandise by Charities are long lasting & ubiquitous, an attractive alternative to the silicone wristbands are "Message Bands", these wristbands are made from cotton, look similar to a wrist lanyard, come with a safety clip & may be custom printed with your message, both the Silicone & Message wristbands are transferable & should not be considered as a security wristband.