What is a Lanyard and Which One is Right for You?

Nowadays, lanyards are better known as a fabric cord or strap used to carry ID badges, keys, and event tickets. Lanyards are available with a variety of different attachments to choose from, depending on their intended use. They can be often be spotted at schools and colleges, at the office, on corporate campuses, and at events, such as conferences and conventions, trade shows, and concerts.

When considering which lanyard is right for you, take some time to browse all the available materials, widths, colors, and attachments. Imagine what your imprinted logo and message will look like on the finished product when making your decision. Because you are buying lanyards in bulk, you will want to make sure that the one you choose will match your and your organizations’ needs. Here, we’ll go over the top categories and what you should know about them, as well as some product recommendations to help you make a decision.

What Type of Lanyard is Best for My Industry or Event?
Lanyards for Employees
Security and PCI Compliance

With security being an important consideration in so many workplaces and PCI compliance requiring badges be worn above the waist, more and more employees are wearing lanyards. Using a lanyard to reinforce key corporate messages is a great way to ensure that the message is visible every morning and throughout the day.

Comfort and Durability

When you need to wear a lanyard all day, it needs to be both durable and comfortable, which is why many companies are turning towards stretch lanyards which are easier to get on and off and will not break. Nylon and cotton lanyards are known to be quite comfortable, making them a great choice for employees. Two great choices are the Smooth Slide Lanyard and the Cotton Retractable Badge Lanyard.

Lanyards for Healthcare
Healthcare professionals need to be immediately identifiable all day for security compliance as well as to project legitimacy to patients when they need to have confidence in their care.

Nurses and doctors use their hands all day, so everything needs to be hands-free. Lanyards can eliminate the need to put things in pockets and keep important items close at hand. Retractable lanyards are ideal for sterile environments as items stay securely in place with no risk of falling on the floor or coming into contact with patients. Check out the Retractable Convenience Lanyard and the 2-in-1 Lanyard Badge Reel.

Lanyards for Education
School environments place a high emphasis on safety, as they well should. Teachers at elementary schools, high schools, and colleges, as well as any guests must wear an ID, guest, or volunteer badge on a lanyard in order to be easily identifiable as someone who is authorized to be in a school or campus building.

Lanyards also come in handy in school sports and athletic programs, as coaches wear whistles and students wear lanyards with a team logo imprint for keys and IDs.

Lanyards are also an indispensable item for college students, who have to navigate multiple buildings, and carry lots of books and materials, as well as a laptop. Lanyards allow students to wear their building passkeys, or keys and college IDs around their neck, reducing the number of items they have to keep track of, as well as making their daily necessities readily accessible. Great picks for students include the ¾ Inch Flat Lanyard and the ½ Inch Polyester Lanyard with Split Ring.

Lanyards for Trade Shows
Lanyards and badges are must-have items for any trade show and event. There are a number of lanyards to choose from that are affordable and will show off your company or organization name or logo in an economical one color imprint. Trade show lanyards tend to be for one-time use only, as opposed to those used for employee IDs that get worn every day. Choosing a wider lanyard will allow you to say a little bit more about your company.