Filter By
Shopping Options
Flexible Badge Holders
Have Questions about Flexible Badge Holders? We Have Answers!
What Do I Need to Know Before Ordering Flexible Badge Holders?
There are a few important factors to consider before placing an order for flexible badge holders that will help you determine which holder is best for you.
Card size
First, you'll want to make sure that your ID card (and any additional badge holder contents) will fit. Badge holders come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate a variety of credentials. Generally, they can be classified as belonging to one of the following size groups:
First, you'll want to make sure that your ID card (and any additional badge holder contents) will fit. Badge holders come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate a variety of credentials. Generally, they can be classified as belonging to one of the following size groups:
- ID card size : these hold standard ID card size inserts (the same size as a credit card: 3.38'' x 2.13'')
- Government or military size : these hold credentials slightly larger than a standard ID card and have the same general proportions (approximately 3.25'' x 2.31'')
- Event size : these hold larger cards with a variety of dimensions and are generally more square or longer in proportion (size can range between 3'' x 4'' and 5'' x 8'')
- Business card size : these hold standard size business cards (3.5'' x 2'')
Orientation (vertical or horizontal)
You’ll need to know whether your badge design features a horizontal (landscape) or a vertical (portrait) orientation. Some badge holders support both vertical and horizontal card orientations, but most are designed for one or the other.
You’ll need to know whether your badge design features a horizontal (landscape) or a vertical (portrait) orientation. Some badge holders support both vertical and horizontal card orientations, but most are designed for one or the other.
Card removal
If your cards will be removed from their holders on a routine basis for inspection by security personnel or to be scanned by a card reader, consider badge holders that include a thumb notch, thumb hole or slider for quick card removal. Often, these badge holders are made from rigid plastic rather than vinyl. See Rigid Badge Holders. Texturized vinyl badge holders, however, are flexible and have an orange peel-like texture that prevents card inserts from sticking inside the holder, making them easier to remove.
If your cards will be removed from their holders on a routine basis for inspection by security personnel or to be scanned by a card reader, consider badge holders that include a thumb notch, thumb hole or slider for quick card removal. Often, these badge holders are made from rigid plastic rather than vinyl. See Rigid Badge Holders. Texturized vinyl badge holders, however, are flexible and have an orange peel-like texture that prevents card inserts from sticking inside the holder, making them easier to remove.
Safety and sanitation
For increased visibility and cardholder safety, consider reflective safety badge holders. These holders feature a reflective, orange frame and are trimmed with photo-luminescent ink. If your facility has strict safety or sanitation codes, antimicrobial badge holders are a smart option. These holders help kill pathogenic microorganisms and fight germs.
For increased visibility and cardholder safety, consider reflective safety badge holders. These holders feature a reflective, orange frame and are trimmed with photo-luminescent ink. If your facility has strict safety or sanitation codes, antimicrobial badge holders are a smart option. These holders help kill pathogenic microorganisms and fight germs.
Site size and security level
If you need to order badge holders for a large site with various types of personnel, you may benefit from color bar or color frame badge holders. These holder types come in a variety of colors that can be assigned to distinct roles or access levels to help differentiate between personnel within your facility.
If you need to order badge holders for a large site with various types of personnel, you may benefit from color bar or color frame badge holders. These holder types come in a variety of colors that can be assigned to distinct roles or access levels to help differentiate between personnel within your facility.
Why Choose a Flexible Badge Holder?
As compared to rigid badge holders, flexible holders offer a number of benefits:
- Badge holders made from vinyl offer card protection that is lightweight, flexible, and doesn’t add bulk to your credentials
- Vinyl badge holders are cheaper to produce than rigid or semi-rigid plastic badge holders, making them an affordable ID card protection option ideal for large-scale and temporary applications
- Some flexible badge holders feature lock-in slots, which permanently lock contents inside the badge holder when worn with a lanyard, badge clip, or badge reel. Locking badge holders are ideal for holding expensive proximity cards, and can also reduce the number of cards that become damaged or go missing
What is an Anti-Transfer Badge Holder?
Anti-print transfer badge holders are made from a non-stick material that protects ID cards by preventing dye migration or print transfer. With anti-print transfer badge holders, the text and imagery printed to your cards stays intact longer, even when exposed to heat and pressure.
Print transfer, also known as dye migration, commonly affects cards within flexible badge holders that are worn outdoors or that have been left inside a vehicle in the sun. Heat, as well as pressure, can cause text and imagery on non-laminated ID cards to leak or transfer onto standard badge holders.
See the card at the right as an example. The card was placed inside a standard badge holder and left in a hot car for several days. After being removed from the holder, you can see that some of the printed area had transferred from the card to its badge holder. Anti-print transfer badge holders prevent this from happening, effectively prolonging the life and quality of credentials.
What is a Badge Buddy?
A Badge Buddy is a laminated or plastic card with a color bar and text that is designed to lay behind an existing ID badge to readily identify the title or role of the person wearing it. In this way, Badge Buddies provide a color-coding system for personnel that may prove useful within healthcare facilities, Government facilities, schools and other environments where immediate role recognition is an asset. Larger in size than a standard ID card, Badge Buddies go behind and extend beyond one’s ID badge. They come pre-slotted and can be used with existing badge reels, badge clips or lanyards.
Because they are separate from actual ID cards or badges, Badge Buddies are a reusable and cost-efficient means of personnel identification and access control. Standard Badge Buddies feature the following designations: ‘LPN’, ‘RN’, and ‘DOCTOR’, and custom Badge Buddies can be ordered to display other job titles (e.g., ‘EMT’, ‘Volunteer’ or ‘Dental Hygienist’). Custom Badge Buddies can be customized to include emergency codes and other reference material printed above the color bar so that badge wearers can quickly access the information when it is needed.
What are the Advantages of Arm Band Badge Holders?
Arm band badge holders are ideal for physically active personnel, military personnel, industrial workers, baggage handlers, and others who can't wear lanyards or badge reels due to safety hazards or physical demands. They can be worn on the forearm or upper arm to safely display ID without restricting movement or presenting safety risks, and typically feature a clear, vinyl display area for carrying ID, as well as an adjustable or elastic arm band that may or may not feature a Velcro closure.
Note: Arm band badge holders are available for standard ID card size and government/military size inserts – they do not support event size cards.