You know that you need badge holders to protect your ID cards, but upon looking at the options available, you've become a little overwhelmed.
That's OK! There are a TON of options and it can be difficult to "which kind" is best for you. Here are four questions to help you decide:
1. What kind of card will your badge holder hold?
If your cards are proximity or smart cards, consider choosing a rigid badge holder or a prox card holder. These holders offer superior card protection and are ideal for this more sensitive card type. If cardholders will need to remove their cards from the holders frequently to be inspected by security personnel or scanned in a card reader, you will want to choose a holder that has a thumb notch or slider for easy card removal.
If your cards are basic photo IDs, a flexible badge holder, the most popular holder type, is probably a good solution for you. For a convenient twist on a traditional flexible badge holder, magnetic badge holders easily adhere to the belt or shirt without damaging clothing.
2. What size and orientation is your card?
You'll want to make sure that your card and anything else that will be placed inside the holder will fit inside the holder. In general, holders can be classified into four groups: |
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| When shopping for badge holders on ID Wholesaler, refine results within the left column of the website to quickly narrow your options. |
- ID card size: holds a standard ID card size insert (credit card size)
- Government or military size: larger than a standard ID card, with the same general proportions
- Event size: larger than ID card size and generally either slightly more square, commonly used for conventions, or longer, commonly used for oversized event badges
- Business card size: holds a standard business card
You also need to know if your badge design has a horizontal or a vertical orientation. While some badge holders can display a badge for either orientation, others are designed to be worn a specific way.
3. Is safety a concern?
For added safety,
reflective safety badge holders are framed with orange reflective material and trimmed with photo-luminescent ink. Most are designed to be worn on the arm.
Antimicrobial badge holders inhibit the growth of germs and offer added safety for those in food service or health care.
4. Do you need to classify groups of people?
Colored badge holders are great for easily identifying groups of visitors or access levels within your facility.
If you still need help narrowing your badge holder options, give our ID Professionals a call at (800) 321-4405. Photo ID is what we do!
