Before you order rigid plastic badge holders, there are some basic criteria you will want to consider to help you select the right product.
Badge holder size Badge holders come in multiple sizes, so it’s important to make sure that the holders you choose can accommodate your card(s) and anything else that will be placed inside the holder. Most rigid badge holders are 2.125” x 3.375” (made to hold a standard credit card sized card), but some are slightly smaller or larger. In addition, some rigid badge holders are designed to hold multiple cards, while others are designed for just one.
Reference the dimensions of the ID cards that you will be placing in the holders, then refine your results using the left sidebar on our product page by Maximum Insert Width and Maximum Insert Height.
Card orientation (vertical or horizontal)
You will also need to know whether your ID cards are horizontally or vertically oriented so that your cards are legible when worn inside the holder of your choice. Some badge holders support both vertical and horizontal card orientations, but most are designed for one or the other.
Card removal
Some rigid ID badge holders are specifically designed for cardholders who need to remove their cards from their badge holders on a routine basis, usually to be inspected by security personnel or scanned in a card reader. If you know that your cards will be used in this way, you may want to consider choosing a badge holder with a thumb notch or an extractor slide for quick and easy card removal. We also offer half-card holders that allow the cardholder to swipe a magnetic stripe card without removing it from the holder.
Security and data protection
For advanced security applications, we offer a selection of tamper-proof, permanently locking badge holders. These holders are made from clear polystyrene and need to be physically broken to access the card once the locking mechanism has been engaged. If you are ordering badge holders for a government agency, we recommend our FIPS approved, shielded badge holders. FIPS approved badge holders feature a special, protective layer that blocks electromagnetic energy to prevent unauthorized or unknown access to encoded card data.
Site size and role recognition
If you need to order badge holders for a large site that staffs various types of personnel, colored badge holders may be a smart option for you. Badge holder color can be used to indicate various roles or access levels of personnel at your facility.
