Lanyard Options Explored - Cotton and Neoprene Lanyards

Ordering lanyards is a good idea, whether they are for marketing purposes, souvenirs or just for their undeniable usefulness. When ordering your lanyards you'll find that there is a huge variety of materials, design ideas, fasteners and closures. The large array of options allows you to easily create a truly customized product. Material can range from nylon to denim and there is an even larger selection of fasteners, closures and accessories to choose from. The intent of this article is to explain your material choices and to make the ordering process a bit easier.

It helps to picture what you would like the finished product to look like. Do you want a flat and sturdy material that will clearly displays your logo? If so, neoprene lanyards, among other types, are a bit more rigid and wont twist up like other materials will. Establishing where you stand on issues like will allow you to quickly narrow down which material will be the most effective for your order.

Another variable that should be decided first is whether you desire the design to be heat transferred, silk printed or woven into the fabric itself. Considering that each material has its own limitations, this is another aspect that must be decided before choosing a material.

Neoprene is a family of synthetic rubber that is commonly used to create lanyards. Neoprene lanyards are generally available in a large variety of color options. They also work well with a good selection of fasteners, such as split o-ring, swivel hook, bulldog clip, split ring and detachable buckle available. Neoprene is a good option if keeping your message flat and readable is important.

If price is an issue, polyester lanyards are generally the least expensive choice available. Dye sublimation and hot stamping are the printing methods used on polyester. They can be ordered as thin as a 3/8 shoelace to a thick knit tubular.  Though low in cost, there are extremely long-lasting and strong.

If durability is an issue, nylon is the strongest and works well in the most rugged of scenarios. Screen printing is the most popular printing option and they generally come in widths of 3/4” to 3/8”. They work well for water bottle holding lanyards among many other options.

If comfort is a concern, cotton lanyards can be comfortably worn for long time periods. This is perfect for the retail manager who must wear keys all day and an office employee wearing a hanging name badge on a daily basis. The printing method commonly used for cotton lanyards is screen printing. Cotton lanyards can be printed on both sides if desired.

These materials come in an array of sizes and shapes. Lanyards can be ordered thin like a cord, or thick and sturdy. When deciding on your lanyard order configuration, consider what your design goals are, who will be wearing them and for how long, and how durable do you need them to be.