Plastic Wristbands
Plastic wristbands provide a category for grouping several different types of plastic wristbands.
Overview
Both PVC & trilaminate wristbands are considered suitable for both identification & security purposes. Each style may be customised with text & imprints & is durable for multi day events. If these plastic wristbands are being printed & then worn for several days. a consideration may be the method of printing on the wristband.
Inks may be oil or water based & there is the possibility they may interact with sunscreens, insect repellants, soaps, detergents etc. The chemicals in these substances may cause the imprint on the wristband to fade & become illegible or in some cases even disappear completely, which is a major consideration when they are used as a form of ticketing.
Plastic wristbands generally have plastic snap fastners designed for single use although reusable plastic snaps with a limited life have been used with trilaminate wristbands. If a reusable snap is required for longer term use, a metal press stud is used often with PVC wristbands. The major benefit of a reusable snap is that it allows the wearer to remove the wristband when necessary.
If durability is a requirement Plastic wristbands would be preferred to tyvek wristbands, due to their longer life span.
PVC Wristbands
View examples of Access PVC Wristbands at Wizid.
The most familiar style is the PVC (Poly vinyl chloride) wristband & this was the original plastic wristband.
Developed in the USA over 40 years ago the manufacturing centre has now switched to Asia as manufacturers have sought to lower their costs.
PVC wristbands are used mainly in the Hospital & Entertainment areas.
The original PVC wristband comprised of three layers, two soft outer layers & a stiffer inner layer. The reason each wristband had this unseen layer was to reduce the stretch of the material so that once it was applied to a persons wrist it couldn't be transferred to someone else. If attempts were made to transfer the wristbands, this inner layer would show signs of stress or snap, if left in very hot conditions there was also a danger the inner liner would become heat affected & shrivel, in doing so it would stiffen & become somewhat brittle & therefore unfit for use.
PVC wristbands are now in the marketplace without the non stretch inner liner & as such are better suited as a method of identification rather than a security wristband. The reason being is that they can be stretched & transferred from patron to patron, the soft plastic has a memory & will return to its original shape. If a wristband is inspected after such a transfer, it would be very difficult to determine if a transfer has been made.
Tri Laminate Wristbands
View examples of Tri Laminate Wristbands at Wizid.
These wristbands are bonded layers of material, which are a strong yet lightweight alternative to PVC wristbands.
Developed in the mid 1990's they were originally seen as a durable alternative to PVC as they did not require the additional inner layer for strength.
Unlike the PVC wristbands which have their colour impregnated into the material, trilaminate wristbands were coloured with ink. Tri laminate wristbands are designed not to stretch & are considered non transferrable using this method. In the last few years additions have been made to these trilaminate wristbands with various metallic foils being added & that layer is then laminated to the wristbands surface.
More Information
Browse the Plastic Wristbands at Wizid to view images, sizes and prices.