How do members of your organization display their ID badge; using lanyards, badge reels, or arm band holders? At first, such a question may seem a bit trivial. “A badge is a badge…Who cares how it’s displayed. Right?” Wrong!
Here at ID Edge, we live and breathe ID security solutions. It’s on our minds every single day. And having worked with thousands of organizations over the last 30 years, we’ve been able to pick up on the tiniest differences between different technologies and solutions. When it comes to badge reels, there are several key points to keep in mind, because they can significantly affect the daily operations of your organization.
Benefits of Badge Reels
Badge reels have several benefits when it comes to using and displaying ID cards and RFID access cards:
- Helps keep the ID card visible but out of the way. Because they’re often clipped onto clothing, the badge rests either on the belt or on a shirt pocket. This allows the badge to remain visible, while at the same time keeping it out of the individual’s immediate work area.
- The reel increases the reach of the badge without the need for detachment. The badge can simply be pulled forward to swipe at a magnetic or RFID reader, or to be viewed by security personnel. However, the process of detaching the badge is completely avoided.
- Badge reels significantly reduce potential for injury, because they are clipped onto clothing.
Badge Reel Settings
Although badge reels can be used in virtually any organization, their distinct benefits make them ideal for certain settings:
- Manufacturing: Using reels in factories is almost always a good choice, because the badge is out of the way. It’s less likely to get caught in machinery, and less likely to interfere with an employee’s work. Of course, this also depends on the machinery being used and the potential for injury.
- Corrections Facilities: Corrections officers have to struggle with many dangerous situations on a daily basis. Working with inmates puts officers who wear lanyards at risk of a potential choking hazard. Badge reels eliminate such dangerous situations altogether. Of course, breakaway lanyards can also be used in such circumstances, but they may create an added stress response when dealing with inmates. Imagine you’re wearing a breakaway lanyard and someone grabs it. Even though you know it should split apart with enough force, in the first moment your stress response will increase rapidly, because you feel tugging on your neck and your survival instincts kick in. By avoiding this situation altogether, officers are able to do their jobs better without the added stress.
- Hospitals: Badge reels are an excellent choice for hospitals and mental institutions, as they keep the badge out of the way and allow medical staff to focus on their work. At the same time, the badge remains clearly visible to help staff identify each other’s roles in fast paced situations.
Of course, these are just some of the settings where badge reels are a good choice. There are many organizations that can utilize this manner of displaying ID badges successfully.
Badge Reel Options
A great thing about badge reels is that there are several options to choose from. This allows your organization to custom-tailor the security process to its specific needs.
- Clip Attachment: This option consists of a metal clip that can attach the reel to clothing. It can be worn on a belt or attached to a shirt.
- Carabiner Attachment: This allows the badge reel to be attached to a set of keys. It can also be used to attach the reel to a belt. In the latter scenario, the benefit is that the reel is less likely to become detached from the individual’s clothing.
- Attachment Converter: For organizations that are using clip badge reels but would like to convert to a carabiner reel, there is great news! You don’t have to buy brand new reels. Instead, use our carabiner attachment converter that can make almost any badge reel into a carabiner reel.
Badge Reel Customization
There are lots of options when it comes to badge reel customization. Firstly, you can order reels that reflect the company’s overall message. For example, we can print customized badge reels, with your company’s name and logo. Also, we can offer reels that express support for causes like Breast Cancer Awareness.
Such customization is a great way to build your brand in the eyes of consumers and employees alike!
But it gets even better! We can now customize text information on your reel on a reel-by-reel basis. For example, if you wanted to place employee names or job titles on the reel, we can do that!
Ask a Question!
If you’d like to ask questions about which badge reel is right for your organization, get in touch with us! Just give us a call at (800) 798-3343, or fill out the Contact Form below!