Lanyard comfort is shaped by more than one feature. The material against the neck matters, but so does the weight of the ID card and accessories attached, how the lanyard moves during the day and the way it is used. For regular wear, these factors are best considered as one complete setup.
Although searches for lanyard material types often focus on comparing different materials, We Print Lanyards takes a simpler approach. Our custom printed lanyards are made from soft satin rPET as standard, so choosing recycled PET does not mean compromising on the soft satin finish of the lanyard.
Material is the starting point for everyday lanyard comfort
The strap is the part of a lanyard that remains in contact with the wearer, which makes its finish particularly relevant when it will be worn for several hours at a time.
There are different types of lanyards available across the wider market, but We Print Lanyards does not offer a range of competing lanyard materials. Our custom printed lanyards use soft satin rPET as standard. This provides a smooth satin finish while using recycled PET.
That distinction is useful for buyers researching lanyard material types. Rather than having to decide between a recycled option and the finish they want for everyday use, both are already part of the same specification.
For organisations considering materials across more than their lanyards, our eco friendly products include further identification options.
Width is only one part of how a lanyard feels
Width can change the overall feel and appearance of a lanyard, but it should not be treated as a standalone measure of comfort. How the strap sits around the neck also depends on the material, what is attached to it and how the person moves while wearing it.
This is particularly relevant because a lanyard rarely stays perfectly flat throughout a working day. It moves as the wearer walks, sits down, reaches for something or puts on another layer of clothing. Looking at width without considering the rest of the setup can therefore give an incomplete picture.
Width also affects the space available for a printed design. A buyer may need to balance how they want the finished lanyard to look with the amount of branding or information they want to display. The right choice is therefore about the complete requirement rather than assuming one width will be the most comfortable for every wearer.
What is attached can matter as much as the lanyard itself
The weight a wearer experiences comes from the finished setup, not just the fabric around their neck. An ID card and holder create a different setup from a lanyard carrying several credentials or additional items.
This is why it can help to work backwards from what the person genuinely needs during the day. If the purpose is simply to display identification, keeping the setup focused on that requirement avoids adding unnecessary items. Where a card needs to be handled or presented regularly, the way it is attached becomes part of the everyday experience too.
Buyers ordering company ID cards can therefore consider the card and lanyard together rather than treating them as unrelated products. Our range of lanyard accessories can also be considered around what needs to be carried and how it will be used.
Comfort changes with the way a lanyard is used
A lanyard that is worn at a desk for much of the day is being used differently from one worn by somebody regularly moving between rooms, interacting with customers or presenting an access card. Everyday use is therefore an important part of the specification.
Clothing changes the context too. The same lanyard might sit over a shirt, uniform, jumper or jacket at different points in the year. Rather than trying to define a single universally comfortable setup, it is more useful to think about the environment and role in which the lanyard will be worn.
This is particularly relevant for business and corporate lanyards, where different teams within the same organisation may use their identification in different ways. The organisation can then decide what setup is appropriate for its own staff and working environment.
Printed design still has a role in the finished feel
Comfort is primarily about the physical lanyard and what it carries, but the printed design influences how suitable the finished product feels for everyday work.
We Print Lanyards prints using CMYK dye sublimation, with the design applied to the soft satin rPET material. This allows colour, logos and patterned lanyards to be created without changing the standard material used for the strap.
A design also needs to work when the lanyard is being worn rather than only when it is displayed flat. Parts of the strap can turn, overlap or sit underneath clothing, so clear repeated branding can often make more practical use of the available print area than trying to fit too much information into one section.
For buyers who do not need a bespoke design, there are also stock lanyards available for different requirements.
Think about the finished lanyard, not one feature in isolation
Material, width and weight can each influence how a lanyard feels, but they are experienced together once the lanyard is being worn. The most useful specification is therefore one built around the finished setup and the way it will be used throughout the day.
At We Print Lanyards, soft satin rPET is standard for our custom printed lanyards. From there, the design and what needs to be carried can be considered around the people who will actually use them. Our custom lanyards are manufactured at our factory in Long Eaton, Nottingham.
If you are choosing lanyards for regular everyday wear, start with what your team needs to carry and build the finished design around that requirement. Design your lanyard.