Organizations worldwide use lanyards for marketing, identification, and utility. While at first glance it may seem like all lanyards are similar, the truth is that choosing a suitable material is a more detailed decision than it looks.

Among the many options are two of the most popular materials: polyester and nylon. Understanding the difference between nylon and polyester lanyards will have a massive impact on the final results' print quality, durability, and aesthetic appearance. 

Both sides of the nylon vs polyester lanyards debate have pros and cons, and the choice may ultimately come down to personal preference. We’ll explore everything you need to know about each type to help you make the right decision.

Once you’ve identified which half of the polyester vs nylon lanyards choice you prefer, you’ll want to customize your new products to help your brand shine. 

Whether you’re buying for an upcoming conference, employee IDs, or as a free giveaway to your loyal clients, you’ll find everything you need at CustomLanyard.net. We offer custom polyester lanyards and custom nylon lanyards, which you can personalize using our easy online tool.

We’ve worked with global brands like Nike, Microsoft, and Meta, and our team can help you ensure your launch goes perfectly.

What’s the Difference Between Nylon and Polyester Lanyards?

Lanyards are versatile products that can work wonders for your organization. If you’re wondering what a lanyard is used for, they have applications in identification, branding, holding smaller objects like badges or keys, and more.

While every type of material will give you at least some of these benefits, there’s a big difference between nylon and polyester lanyards that will affect the long-term utility your organization receives.

To correctly choose between polyester vs nylon lanyards, you should first understand what each material provides.

Overview of Nylon Lanyards

The first half of the nylon vs polyester lanyards debate is a durable yet comfortable material. Nylon is a synthetic blend with incredible tensile strength. This makes it ideal for supporting heavier objects like keys, badges, or small tools.

At the same time, nylon is flexible, conforming naturally to a wearer’s neck and shoulders. If you’ve previously struggled with employees refusing to wear your lanyards, that won’t be the case with nylon.

The unique chemistry found in nylon also makes it durable in the long term. When comparing polyester vs nylon lanyards, the latter can last almost 50% longer. Nylon also tends to have a luxury connotation due to its sleek design.

Whether using them as employee badges, gifts to your customers, or access passes, nylon has the durability you need.

Overview of Polyester Lanyards

The other material to consider when comparing nylon vs polyester lanyards is your golden ticket for branding opportunities. Polyester lanyards are affordable, vibrant, and weather-resistant.

Polyester blends usually run cheaper than nylon lanyards. 

For example, 100 polyester lanyards here at CustomLanyard.net cost $0.86 per unit, while the same amount of nylon lanyards cost $1.35 each.

Thanks to the molecular composition of polyester, the material accepts vibrant dyes much more quickly than nylon. It’s also more fade resistant, as polyester has built-in UV protection. That means your branded lanyards remain fresh even after a day at outdoor events like festivals and trade shows.

If you want lanyards to serve as walking billboards for your brand, polyester is an excellent material.

Polyester vs Nylon Lanyards: Which Material is Right For You?

We can dive deeper into our comparison of nylon vs polyester lanyards with the basics established.

While we’ll be crowning winners in each category, remember that both materials can deliver outstanding results. So if you want a vibrant design but prioritize durability slightly more, you’ll still be able to create fantastic lanyards made of nylon.

Durability and Strength

Both nylon and polyester lanyards are durable, but for different reasons.

Nylon is overall stronger. They have extra tensile strength to hold bulky objects like badges or keys. This makes them a fantastic choice for environments where your lanyard could be constantly tugged or snagged, like hospitals, construction sites, restaurants, and factories.

Polyester is still plenty durable, especially in office settings. However, you will see frays or snags earlier than with nylon. 

There is one area where polyester wins out against nylon, which is UV protection. Nylon tends to fade earlier than polyester due to their molecular makeups, so polyester is often preferable for outdoor settings.

Visual Appearance and Texture

Lanyards are walking advertisements for your brand. You can place logos, text, and brand colors onto their design to help spread your message.

Each half of the nylon vs polyester lanyards debate has a unique aesthetic appeal. Nylon exudes an air of professionalism thanks to a natural sheen. It also has a thick yet smooth feel that can’t be found in other materials.

When paired with high-quality logos, nylon can help your brand shine like a star in the night sky.

Polyester’s strength comes in the vibrancy of its dyes. The material is more malleable, allowing colors to pop, capturing everyone’s attention. It also features a smooth printing surface, allowing additional details in your logos or messaging.

There is also consistency in polyester's color schemes, which is helpful when making bulk orders.

Comfort and Wearability

Many businesses give up on custom gear like lanyards or wristbands for an unfortunate reason–they watch as employees or guests tuck away their products and become discouraged.

While it can be frustrating, people abandon their lanyards for good reason–plenty of materials out there are straight up uncomfortable for the wearer.

That isn’t a problem for either polyester or nylon, thankfully. 

Polyester is a lightweight material, which makes it a fantastic choice for all-day events like trade shows and conferences. The material is also rigid enough to prevent twists or folds that save the wearer from needing to readjust their lanyard constantly.

For flexibility, nylon is unmatched. It naturally contours to the neck and shoulders of the wearer, becoming more comfortable over time. Its smooth base minimizes irritation against the skin or clothing, even when worn all day.

We call this part of the polyester vs nylon choice a tie–both materials are comfortable and breathable in the short- and long-term.

Printing and Customization Options

There are plenty of things to put on a lanyard, as long as you choose the proper canvas.

Nylon is best suited for a smaller selection of customizations. Screen printing works well with nylon, as the inherent durability of the material prevents fading or rubbing. 

On the other hand, nylon’s sheen can sometimes modify the colors away from your original intention. We recommend nylon for bold, high-contrast designs with just a few colors, when luxury and professionalism are prioritized.

If you want to unlock your staff’s creative potential, polyester is right up your alley. Polyester is well-suited for full-color sublimation printing, offering near-unlimited color palettes and photo-quality images. 

Every pixel of your logo and design will transfer over smoothly. It’s especially well-suited for QR codes, thin lines, small text, and miniature logos.

For simpler, luxury designs, go for nylon. Otherwise, polyester offers extra creative potential with complex palettes.

Cost Considerations

When pitting the two materials against each other, there’s a clear winner–at least at first. Polyester is cheaper, especially when ordered in bulk. When comparing orders here at CustomLanyard.net, you’ll pay $0.12 less per lanyard for polyester for a 1000-unit order.

Nylon is a more expensive base material; those price discrepancies will persist no matter where you order.

However, just looking at price alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Nylon is far more durable than polyester, sometimes lasting 50% longer. If you’re ordering a smaller batch for your employees, the extra longevity could save you hundreds of dollars in the long term.

Polyester is budget-friendly and can be used for one-time events. But if you’re outfitting an entire staff for permanent use, nylon should also be considered, and will eventually be cheaper due to longer replacement cycles.

Ideal Use Cases for Each

We’ve compared polyester vs nylon lanyards across each category, and as you can see, the debate is a close one. It’s hard to go wrong with either option, but looking at use cases for each may help sway your decision.

Choose polyester for short-term settings where aesthetics are preferred, like:

 

  • Conferences
  • Trade Shows
  • Schools/Universities
  • Retail/Hospitality
  • Marketing Campaigns
  • Festivals

 

Nylon is ideal when durability is needed, such as:

 

  • Healthcare/Hospitals
  • Manufacturing
  • Security/Law Enforcement
  • C-Suite Use
  • Outdoor Sports/Hiking
  • Long-term Employees

 

Here’s a cardinal rule you can follow: If you’re looking for vibrant designs for shorter-term use, polyester has the aesthetic appeal and budget-friendliness you need. On the other hand, nylon is the way to go if you want to outfit your employees with durable lanyards that can hold essential objects like badges or keys.

No matter your choice, working with a company known for its high-quality material sourcing is crucial. The perfect polyester will consistently outperform cheap nylon, no matter the use case, and vice versa.

So where can you find premium materials and outstanding designs? Right here at CustomLanyard.net!

Bring Your Vision to Life at CustomLanyard.net No Matter Which Material You Prefer!

Organizations worldwide trust us for custom lanyards and other promotional products. For over a decade, we’ve helped brands like Nike, Google, and Netflix by producing durable, eye-catching designs that stand the test of time.

Using our easy online tool, you can customize every aspect of your lanyards, including font type, lanyard length, hook style, color scheme, badge reels, and more. 

If you don’t already have a design in mind, you can also talk to our design team for personalized advice on the best fit for your brand.

Your choice isn’t limited to just nylon vs polyester lanyards. We have several different types of lanyards available to meet your business needs, including:

 

 

We are proud to have 4.9 out of 5 ratings across several review sites, a testament to the over 1 million delighted customers we have served.  With affordable bulk pricing, speedy shipping, and free design previews, you can shop confidently knowing you’ll get the exact products you expected.

Bringing Our Nylon vs Polyester Lanyards Comparison to a Close

Choosing the right lanyard material for your business is a big decision. It affects durability, aesthetic design, comfort, and customization potential.

The truth is that polyester and nylon are incredibly closely linked. They are among the two most popular materials for good reason. We give the edge to nylon for luxury, durability, and long-term use, while we prefer polyester for complex aesthetic designs for marketing and events.

But it’s hard to go wrong with either material, as long as you work with the right company.

CustomLanyard.net is the best place to create customized products for your brands. Whether you work directly with our friendly and knowledgeable team or use our simple and quick online tool, we’ll help ensure your designs turn out exactly how you dreamed them up.

Your lanyards should be walking billboards for your brands. But you’ll only get there with high-quality materials, unique designs, and a comfortable wearing experience. Visit CustomLanyard.net to start your order today!