What is a Lanyard? Facts, Figures & Frequently Asked Questions

Lanyards, in their simplest form, are strips of material or rope that are generally used to secure something. Historically they were used to secure shields, armour or weapons in a military context. They can still be found as part of many military uniforms, often in a ceremonial rather than practical context.

Nowadays lanyards are a key item of workwear, used for displaying ID cards, access cards/fobs or similar.

In the context of sports such as climbing or sailing, the lanyard may be used to secure lines and raise and lower things such as sails and shrouds. They can also be found in certain safety critical work environments where they can be used for connecting harnesses to secure anchor points or on cut off switches.

The word lanyard comes from the French lanière meaning a strap. This gave us the Middle English word lanyer which referred to a strap or thong of material that was used to fasten clothing, weapons or armour.

Lanyards can be made from a wide range of materials including natural fabrics, such as cotton or bamboo, or man-made fibres like polyester. Wipe clean lanyards made from silicone or PVC can be found in hospitals and labs. We also stock metal chain lanyards and a wide selection of lanyards made from recycled plastics.

Lanyards can be interchanged with id clips or retractable ski reels or badge reels or a metal chain can be substituted for a fabric lanyard