Magnet or pin: which fastener should you choose?

This is the question we get asked most, and for most people the answer is a magnet. But not for everybody, and the exceptions matter more than the rule.

How each one works

A magnetic fastener is two parts. A steel plate is fixed to the back of the tag, and a separate magnet bar goes behind the fabric. The two clamp the cloth between them. Nothing pierces the garment, and the tag sits flat.

A pin fastener is a bar pin glued to the back of the tag, the same fitting as a brooch. It is lighter, it cannot come apart into two pieces, and it does make a small hole every time it is used.

Why most people pick the magnet

• No holes. On a knitted polo, a silk blouse or a good jacket, a pin leaves a mark that does not come out.
• It sits straight. A pin lets a heavy tag tip forward; a magnet holds it flat against the chest.
• It goes on and off in a second, which matters if the tag moves between a jacket and a shirt through the day.
• It is included in the price of every tag we make, so it is not a decision about money.

When a pin is the better answer

If anyone who will wear the tag has a pacemaker, a defibrillator or another implanted medical device, order pins. Manufacturers advise keeping magnets at least six inches from an implanted device, and a nametag sits directly over the chest. This is the one case where the answer is not a preference.

A few other situations favour a pin. Magnets can wipe the stripe on an old-style hotel key card or a magnetic-stripe badge kept in a breast pocket. On very thick fabric such as a heavy overcoat or some aprons, the magnet has too much cloth to grip and will not hold. And in a job where the tag gets knocked hard and often, a pin cannot be pulled off in one piece the way a magnetic tag can.

Ordering both

You can, and plenty of customers do. Put the order through twice, once with magnets and once with pins, or just say so in the order notes and we will sort it out. The quantity discount is worked out across the whole order either way, so splitting the fasteners does not cost you the better price.

If you are not sure, order magnets and ask for one or two pins in the notes. It is a cheap way to find out what your people actually prefer before the next batch.