Regardless of your job title, if you wear a badge, you know how important it is to make sure it’s clearly visible, prominent, and in good repair. But that can be tough with the rigors of day-to-day work. You have probably found yourself having to replace badges more often than you’d like and likely wishing there was a better alternative to the standard metal or embroidered badge.
We now offer a solution that will ensure your employees are properly badged, without having to replace uniforms and pin-on badges, while also offering a commanding and prominent appearance.
What is a FlexBadge?
The FlexBadge by Blackinton is a solution to the issues you run into with the traditional metal badges and the alternative embroidered ones. It is a urethane badge that is flexible, durable, customizable, and visually impressive.
FlexBadge vs. Embroidered Badge
Embroidered badges – whether applied patches or direct embroidery – have a ton of benefits as a badge alternative. They are lightweight, customizable. They are also generally less expensive than traditional metal badges, at a per-piece level.
Blackinton’s FlexBadge shares in all of those benefits! It’s right in the name – flex. A major feature of the FlexBadge is the fact that it is flexible. The thin urethane material allows for the badge to be ultra lightweight, and malleable. That means the badge will bend and move with the uniform for those who have physically demanding jobs.
Unfortunately, with embroidered badges and patches, they have all the drawbacks of a fabric insignia that you’d expect. They stain, fade, discolor, fray, and they are permanently affixed to the uniform. So if the embroidered badge does need to be replaced, it potentially means the whole article of clothing is wasted.
That also means that every article of clothing needs to have its own badge permanently attached. That can get very expensive, very quickly.
FlexBadges offer the hard, non-porous surface of a metal badge so it stays looking like new despite the wear and tear of the job. It will also give you the option of permanent adhesion to hard surfaces (ie. helmets), or removable adhesion with Velcro. The badges stay firmly attached to the garment but can be removed and reapplied to other articles of clothing at will.
FlexBadge vs. Metal Badge
There’s no denying it – the glint of a heavy metallic badge reads more authoritative than an embroidered patch. And in many jobs where the wearer needs a badge, that authority means a lot. But while a metal badge is an honor for employees to own and wear, it isn’t always the most practical.
Heavy, hard, and unyielding, the metal badges carry a risk of becoming damaged and damaging the clothing they are pinned to. That can amount to extra spending that may not be in the budget.
Most seriously of all, metal badges can fall off. Losing a badge can mean serious disciplinary action in certain fields. It’s been reported that some personnel risk the consequences of being caught wearing a fake badge, just to make sure they don’t lose their real one.
The FlexBadge provides the same gleaming metallic appearance of a metal badge, but is super lightweight, heat resistant, and flexible. Like metal badges, they can be moved from one piece of clothing to the next easily, with the use of Velcro, but have a significantly more impressive and impactful appearance than that of the embroidered patch.
And with the super-strong grip of the hook-and-loop Velcro that keeps the badge laying flat, there is a reduced chance of the badge getting caught, pulling free, or coming undone, than with a metal badge. The security of the FlexBadge means officers and other employees don’t need to worry about their badge disappearing.
Cut to the Chase – Why Is FlexBadge Better?
It’s simple. The Blackinton FlexBadge offers the best of both worlds between the embroidered and the metal badges.
Without the bulk of the heavy metal badge, employees can still enjoy the impressive appearance of the traditional metallic finish. And they can do that while knowing that their lightweight badge is going to last through the physical demands of the job, and everyday wear-and-tear.
| Metal Badge | Embroidered Badge | FlexBadge | |
| Lightweight | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Flexible | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Customizable | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Permanent | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Transferable | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Durable | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Cost Effective | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Traditional Look | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Metallic Finish | ✔ | ✘ | ✔ |
To get your hands on a FlexBadge and experience the real benefits of this new alternative, contact us today.