Magnets protect the uniform. Pins never let go. One safety rule decides which one you actually need.
Order magnetic backing for most staff. Keep a small stock of pin backing for heavy outerwear, safety harnesses, and for anyone who has a pacemaker or another implanted cardiac device, since magnets aren't safe for them. That's the short version. Here's why.
Why magnetic wins by default
A graded neodymium magnet bar holds about 1.1 lbs of pull, several times the weight of the badge itself, with zero holes in the shirt. On polos, blazers and scrubs that's the whole case right there. It's also faster to put on, which matters when a hundred people are clipping in at once for a shift change.
Why pin still has a job
Pins don't fail. Thick outerwear, denim aprons, harnesses and heavy knitwear all put too much fabric between the badge and the magnet's keeper bar, and the badge just falls off. Pins also cost less per badge and don't scatter hardware if the badge gets dropped.
The rule that overrides everything else
Anyone with a pacemaker, a defibrillator, or another implanted cardiac device should not wear a magnetic badge. We tell every corporate buyer the same thing: order magnetic as the standard, keep pin badges in stock for the exceptions, and we'll swap backing at no charge whenever someone needs it.
Side by side
- Holds through thick fabric: pin.
- No damage to clothing: magnetic.
- Fastest to put on: magnetic.
- Cheapest per badge: pin.
- Best for scrubs and blazers: magnetic.
- Best for harnesses and outerwear: pin.
- Safe with cardiac implants: pin or clip only.
The option most buyers forget about
A swivel clip beats both on aprons, silk and loosely woven fabric, anywhere a magnet would spin and a pin would leave a hole you don't want. It costs about the same as a magnet and it's the right answer more often than most people expect.