Synthetic paper
Tyvek
Tyvek is the reason a paper wristband can survive a swimming pool. It is not paper at all — it is polyethylene fibre spun into a sheet, so there is no grain to soften and no pulp to dissolve. What it does share with paper is that it takes ink beautifully and costs very little.
| Composition | High-density polyethylene, spunbonded |
|---|---|
| Weight | 250 µm |
| Widths | 19 mm and 25 mm |
| Tensile strength | High along sheet, low once cut |
| Water | Suitable for pool, sea and shower for the wear period |
| Working life | Up to 72 hours |
| Closure | One-time tamper-evident adhesive |
| Recyclable | Yes, as HDPE where facilities accept it |
Supplied in these constructions
Bands carrying a transponder are encoded to the lock scheme your property already runs, before dispatch. All third-party marks are the property of their respective owners. Any reference indicates compatibility only and does not imply affiliation or endorsement.
Why it does not fall apart in water
Conventional paper is cellulose fibre held together by hydrogen bonding, and water breaks those bonds — which is why a paper ticket turns to pulp in a pocket. Tyvek is a continuous mat of high-density polyethylene filaments bonded by heat and pressure. Water has nothing to attack. A band will go through a full day of pool, sea and shower without losing tensile strength, and the print stays legible because it is locked under a surface coating rather than sitting in absorbed fibre.
The tear behaviour is the security feature
Tyvek has very high tear strength along the sheet but almost none once a cut is started — which is exactly what you want in a single-use credential. The band cannot be pulled off a wrist intact, and if someone slits it and tries to re-adhere it, the adhesive tab lifts the coating and leaves a visible white scar. That is the whole tamper-evidence mechanism, and it is mechanical rather than clever, which is why it does not fail.
What it will not do
It will not last a season. Constant flexing at the wrist eventually fatigues the sheet, and sunscreen and body oils gradually soften the adhesive. Seventy-two hours is a comfortable working life; a week is optimistic; a fortnight is not a serious proposition. If the credential has to outlast the weekend, this is the wrong material and silicone is the right one.
Printing
Flexographic or thermal-transfer printing on both faces, up to four colours. Solid coverage is even and does not mottle, which matters if the band carries a property colour rather than a logo on white. Sequential numbering is printed in the same pass, so it costs nothing extra.
Documentation
Runs in this material ship with a material declaration, batch and quantity reconciliation per carton, and an encoding record where a transponder is fitted.
FSC-certified material options available with supporting production documentation.
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Get a price on tyvek at your volume.
Tell us the quantity, the wear period and whether the band has to open or pay for anything. We come back with a unit price, a lead time and free samples of the recommended construction.