Wristbands vs Armbands: Meaning and Uses

The difference between a wristband and an arm band is not a very straight line. Most times wristbands are usually confused with arm bands as they are both used on the hand. More importantly they can also be used interchangeably for the same purpose. The common purpose which y=unifies wristbands and armbands has to do with identification and branding.

Both wristbands and armbands can be used as a form of branding or identification. In this article we will explain the differences between a wristband and an armband, talk about where both can be used and they symbolize or material they are made of.

What is a wristband?

Wristbands are a piece of clothing worn over the wrist with any type of clothing. They are usually used for campaigns, fundraising, fashion, crowd control, etc. Wristbands dated back to the early Egyptians and were made popular during the 1980s when the queen of pop Madonna donned them in concerts/. After this trend they came back to trend in the 1990s and 200s with kids and teens using them solely as fashion materials. In the mid 2000s the yellow Livestrong band was popularized by Lance Armstrong who won the Tour de France, the most popular cycling event in the world. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and it was in May 2004, that there was a collaboration between Livestrong foundation and Nike which stemmed the production of the gel yellow wristband. The color was chosen which symbolized the yellow jersey worn by the cyclist, Lance Armstrong. Since then the yellow wristband is now popular among those supporting the fight against cancer.

This singular act further popularized the use of silicone wristbands as a means of supporting several charity events or fight against certain social ills or sicknesses. It was then used by other charity organizations to create awareness on heart attacks, breast cancers, etc.

Si9licpone wristbands are not the only type of wristbands there are. A few of them include; tyvek wristbands, fabric wristbands, rubber wristbands etc. These can also be used in specific ways and particular places but their purpose remains consistent – as branding or identification.

What is an armband?

Arm band is a piece of material worn over the upper arm which can be purely for fashion or as a means to identify the wearer as belonging to a group, have a position or belonging to a state. Arm bands have been in existence for as long as we can remember. Originally used by men to keep their long sleeves shirt from dropping over their hands. Some police departments use arm bands to differentiate the kind of unit, journalists in states like Also use armbands to mark themselves. Armbands are also used to show who the leader of a group is, the captain of a football team or any other sports team. Apart from this in sports like golf, baseball, etc arm bands are worn over the arm. Interestingly armbands can also be used to hold smartphones or portable music players. When armbands are used by soldiers, it is known as brazzards. Unlike wristbands armbands are also used to for health purposes to relieve one from elbow pains and Also supports the area where tendons and muscles of the upper arm attach to the bony area of the elbow.

Types of materials used to make wristbands and armbands

Wristband making is done from a variety of raw materials, amongst them include silicone which is the commonest of them all. Other sources include tyvec, rubber, PET. Armbands are made from mainly cotton and enhanced with other raw materials such as neoprene to enhance its usefulness. For armbands like smart phone holders neoprene is used to strengthen the grip.

Armbands or Wristbands: Which would you prefer

Whether you get an armband or a wristband would depend completely on what you need it for. It would also largely depend on your preferences. Since both of them are used for fashion purposes, you would need to consider style and fashion to choose any of them. However it is worthy to note that a wristband is considered by many as the more fashionable one. Arm bands are mostly used in sports, medicine as a pain reliever, a handy tool for runners to hold their phones or as an insignia.

Wrapping up,

Armbands and wristbands are clothing items which continue to remain in demand due to widespread usefulness and cost. They have a variety of uses that cut across different situations and purposes. Wristbands and armbands remain a much needed item for persons organizing conferences and events in taking care of the identification or noting attendance problem. Any of them can work in specific events and situations.