The best type of Pet ID tag

As we have already established having an ID tag for your dog or cat is extremely important.  But what type of tag is the best? In this entry we will go through the different types of tags and the different materials they can be made out of.  Then discuss the pros and cons of each type. (There is a summary at the end)

Types:

The two types of pet id tags are hang tags and slide on tags.  Hang tags are by far the most common, mainly because they are very cheap.  Hang tags are usually a small piece of metal, usually aluminum, cut into a shape that is attached to the collar by a key ring. Silicone hang tags do exist but are not nearly as common.

Slide on tags are normally made out of metal, stainless steel is more common than aluminum for slide on tags, normally square in shape with slots for the collar to slide through.  The shape of the slot depends on the type of collar it is designed for.

The 4 most common styles are shown below

Hang Tags

Starting with the most common type, Hang tags are usually what comes to mind when you hear Dog ID tag.  For the most part they serve their purpose of being cheap, displaying your pet’s information and attaching to a collar.  However being cheap is really the only good part about Hang tags.

Hang tags have a lot of problems which make them less than ideal.  They jingle whenever your pet moves, some may see this as a benefit because  they can always hear their pet but pets are loud enough that they can be heard without a jingling hang tag anyway.  The jingling can get annoying when trying to sleep or focus on something.

Jingling isn’t hang tags only problem though, because hang tags hang down they can easily get caught on stuff. Here are some pictures showing just what can happen.

As you can see hang tags can easily get caught on things, which can trap your pet and make them very scared.  Just imagine how scared and confused your furry friend would be if it’s hang tag got caught on something making it so they couldn’t move.

Lastly due to hang tags being cheap, companies who produce them often cheap out on the engraving of your pets information causing the text to fade quickly.  

Metal Slide on Tags

Metal slide on tags were invented as an alternative to Hang tags.  The main benefits of a metal slide on tag is that they are less likely to get caught on stuff and don’t jingle.  These benefits still come with downsides though.  

Metal slide on tags are designed for specific types of collars and only fit on that specific type.  So if you get your pet a new collar you’ll be buying another metal slide on tag to go along with it.  

Metal Slide on tags come with some safety risks for your pets too!  The top and bottom edges can be sharp and cut into your pets neck! Here are some pictures of what could happen if your pet has a metal slide on tag

So although slide on metal tags make improvements to the hang tag there are some safety concerns.

Silicone and Metal slide on tags

Silicone and Metal slide on tags are designed to be an improvement over metal slide on tags.  They have a metal cover where your pets info is engraved onto, then that slides over a silicone band with rings.  Then the rings slide onto the collar. Silicone and Metal slide on tags have all the benefits that slide on metal tags have without the safety risks. However they have a serious flaw, the rings are way to thin and don’t hold secure enough on the collar making it very easy for the rings to break and the tag to fall off. You can buy replacement silicone bands, but who wants to keep spending money and replacing them all the time? Silicone Hang tags have this same issue but since they only have one point of contact they get lost when they break, even worse!

Every seller of Silicone and Metal slide on tags we have seen are from china and use extremely cheap materials and weak engravings that often fade, however this depends where you buy it from.

Silicone Slide on Tags

The silicone slide on tag was invented to be the no compromise pet ID tag, and that’s what it is.  Silicone is an extremely safe material that cannot harm your pet in any way, even if they eat it! The rugged slot design keeps the tag secure on the collar and don’t break like the rings on Silicone and Metal slide on tags.  The slots also stretch over any type of buckle so they aren’t locked to a specific type of collar like with Metal slide on tags. They don’t jingle or get caught on anything either. That’s why Silicone Slide on Tags are Personify Pet’s choice for the best pet ID tag, and you can buy them here.

Summary