Things that you should consider when purchasing stanchions:

Does the company have an established brand? Yes, we understand that you may not exactly know the brands, but some of the newer retractable tape stanchions that have been dumped on the market offer 1 thing, and 1 thing only... a low price. This may be enough, and we understand that this is what you are likely looking for right now. The truth of the matter is that these stanchions have few if any safety precautions.

Why do stanchions need to be safe? Believe it or not, way back when, the original retractable tape stanchion company was sued multiple times for "runaway" tapes that retracted quickly & unsafely. This ended up causing a few children to have some major eye damage when the tape end swung and caught their eyes. More experienced stanchion manufacturers use slow retracting tape mechanisms and standard locking tape ends. Not doing this saves a few dollars on the stanchions, but opens the OWNER up to some pretty nasty liability claims.

Can I get replacement parts? Let's face it; these stanchions are placed in high use & demanding applications. Who hasn't played with a stanchion tape while waiting in a long line? Make sure that you are buying posts from a company that can stand by their product with replacement parts. The question isn't really if you will need them someday, it is when. It is much cheaper to replace a $ 5.00 tape end than an entire post.

Do you have all the color and finish options available? Is it really worth pairing a standard one size fits most color combination to your stanchion purchase that will stick out like a sore thumb? It may save you a little up front. More than likely you will replace them or you stop using them altogether and the end up in a storage closet. Are your stanchions covered by a sufficient warranty? There are a few manufacturers that employ the old "taillight" warranty system... When they see your taillights, your warranty is over! There are also companies out there that don't actually honor their warranties. That's where we normally step in and use 40+ years of experience to help you. If you have questions, feel free to contact us by email at service@hmcdisplay.com or via phone 800-344-7371 and we will tell you who's warranty you can trust.

Do your stanchions have all the necessary support equipment? You may not think it's important now, but someday you may want to add a few signs to the top of them or some point of purchase displays. Maybe you are tired of lugging them around and it's time for a cart that can handle them in a single load. If you go on price alone, these options may be closed to you.

If you have any questions about stanchions, please feel free to contact one of our experienced representatives to help you through the process. They are available Monday-Friday from 6:00 am to 4:30 pm PST at 800-344-7371 or at service@hmcdisplay.com