Rope Barriers vs Retractable Belts: Which Option is Best?

When it comes to creating a queue management system, you want to ensure that it not only looks professional, but is a great value for money and does the job it needs to. Whether you’re hosting an exhibition or event, or need to manage your customers better, investing in a queue management system can work wonders. So how do you decide which is the most suitable for your situation?

Restricting doorway access

It may be that you are running an exhibition at the local museum, or that you’re coordinating a large trade show event. No matter what type of event you’re responsible for, retractable belts are a great option if you need to restrict access to certain areas.

This is particularly relevant to entrance and exit ways as a retractable belt is easy for staff to remove when necessary but is a good indicator to the general public that the area is off limits. Compared to a rope barrier system, retractable belts will often look neater and tidier in an entryway. You can also buy specific wall-mounted versions for a more professional appearance.

Managing crowded rooms

When it comes to crowd control in larger rooms, or managing the flow of customers in busy places, such as passport control at the airport, rope barriers can be a less flexible option. Portable retractable belts are easy to interchange in order to alter the queuing system if needs be – like when a new cashier becomes available – and can also maintain order. Interchanging the queuing system is quick and efficient, making it easy for staff to handle.

Compared to rope barriers, retractable belts are also a more cost effective solution when buying in bulk. So if you’re working to budget and need to be careful with how much you spend – perhaps this is a trial event – then a retractable belt system will get you more for your money.

The VIP experience

That isn’t to say you shouldn’t consider rope belts, but generally a rope belt system is seen as a more luxury, VIP option. Ideal in cinemas, concerts and night clubs, rope barriers are often used to cordon off VIP areas and restrict access. The use of velvet ropes adds to the air of luxury to create a special experience for those present.

Rope barriers are a less industrial form of queue management and as a result they do come with an increase in price. Still affordable to most businesses, using a rope barrier system sparingly could create more of an atmosphere of sophistication and leave a different kind of impression compared to the standard retractable belts.

Similar to retractable belts, rope barriers can also be mounted to the wall, and so this may be relevant in a high end gallery or a stately home.

Once you’ve identified the purpose of your queue management system and you know how you want to implement crowd control, you can begin to weigh up the options of the retractable belt and the rope barrier to see which will best suit your needs.

Looking for queue management solutions? Click here to view our extensive range of Rope Barriers and retractable Belt Barriers.