From traditional usage to the future

In recent years, wristbands have become a versatile product with everyday use for life for many of us. Think far beyond the use of wristbands at a festival or in a water park - the modern-day wristband has been used for everything from fitness health tracing to contactless payments and has shaped the way we interact with technology and track the many aspects of our lives.

The beauty of the wristband is the way in which their compact size and vast advanced functionality can enhance our convenience and overall well-being. A complete evolution from the fashion accessory or tool for event access, let’s take a look at the diverse functions of the modern-day wristband, but first, let's take a look at some of the traditional uses.

A Timeline of Wristband Usage

Medical and Healing Practices

Wristbands are still used in traditional medicine around the world for therapeutic purposes. None more so than in Chinese medicine. An example: a practitioner applying pressure or herbs and minerals on a wristband to then stimulate acupressure points and promote healing. Wristbands were, and still are, believed to be able to restore one's balance and remove ailments. 

Another traditional healing practice for wristband use is that of Ayurveda medicine. The wristbands were called “Kada” or “Bangle” and were used as therapeutic tools. Made of metals like gold, silver, and copper, it was believed to rebalance the body’s energy and interact with our “energy channels” - known as “nadis”.

Ceremonial and cultural

From the past to today, wristbands are still used in weddings and religious ceremonies. Such bands are able to mark special occasions and bring together significant milestones - across a multitude of different civilisations. 

Native Americans often wore beaded wristbands. These dictated their heritage and clan affiliation. Another example is wristband use in Ancient Egypt. Often made from metals such as gold and silver, these wristbands were adorned with unique and cultural design elements, and worn by both men and women as jewellery pieces. 

Events and Festivals

Fast forward to today, wristbands have become a staple at events and festivals. It’s more than likely you’ll have seen those rather proud to have attended that particular event keeping the wristband on as humanly long as possible!

Ultimately, event wristband usage is based on the need for efficient ticketing and access control. Replacing traditional paper tickets, they now serve as digital passes. It also gives event organisers a chance to brand and promote the wristbands, to create a buzz. On top of this, they play a vital role in crowd management and security, allowing those in charge to identify authorised attendees and ensure only those with valid wristbands can access them. You can see examples of festival wristbands here.

Fast Identification

If you’ve ever organised a school trip, you’ll know that keeping tabs on 30 to 60 children requires high levels of organisation and a way to quickly identify those in the group. A wristband allows for fast identification and tells members of the public that he or she belongs to the group.

In the same way, wristbands are used to quickly identify those who have allergies or specific medical conditions in the event of an emergency. Wristbands are likely to have saved many lives in the past!

Fundraising and awareness campaigns

You may have seen wristbands used for the promotion of a cause or for a fundraising campaign. The campaign that immediately springs to mind is the Livestrong Yellow Band which rose to prominence in the early 2000s.