Aluminium versus polyester versus stainless steel asset tags

Aluminium, for the majority of a mixed asset estate. It is the general-purpose option that copes with most surfaces and environments without needing a special case, and it is our default recommendation unless you have cables, curved surfaces or genuinely extreme conditions.

No, it is priced lower because it uses less material and is faster to produce, not because it is a lesser product. It performs well for its intended use on curved and indoor low-risk items; it simply is not built for the same outdoor longevity as aluminium, so match it to the right asset rather than to the lowest price alone.

When aluminium and adhesive genuinely will not survive, sustained high heat above 120°C, heavy vibration, oily surfaces, or abrasive outdoor environments over decades. For everything short of that, aluminium is more cost-effective and perfectly durable. Stainless steel is quotation-only because gauge and fixing method depend on the specific asset, so send photos and a description of the operating conditions and we'll confirm whether it's genuinely needed or whether acetone-activated aluminium performs just as well for less.

Yes, and most organisations with a varied estate do, aluminium across most equipment, polyester on cables and curved items, stainless steel on the small number of extreme-environment assets. The register tracks material per asset without any issue. Recording the material against each asset also helps with future budgeting, since you can forecast replacement costs separately for the aluminium majority and the smaller stainless steel allocation rather than applying one average unit cost across a mixed estate.

Not automatically, longevity also depends on installation surface, adhesive choice and actual environmental exposure, not price alone. A correctly matched aluminium tag will outlast a stainless steel tag poorly fixed to the wrong surface. Surface preparation, cleaning off oil, dust or old adhesive residue before fixing, often has more effect on how long a tag survives than the material grade itself, which is why we ask about installation conditions before recommending a material.

Finish and colour (brushed, satin or mirror; silver, white or gold) do not carry a separate published surcharge in our standard price list, confirm your finish preference when you order and we will quote against the standard rates unless a specific finish requires custom tooling.

Yes, in almost every case. Office furniture, IT equipment and general fixed assets are well served by aluminium at a fraction of the cost; reserve stainless steel for the genuinely harsh-environment items in your estate rather than specifying it across the board.

At 500 tags, polyester at KSh 35 costs KSh 17,500, standard aluminium barcode at KSh 50 costs KSh 25,000, and acetone-activated aluminium at KSh 60 costs KSh 30,000, all excluding VAT, the same proportional gap as at 5,000, just smaller in absolute terms.

Match the tag to whichever is shorter in practice, but err toward the longer-lasting material if the asset might be redeployed or kept longer than initially planned, a tag failing before the asset does forces a costly re-tagging exercise later.