Are Rollup (Retractable) Banners or Tension Banners Better For Churches?

24th Aug 2022

Two of our most popular portable displays are Rollup Banners (Also called Retractable Banners) and Tension Banners, and we often get asked about the differences and benefits of each.

The Portability, Material, Reusability, and Printing/Design benefits, and sizes of Retractable Banners vs Tension banners

Structure of Retractable Banners vs Tension Banners

Retractable banners (like their name) retract into their base. There's a spring mechanism that keeps them taught while they're displayed and springs back to roll into their base for simple storage and portability.

Tension Banners are made of a metal pipe frame (which we can provide) and a fabric that stretches over the edges of the frame from top to bottom and has a zipper at the bottom to keep tension.

Both are easy to store and transport, but for simplicity, the retractable banner wins this round. Simply disconnect the post that holds the banner up, and the banner will roll back into its base.

That's not to say that tension banners are difficult to store or transport, but retractable has hard-case storage built in.

Retractable vs Tension Banner on Stage or on Camera

Retractable banners are made of a reflective material that creates a polished, glossy look - fantastic for your foyer or entrance area, but can cause reflections from windows and lights when used on stage or on camera.

Tension Banners are made of a stretchy fabric that doesn't create reflections.

This makes them the perfect addition to a church stage backdrop, kids ministry classroom set, a photo backdrop, or a camera background for your church's live broadcast.

If you're creating a photo booth backdrop for mothers day, a themed event, or a volunteer appreciation dinner, and you'll be using the backdrop with a flash or in an area with natural daylight, then tension banner wins this round.

Retractable Banner vs Tension Banner Reusability

Retractable Banners (or Roll up Banners) are great for portability, but in reusabilty, tension banners win.

Retractable banners are printed on one side only, and the banner can be switched but not interchanged. You can keep the roll-up mechanism and add in a new sign design, but you can't switch between them very easily.

Switching a roll-up banner material is worthwhile if it's a new design each month or each quarter, but not for a new design a few times per week.

Often making the switch damages the existing banner that's in place so the material is not usually reusable.

Tension banners win here because the tension banner can be unzipped on the frame and easily replaced meaning that a tension banner stand can be used for your Sunday morning service, a new members sign on Sunday evenings, a youth service display mid-week and wayfinding signage for a special event on Friday night, all by unzipping the design and replacing it in a matter of seconds.

Retractable Banners vs Tension Banners: Design and Printing

Retractable banners are more economical but can only be printed on one side. Once you're done with that design, it's time to purchase new sign material to replace the original.

Tension banners can be printed on both sides, so every tension fabric purchased can serve two purposes.

One example is that you can have a "Welcome" tension banner on the way into your church and "See You Next Week" printed on the other side so that banner serves both people arriving and people on their way back to their cars.

One tension fabric can also serve dual purposes. In a stage design example, you might have the church logo printed on 3 or tension banners across the stage that are used for Sundays, and on the back side, have the student ministry logo so that they can be turned around for a different stage application.

Tension Banner vs Retractable Banner Sizes

Retractable banners come in 33" x 77"

If you're looking for more flexibility, tension banners come in 36" x 90", 48" x 90", with backdrop options in 8' x 8' and 8' x 10'

Backdrop Tension Banners are also available in straight or curved options, with the curves being best for tucking into corners and in high-traffic areas since the design of the curved banners allows them to stand upright without any 'feet' to balance (which are required for the straight tension banners)

Verdict: Retractable Banners vs Tension Banners For Churches

Retractable Banners are less of an investment up front but not as flexible for frequently changing designs or stage/camera applications.

Tension Banners cost more upfront, but you can print multiple fabric designs to interchange, can be printed with unique designs front and back, offer a variety of sizes, and are not reflective, making them best for photo booths, stage applications, and in daylight areas.

Since our rollup banners are so popular, we've organized them into design themes in our catalog:

Bonus: Is a Retractable Banner or a Tension Banner better for Outdoor?

A retractable banner is not an option for outdoor usage. The vinyl simply acts as a sail in even the slightest amount of wind.

Tension banners offer some outdoor functionality since the wind can go through the fabric instead of carrying the sign away, but with even a moderate breeze, they're not suitable for outdoors.

If you're looking for outdoor banner options, check out our outdoor catalog here.