RFID Tag Types
Every type of RFID tag explained – from sub-cent wet inlays to rugged industrial hard tags rated for 25 years outdoors. Each profile covers how the tag works, where it is used, its pros and cons, read range, lifespan, and which manufacturers make it.
A wet inlay is the most basic form of an RFID tag: an RFID chip bonded to an antenna, mounted on a thin PET substrate with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing...
A dry inlay is identical to a wet inlay but without the adhesive backing. It is the bare chip-on-antenna-on-substrate, ready to be embedded into another product...
An RFID label is a wet inlay sandwiched between a printable facestock and a release liner. It looks and behaves like a conventional barcode label, but with an e...
An RFID hang tag is a cardstock tag with an embedded UHF inlay, attached to a product with a string, pin, or plastic fastener. They are the most visible form of...
Standard RFID tags fail on metal surfaces because the metal reflects and detunes the antenna. On-metal tags solve this with a spacer layer (foam, ceramic, or FR...
Rugged hard tags are built for the harshest environments: outdoor asset yards, mining, oil and gas, military, and construction. They are typically encapsulated ...
A tamper-evident RFID tag is designed to be destroyed if someone tries to remove or transfer it. The antenna is deliberately fragile – printed with thin conduct...
RFID wristbands embed a chip and antenna in a band worn on the wrist. Disposable versions (Tyvek, paper, vinyl) are used for events and hospitals, while reusabl...
A contactless smart card is a credit-card-sized PVC or PET card with an embedded RFID chip and antenna. They are the most widely deployed RFID form factor in th...
An RFID key fob is a small, durable token designed to be carried on a keyring. Inside the plastic housing is a small RFID transponder – typically LF (125 kHz) f...
Laundry tags are among the toughest RFID tags made. They must survive industrial washing (60–85°C water, harsh detergents), tumble drying, ironing, and commerci...
A nail tag is an RFID transponder encapsulated in a cylindrical housing (typically ABS, nylon, or glass-filled polymer) shaped like a large nail or dowel. It is...
A cable tie tag integrates an RFID transponder into a plastic cable tie (zip tie). The RFID chip and antenna are embedded in the head or body of the tie, creati...
A windshield tag is a UHF RFID label designed to be applied to vehicle windshields for automatic vehicle identification (AVI). The tag is applied to the inside ...
Ceramic RFID tags use a ceramic substrate instead of plastic, giving them extreme temperature resistance, chemical inertness, and mechanical durability. They ar...
An epoxy tag (also called a potted tag) encapsulates the RFID transponder in a pour-moulded epoxy resin. This creates a solid, waterproof, chemical-resistant ho...
RFID ear tags are attached to livestock ears for individual animal identification. They are the primary method of cattle, sheep, goat, and pig identification wo...
A glass capsule transponder is a tiny RFID chip and coil antenna sealed inside a biocompatible glass tube, typically 12 × 2 mm. It is injected under the skin of...
A rumen bolus is a ceramic RFID transponder shaped like a large capsule (about 70 × 20 mm) that is orally administered to cattle and sheep. It drops into the re...
Jewellery RFID tags are miniaturised UHF tags designed to be attached to rings, necklaces, watches, and other high-value items in retail. They typically take th...
A tyre RFID tag is embedded inside the rubber of a tyre during the vulcanisation process. It permanently identifies the tyre and can store manufacturing data, p...
A PCB (printed circuit board) tag uses an FR4 fibreglass substrate instead of PET film for the antenna. This gives the tag structural rigidity, excellent on-met...
Flexible RFID tags use a thin, bendable substrate – often a polymer film, woven textile, or even printed conductive ink on fabric – to create tags that conform ...
Sensor tags combine an RFID transponder with one or more environmental sensors – temperature, humidity, light, pressure, tilt, or shock. They can be passive (po...
Anti-theft hard tags are the plastic security tags clamped to garments in retail stores. Modern versions combine traditional Electronic Article Surveillance (EA...