Guidance posts

Belt or rope

A retractable belt post has a cassette in the head holding a webbing belt that you pull out and clip into the next post. That lets you build a queue in seconds and adjust it just as quickly when it gets busier. This is the system for waiting lines, airports, service desks and anywhere the layout changes from one day to the next.

A rope post is static: a velvet or braided rope hung between two fixed hooks. It reads as more formal and is the usual choice for museums, receptions, hotels and ceremonies. You cannot rearrange it as easily, but that is rarely the intention.

Other names in use: queue posts, stanchions, retractable belt barriers, museum rope posts.

What really matters

The weight of the base. A guidance post gets touched, walked into and leaned on, and a post that is too light will topple. In a public space a falling post with a tensioned belt attached is not just untidy, it is a hazard. Heavier bases cost more and are harder to move around, and that is exactly the trade-off you make based on where they will stand.

Length and layout

With belt posts, the belt length determines how far apart the posts may stand. Never run a belt out to its maximum: a belt pulled taut over its full length draws the posts towards each other. Work with a spacing that sits comfortably within the belt length.

For a serpentine queue, allow roughly a metre of walkway between the rows. Anything narrower becomes uncomfortable with luggage or a trolley.

Finish

Posts come in brushed stainless steel, in powder-coated steel in the colour of your choice, and in a chrome finish. Stainless steel is the neutral, low-maintenance option and suits most reception areas. Powder coating is chosen when the posts have to match your house style, and that is the sort of detail that makes a reception look considered straight away.

Belts can be printed with a message or a logo, which turns them into a carrier for your message as well.

Accessories

There are head units with a holder for an A4 or A5 sheet, so a post doubles as a sign holder. There are also wall-mounted receivers, letting you run a belt from a wall to a post and use one post fewer in a corner.

Why the price varies

The quantity and the finish set the baseline. After that it comes down to the weight of the base, the belt length, whether the belt is printed, and which accessories are added. For rope posts, the type of rope plays its part.

What we do

We supply the posts, print the belts in your house style and think through the layout with you. Tell us how many metres you need to cordon off, whether the layout is fixed or changing, and whether the posts will stand outdoors, and we will put the set together.