Buyers Guides

There are so many different suppliers of ring binders that it can be extremelly difficult to define the best manufacturer for you. We will try to outline some of the key manufacturers and their products here;

Emgee ring binders have the broadest range of products, covering 2 ring binders, 4 ring binders as well as both the D and O binding types. The majority of their products are part recycled and the A4 2 D ring binders (pictured) have a clear plastic cover for inserting a front cover, back cover and also on the spine. Emgee also have a comprehensive range of A3 ring binders and A5 ring binders. The majority of their products have a PVC covering but they do supply the more cost effective board ring binders.

Bantex ring binders also have a very broad range of products - all with plastic, PVC or Poly covers and many made solely of plastic based products. They have products in the full range of capacity sizes from the most compact ring binders up to the largest ring binders. The Bantex snap ring binder (pictured) is a really nice product as it is translucent with various coloured tints.

Snopake ring binders have a slightly smaller range and do not have the really large capacity products but they really do have some stylish products at a good price. The Snopake Electra ring binders are an excellent product; they come in both A4 and A5 sizes and are translucent polypropylene which weighs less than normal plastic but is longer lasting and they have full length wrap around index holders on the spine and have business card holders. The Snopake professional ring binder is supplied with clear pockets and also some of the products have CD wallets inside - these products can work as display books as well as fulfilling the normal ring binding function.

Esselte ring binders cover the range from budget ring binders (pictured) up to some really classy presentation folders that would be ideal for displaying information at conferences and industry events. Esselte really specialise in the presentation folder range here so if that is the type of product that you are after then these are really worth a look.

Colour is something that you will not need much guidance on, but you can buy ring binders in a wide range of over 20 colours including the more common black ring binders, white ones and blue ones as well as red ring binders, and a lot of more wierd and wonderful colours including some metallic ring binders and Raspberry coloured as well as clear and silver ones too.

Almost all ring binders are made of polypropylene or PVC. Both materials are hard wearing and rigid, however if you are looking for a budget option then a board ring binder may be a good option. There is the Elba Touareg ring binder which is made of sustainably sourced board and is available in both the 2 ring and 4 ring binder types.

One of the most important aspects of a ring binder to look at is the binding mechanism. Firstly, we have split the Ring Binders by the number of Rings: 2 ring binders are the most common product - mainly because we tend to only punch 2 holes in paper, but 4 ring binders offer a little bit extra stability and security, especially when storing larger quantities of paper.

There are then the two different ring types to consider: The 2 O-Ring Binders are our most popular product as they are more common and usually a little cheaper. The mechanism itself is attached to the spine and is a circular shape.

The other type is the 2 D-Ring Binders which enables the contents to sit straight against the edge of the binder and would be recommended if indexes or dividers are being used to segregate paperwork. In these binders, the mechanism is fitted to the back cover.

The 4 Ring O-Ring and D-Ring Binders are exactly the same in structure as the 2 ring binders just with the added strength of 4 rings.

The size of the Rings determines the capacity of the binder. The standard size ring binder diameter is 25mm (1 inch) but they can go up to 65mm (2.5 inches). There are also slim ring binders that have a 15mm spine which are perfect for filing reports seperately in a cabinet. If you require anything larger, then you will need to be looking at our selection of Lever Arch Files.