Boulder Bibs offer 3 papers to choose from for your race bibs, each with its own unique qualities. We created this guide with photograph comparisons to help you choose the best paper for your race needs!
Our Paper Options
Our standard paper is a fan favorite! This option has a soft feel with no texture, it is slightly more rigid & heavier than Tyvek®.
Tyvek® is made from high-density spunbound polyethylene fibers making it more textured than our standard material. It has a brushed, opal white appearance.
Our Upgrade bib material is the heaviest, most rigid option. It has a matte finish and more prominent texture.
Quality Comparisons
For the best quality full-color print we recommend our Standard paper, followed by Tyvek®. Both of these options pick up all colors well and remain vibrant.
Our Upgrade paper tends to print less vibrant with more dulled down colors. The white paper fibers will show though darker printed colors like the black and brown in this image.
When comparing color printing across the three paper types, our Standard option provides the most vibrant color spectrum and true deep blacks.
Please note that the colors on the bibs in these photographs are not all the same and are meant to serve as a representation of the print quality.
Tear Test
To test durability, we intentionally attempted to tear our papers and these are the results!
Standard ripped approximately .25" and could not be torn further, Tyvek® showed some stress but would not tear, and Upgrade could be torn with a little extra effort. All three of our papers hold up well under standard racing conditions.
Full Comparison Chart
| Standard | Tyvek | Upgrade | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Texture |
Pure white color, soft to the touch Slightly more rigid & heavier than Tyvek |
An iridescent, opal white brushed appearance Non-reflective Lightest weight |
Pure white color, rougher texture Heaviest & most rigid Matte finish |
| Color Print Quality |
High quality print across the color spectrum Most vibrant and true color representation |
High quality print across the color spectrum Slightly less vibrant due to paper texture |
Medium quality print across the color spectrum with lower quality dark colors Least vibrant |
| Water Resistance |
Water beads and does not absorb Paper becomes more supple but drys back to original state |
Water beads and does not absorb Paper drys back to original state |
Water beads and does not absorb Paper drys back to original state faster than others |
| Tear Resistance | 90% - can tear approximately 0.25 in | 100% - cannot tear when trying | 0% - when intentionally trying to rip, paper will tear |
| Crumple Resistance |
Stays crumpled but flattens easily Creases appear white in places |
Stays crumpled but flattens easily Creases do not affect print |
Does not stay crumpled in a ball but does not flatten back as easily Creases do not affect print |
Our Clients' Picks
Standard is a fan favorite and was our main bib paper for years before we added Tyvek®; standard is used for The BOLDERBoulder. Tyvek® is popular for obstacle races and longer events like The Buck Fifty. Upgrade is the paper IRONMAN® uses and several other triathlons prefer this option.
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