Glass Medals vs Metal Medals: Which Should You Choose?

Neither format is universally better; they suit different occasions, budgets and expectations. Here's how PrintOnline's Custom Glass Medal compares to a traditional metal medal, like PrintOnline's Personalized Medal Awards, so you can pick based on the actual occasion rather than assuming one is automatically the better choice.

Appearance

Glass has a premium, reflective quality that reads as more formal and considered, closer to a crystal award than a typical sports medal. Metal medals have a classic, traditional medal look, the format most people picture when they think "medal," with a gold, silver or bronze finish common in sports and competition contexts.

Weight

Glass medals, built around a glass centre with a metal frame, generally have a different heft and feel in hand than a fully metal medal, often reading as more substantial for a corporate award context. A traditional metal medal is lighter and more purpose-built for being worn around the neck repeatedly during an event, such as handing out dozens of medals at a sports day.

Personalization

PrintOnline's glass medal supports logo, name and message personalisation on the glass and frame components. Metal medals are traditionally personalised through engraving directly onto the metal surface itself. Both formats support genuine, specific personalisation rather than a purely generic design; which reads better depends on the finish you're going for.

Presentation

The glass medal ships with a presentation box included as standard, giving it a gift-like unboxing moment suited to a one-on-one recognition handover. A traditional metal medal is typically handed out on its ribbon at a ceremony or event, without the same box-opening moment, since the occasion itself (a race finish, a competition podium) is the presentation.

Corporate recognition

For office-based employee recognition (employee of the month, long service, leadership awards), the glass medal's more premium, considered presentation generally suits the occasion better than a traditional sports-style metal medal would.

Sports

For an actual sports event, race, or competition, a traditional metal medal is the expected, recognisable format, and handing dozens of glass medals to finishers at a running event would read as an unusual mismatch with expectations. See custom medals for sports events, schools and competitions for the sports-specific use case.

Cost considerations

The two sit closer together than most people expect. PrintOnline's Custom Glass Medal starts at AED 47 for one, and the Personalized Medal Awards metal medal starts at AED 45. At five pieces it is AED 170 against AED 160, and at ten AED 275 against AED 273 — a difference of a couple of percent.

Because price is effectively a wash, choose on the qualities above rather than on cost: the glass medal for weight and presentation, the metal medal where you need a gold or silver finish and a traditional look. The metal medal is decorated by epoxy printing in full colour and ships in 6 working days as standard; the glass medal ships in 5.

Ribbon

The glass medal comes with a 3cm white ribbon as standard. Metal medals traditionally come with a ribbon in colours matching the event or competition (often reflecting a flag, team colour, or placement tier); confirm ribbon colour options for your specific metal medal order.

Presentation box

Included as standard on the glass medal; confirm whether a box option exists for the metal medal product if that matters for your specific use.

Which to choose

Order custom glass medals from PrintOnline.

Related: custom glass medals for employee recognition and custom medals for sports events, schools and competitions.