After a year-and-a-half-long hiatus during COVID, festivals, concerts, sports, and other large gatherings are back and in full force. If you work in the event industry, you know that having proper infrastructure is vital. This includes the right crowd control barriers.

There are many different types of barriers and configurations. Which one is best depends on several factors.

Once you understand the function of each product--including advantages and any drawbacks--you can make a more informed decision. Below are the three main types of crowd control barriers. Keep reading to find out which ones are right for your event.

Stanchion barriers are made up of a series of upright fixtures (usually metal or sturdy plastic) connected by either ropes or retractable belts. They are common at airports, clubs, and ticket booths.

The two big advantages of stanchions are that they are portable and economical. They are easy to set up and move around as needed. They also are inexpensive to purchase or rent from a crowd-control service.

Their ease of transport also is their one drawback: they act more as a guide than as a barrier. People can move them (everyone has seen people unhooking velvet cables to get through) and get around them. Also, if you are dealing with large crowds in the area, stanchions can be knocked over and disregarded.

Metal barricades are often made of steel and can link together. They also are almost indestructible, which makes them one of the most formidable crowd control barriers.

Metal barricades have the exact opposite pros and cons of stanchions. They are much stronger and (especially when linked together) cannot be easily moved. This makes them a better barricade for large, crowded events.

The flip side is that they are much more difficult to transport and set up. For larger (six- to eight-feet) ones, you need a trailer or a vehicle with a sprawling bed. Steel ones can be especially heavy and demand a fair amount of effort to set up.

Plastic barricades are a good middle-ground crowd control barrier between stanchions and metal barricades. Quality ones are heavy-duty, so you can expect them to last a long time. Strung together, they create a natural barricade that cannot be easily moved or penetrated.

Plastic barricades also are a more economical option than metal barricades. Although, you can expect them to be slightly more expensive than most stanchions.