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If you are deciding between a roller banner vs pop up stand, the short answer is that a roller banner is the cheaper, lighter display you can carry in one hand, and a pop up stand gives you a full wall of print across the back of your space. One roller banner suits a table top event, a hotel foyer or anyone who exhibits a few times a year. A pop up makes more sense when the back wall is the first thing visitors see and you want your brand to fill it.
Below I go through how they compare, what each costs from our range and which I would buy for different events. I also cover a wide roller banner vs pop up stand, and the pull up banner vs pop up banner question, because the names get mixed up a lot.
Roller banner vs pop up stand at a glance
| Roller banner | Pop up stand | |
|---|---|---|
| Width x height | 800 x 2000mm | 1970 x 2225mm |
| Printed area | One panel | A full backwall |
| Price from | £55.95 ex VAT | £404.95 ex VAT |
| Weight | 1.4kg to 5kg | 6kg to 8.1kg |
| Carried in | Carry bag | Bag or wheeled case |
| Graphic | Rolls into base | Panels on a frame |
| Floor depth | 200 to 260mm | About 300mm |
| Double sided | Twin models | Yes, as an option |
Full size roller banners start from £55.95 ex VAT for a 600mm Expovision, and the popular Rhino 800mm roller banner is £94.95 ex VAT. Pop ups start from £404.95 ex VAT for a 1.5m wide fabric pop-up wall, and the Quick+ 3x2 straight pop up stand, 1.97m wide, is £412.95 ex VAT. So the Quick+ costs a little over four times as much as the Rhino, but you get more than twice the width of printed graphic and a taller display. Prices for our printed roller banners and pop ups include the print, and every order comes with FREE artwork design or proofing.
The difference between roller banners and a pop-up display
A roller banner is one printed banner graphic that rolls down into an aluminium base, called a cassette. You pull the graphic up, fit the pole into the base and clip the top rail onto it. When you take it down the print rolls back into the base, which protects it on the way home. They are lightweight and tool-free to assemble, and you will also see them sold as pull up banners. They work away from shows too, in retail displays and receptions.
A pop up stand is a larger folding frame that opens out like a lattice, with printed panels across the front. On our Quick+ and Impact ranges the lightweight frame opens with a scissor action, the magnetic locking arms click into place and the panels attach magnetically, so one person can build it without tools. The Hop-up range uses one stretch fabric graphic fixed around the frame with hook and loop instead. Either way you get a straight or curved wall of print about 2.2m high.
So a roller banner is a sign you place on or near your exhibition stand, and a pop-up is the back wall itself. You can line up several roller banner stands to make a wall, but you will always see the gaps and the separate bases between them.
Size, height and printed graphic area
Most of our standard roller banners are 2000mm high, in widths from 600mm to 2000mm, and our premium roller banners, the Barracuda range, are 2130mm high and go up to 2400mm wide. Our straight Quick+ and Impact models are 2225mm high and the Hop-up is 2260mm. That extra height matters in a busy hall, because the top of your graphic is the part people can still see over the heads of visitors in front of you.
Pop up systems are named by frame sections, high then wide, so a 3x3 is wider than a 3x2. In our range a 3x2 straight is about 1.97m wide and a 3x3 straight about 2.7m, which fits the back of a 3m wide stand with a little room to spare. Floor depth is small for both: a Rhino base takes 230mm and a built backwall about 300mm, so either leaves most of a 2m deep stand free. Our guide to pull up banner sizes lists every roller banner width.
Setup, transport and storage
Portability is where a roller banner wins easily. The 600mm Expovision weighs 1.4kg, and the Rhino 800 has a listed package weight of 5kg with a padded carry bag. It goes on a train in one hand and stores in the corner of an office.
A pop up display is still portable, just bigger. The Quick+ 3x2 weighs 7kg and the 3x3 8.1kg, both in a protective padded bag, and the Impact 3x2 is 6.3kg in a wheeled case. It fits in a car boot, but I would not want to take one far on public transport with everything else you need at a show.
Both go up without tools. The frame takes a few more steps (open it, lock the arms, hang the panels, level the feet), but it is designed for one person, and the adjustable feet keep the panels square on an uneven floor.
Which costs less, roller banners or a pop up display?
Per banner, a standard roller banner is far cheaper. Per metre of print it is closer than you might expect: the Rhino 800 works out at about £119 per metre of width and the wide Rhino 2000 about £105, against about £210 for the Quick+ 3x2 and £189 for the Quick+ 3x3, which are also taller.
A common choice is three roller banners across the back of a 3m wide stand or one 3x3 pop up display. Three Rhino 800 banners cost £284.85 ex VAT for 2400mm of print in three panels. The Quick+ 3x3 costs £510.95 ex VAT for 2700mm of print as one wall, 225mm taller. So the single wall costs about £226 more, and in return the back of your stand looks like one designed wall rather than three signs in a row.
Separate banners have one advantage: each can be used on its own at a smaller event later, while the wall only works as a back wall.
Wide roller banner vs pop up stand
If you want a backdrop at a lower price, a wide roller banner sits in between. The Rhino 2000 roller banner is 2000mm wide and 2000mm high for £209.95 ex VAT, with a listed package weight of 9kg. The Quick+ 3x2 is almost the same width (1970mm), 225mm taller and £203 more.
My rule: choose the wide roller banner for a backdrop at the lowest price, or for a press wall or speaker backdrop at a one off event, since it is quick to pack away. Choose the pop up display if you want the taller wall, a curved shape, or a bundle with a counter and lights.
Pull up banner vs pop up banner and other names for a retractable banner
Usually they are the same thing. Pull up banner, roll up banner, retractable banner and roller banner all mean the same product, and some printers call it a pop up banner too, because the graphic comes up out of the base. So if you compare a roll up banner vs pop up banner on another website, check the photos first.
The name can also mean a pop up stand, or a pop-out banner, which is a different product: a flexible spring frame with a fabric graphic that springs into shape, often used as an outdoor banner. Our oval pop-out banners include a 2000mm x 1000mm model, which weighs 3kg and comes with a carry bag and ground pegs. For an indoor exhibition you will almost always want one of the other two.
Double sided and outdoor options
If your stand is open on multiple sides, both come as double-sided banners. The Twin Expovision 850mm roller banner is £147.95 ex VAT and the Rhino Twin 850mm £179.95 ex VAT. The Quick+ 3x2 double sided is £597.95 ex VAT and can work as a divider in an open area.
Our standard models of both are listed for indoor use. For outdoor events we sell outdoor roller banners such as the Expovision Outdoor 850mm double sided, from £261.95 ex VAT, and the pop-out banners above.
Which one should you buy for your business or event?
Here is how I would decide between a roller banner or pop up stand:
- One roller banner if you have a table top or shell scheme stand with walls already there, exhibit a few times a year, travel by train, or have a budget under about £200.
- Two or three roller banners if your events vary a lot and you want pieces you can use one at a time.
- A pop up stand if you have a space only plot with nothing behind you and go to enough trade shows that a professional back wall earns its keep. A 3x2 suits a 2m wide stand and a 3x3 a 3m wide one.
- A bundle if this is your first show and you want one order to cover the whole stand.
The Impact pop up stand bundle is £736.95 ex VAT and includes a 1.97m straight backwall, a wheeled Zenith case that turns into a counter with a beech tabletop, and two LED spotlights. It is listed at 20kg in total, so it is a car job, but the case wheels.
You do not have to pick one for good either. A common set-up is a pop up display as the back wall with one roller banner at the front corner, facing the aisle, carrying a short message or offer. A Quick+ 3x2 and a Rhino 800 together come to £507.90 ex VAT, which also takes the order past £200 for free UK delivery. If you are weighing up a bigger kit, our guide to pop up stand vs modular stand covers that choice.
Custom design for your brand
Every banner design is custom printed to your artwork, so your branding can match across the banner graphic and the backwall. Our artwork guidelines explain the file setup, and our design service can create it for you at no extra cost. Browse all our roller banners or the full range of pop up stands, and if you are torn between models in the roller range, our budget vs premium roller banner guide covers that choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a roller banner or pop up stand better for a first exhibition?
It depends on your space. With a shell scheme or table top space, one or two roller banners are usually enough and cost far less. With a space only plot and nothing behind you, a pop up display gives you a proper back wall, and a bundle with a counter and lights covers it all in one order.
How much does a roller banner cost compared with a pop up stand?
In our range, full size roller banners start from £55.95 ex VAT and the Rhino 800 is £94.95 ex VAT, with printing included. Pop ups start from £404.95 ex VAT, and the 1.97m wide Quick+ 3x2 is £412.95 ex VAT. A wide 2000mm Rhino sits between them at £209.95 ex VAT.
Can one person put up a pop up stand?
Yes. Our Quick+ and Impact models are built for one person without tools: the frame opens with a scissor action, the magnetic locking arms set themselves and the panels attach magnetically. It takes a few more steps than a roller banner, so practise once before the show.
Is a pop up banner the same as a pull up banner?
Usually, yes. Many printers use pop up banner, pull up banner, roll up banner and retractable banner for the same product, a graphic that rolls into a base. Some use it for a pop up stand or a spring frame pop-out banner, so check the photos before you order.
