Nylon American Flag - Beacon®

Nylon and polyester are both highly durable outdoor materials. The main difference between the two is that polyester is more heavy-duty. While nylon is lightweight and flies well in the gentlest breezes, polyester is better for areas with extreme winds. Its thick 2-ply construction is highly resistant to tearing and fraying, making it an excellent choice for the most extreme weather zones.

As our best-selling flag, the Patriarch® Polyester U.S. Flag is known for lasting longer than any other flag on the market. However, our Beacon® Nylon flags also offer impressive durability. Unless your location regularly experiences high winds, nylon is an excellent choice for long-lasting performance. It’s also ideal for outrigger flagpoles, as its lightweight construction reduces the risk of bending or stressing the pole. For more information, check out our guide on U.S. flag fabrics.

The correct flag for your flagpole depends on many factors, the number one being its height. Generally, the longest side of your flag should be between one-fourth and one-third of the pole’s total length if you’re installing an in-ground flagpole. This ensures that your flag does not touch the ground when lowered to half-staff. For more information, check out our U.S. flag size guide.

The 3’x5’ nylon American flag is the most popular size — followed by the 5’ x 8’ and 4’ x 6’ U.S. flag.

3' x 5' is the most popular flag size for residential and small-scale commercial use. At approximately 3 ft wide, these flags are perfect for hoisting on a 6 ft outrigger flagpole or a 20 ft freestanding one. Those who have slightly smaller poles, about 5 ft should purchase a 2.5' x 4' or a 2' x 3' flag.

Yes, all our Beacon® Nylon U.S. flag sizes are made in the U.S.A.

No, the sizes 12" x 18" through 12' x 18' have embroidered stars, but on the 15' x 25' and larger flags, the stars are appliqued. That means that a separate piece of white fabric is sewn down onto the blue field.

If you are getting a smaller sized flag, such as 12” x 18” through a 3’ x 5’, for your 5-6' outdoor pole, then simply unscrew the screw in the flag collar, position the grommet of the flag over the collar and reinsert the collar screw. If you are getting a larger sized flag that would be attached to the halyard or rope on a larger flagpole, then use a snap hook that is tied to the halyard to clip onto the grommet or the thimble.

When you shop at Carrot-Top Flags, you will find that many of our outdoor and indoor flags are made of nylon material. Nylon’s lightweight but durable construction makes it an ideal flag fabric for many use cases. While the outdoor flags we sell on this page are finished with a poly duck canvas header and brass grommets, our indoor flags have a lined pole sleeve that slides easily onto our indoor flagpoles and is secured with a leather tab.

A grommet is the metal finished hole in the outdoor flag heading that you use to attach the flag to your pole. To reduce fraying from simply cutting a hole in the header, two metal circles, usually brass to keep it rust-proof, are clamped together over the raw edges to give it strength.

All flags 8’x12’ and larger have a rope heading instead of only grommets on their hoist end. That means that a sturdy rope is literally sewn into the heading to add strength. At either end of that rope, a metal loop, called a thimble is attached. That thimble is what the snap hooks clip onto to attach the flag to the halyard.

Yes, you can buy durable outdoor flags with lined pole sleeves on our American flag banner page. This style of flag slides easily over an outrigger or wall-mounted flagpole for easy installation. We recommend American flag banners for display outside your home or small commercial building.