Bubble Wrap Sizes and Types Explained: Which to Buy for Packing

Bubble wrap looks like one product, but the bubble size, the roll width and the way you use it all change how well it protects. Here is how to choose without overpaying or under-protecting.

Bubble size: small or large

The bubble height is the number to check.

• Small bubble, 3/16 in (about 5 mm): the general-purpose choice. It wraps tightly around small and medium items, folds around corners, and lies flat on a packing bench. Most ecommerce products, from cosmetics to small electronics, are wrapped in it.
• Large bubble, 1/2 in (about 12 mm): more cushion per layer, for heavy or bulky items such as appliances and furniture parts. It is stiffer and harder to wrap round small items, so it wastes film on them.

If you are unsure, buy small bubble. You can wrap a heavy item in two layers of small bubble, but you cannot easily wrap a small item in large bubble.

Roll width and length

A standard roll is 12 in wide by 175 ft long, which is 175 square feet of film. A 24 in wide roll covers twice the area and suits larger or irregular items; it is awkward at a small bench. A roll cut at the bench, not a pre-cut sheet, is usually the cheapest way to wrap, because you cut exactly what the item needs.

How much does one roll cover?

A 12 in × 175 ft roll is 2,100 inches long. If a small item needs a 12 in length, one roll wraps about 175 items; at 24 in a length, about 87. Work out your own number from the item you wrap most. A 24 in roll of the same length wraps larger items or double the small ones.

How to wrap an item properly

1. Put the bubbles inward, against the product, so the flat side is on the outside.
2. Wrap the item at least twice, with the film overlapping, and tape the seam. Wrap corners and edges first, because they take the knocks.
3. Leave about an inch of space between the wrapped item and the box wall, and fill any remaining gap with void fill so nothing can move.

What bubble wrap does not do

It absorbs knocks and scratches, but it does not resist crushing, and it does not stop an item sliding around in a box that is too big. For fragile items, the box and the void fill do as much work as the bubble wrap. Our guide on packaging for fragile products covers the whole stack.

Bubble wrap, mailers and paper

• Bubble mailers already have the cushioning built in, and they suit flat, light items. Use bubble wrap and a box for anything with weight or corners.
• Honeycomb paper wrap does the same wrapping job in paper and is recyclable with cardboard in most kerbside streams, which matters if your customers prefer plastic-free packaging.

The roll we supply is on the bubble wrap rolls page.