Choosing the Right Poly Bag Thickness: A Practical Guide

Choosing the right poly bag thickness for your product can be perplexing. We simplified it here to help you select the optimal bag thickness, that will provide durability and shipping protection for your products, while remaining cost efficient.

As a business owner, selecting the appropriate poly bag thickness for your products can be overwhelming, especially with the multitude of options available. The right thickness not only ensures the durability and protection of your goods but also contributes to customer satisfaction and brand reputation. In this practical guide, we will explore how to choose the right poly bag thickness for your product packaging.

The Importance of Poly Bag Thickness

The thickness of your poly bags goes beyond aesthetics. This element serves as a critical component in determining the strength, puncture resistance, and overall performance of your packaging. Thicker bags often provide better protection, decreasing the likelihood of tears or punctures that could compromise the quality of your product. On the other hand, excessively thick bags can be costly and may be unnecessary for certain applications, making it essential to assess your specific needs.

Poly Bag Thickness Measurements: Mils and Microns

There are two common units of measurement—mils and microns—used to describe poly bag thickness. By understanding these units, you can make informed decisions on the ideal thickness for your poly bags.

Mils

A mil is a unit of measurement equal to one-thousandth of an inch. In the poly bag industry, bag thickness typically ranges from 1 mil to 8 mils. The higher the mil value, the thicker and stronger the bag, usually leading to increased protective qualities.

Different mil strengths are suitable for different applications:

  • <1 mil is thin and meant for short-term use, such as dry-cleaning bags or produce bags.
  • 1 mil is a good choice for light-weight and soft items.
  • 1.5Mil is a standard minimum thickness that most big box companies require their items packaged in as it provides decent protection in the shipping and handling of items to protect them from being scratched or ripped, yet doesn’t use too much unnecessary plastic
  • 2 mil is the most popular choice of thickness across all industries. They hold up well, display the product nice and clear, and are cost effective. They are popular for jewelry, food, clothing, supplies, tobacco, and more.
  • 3 mil is slightly thicker and offers added protection for heftier items like tools and metal parts.
  • 4 mil is the recommended choice for industrial parts and tools, as it is thick and tear resistant.
  • 6 mil is highly resistant to punctures and tears, making it suitable for sharp and bulky items.
  • 8 mil is incredibly thick and strong. It offers the most durable solution for the heaviest and most abrasive products.

Microns

A micron, or micrometer, is another unit of measurement, and one micron is equal to one-millionth of a meter. Micron measurements are generally used outside the United States; if you need to convert microns to mils, just know that 1 mil = 25.4 microns.

Tips for Choosing the Ideal Poly Bag Thickness

How do you choose the right poly bag thickness? Here are a few guidelines to help you identify the optimal poly bag thickness for your specific needs.

Evaluate Your Product’s Weight and Sharpness

Heavy and sharp objects will require stronger, thicker bags to prevent tearing or puncturing. However, you can safely store lighter items with softer edges in thinner poly bags.

Consider the Shipping Process

If you ship your products frequently or via multiple carriers, a thicker bag may be necessary to ensure added protection during transit.

Balance Cost and Performance

While a thicker poly bag may provide increased protection, it will also result in higher costs. Therefore, it’s essential to strike a balance by selecting a thickness that provides the necessary protection without incurring excessive expenses.

Finding the right poly bag thickness for your business requires keen attention to your products’ unique requirements and the shipping process. Take the time to evaluate these factors, and you’ll be well on your way to selecting the ideal packaging. As a reputable poly bag manufacturer, Royal Bag can assist you in making informed decisions about the thickness and overall design of your poly bags, ensuring you achieve the perfect balance between performance and cost.

Still unsure which thickness is best for your product? Call us and we will be happy to guide you 718-686-1120

The Benefits of Gusseted Poly Bags

Gusseted poly bags have quickly become one of the most popular items in the packaging industry. Their spacious and accommodating design makes them not only wonderful for kitchen use, but also a highly effective material for businesses to package their products in. These are the benefits of gusseted poly bags and why you should consider them a worthwhile investment. Continue reading “The Benefits of Gusseted Poly Bags”

How to Package and Ship Clothing

The practice of purchasing clothes online is ever-growing in popularity. Not only does this method provide consumers with a more diverse range of style and color options, but it also gives them the means to shop around and find deals. Of all the products that can be bought online and shipped to a person’s home, clothing items are some of the most common. As such, if your company ever plans to sell these items to your online customers, you’ll need to know how to package and ship clothing properly. Continue reading “How to Package and Ship Clothing”

Understanding How Poly Bags Are Made

Poly bags are some of the most diverse products we use in our everyday lives. From packaging our food and shipping products to dispensing drinks and organizing loose items, the possibilities are endless with the right type of bag at your disposal. But when it comes to the development of these resources, our focus is more often on how to use them rather than on what it takes to make them. Understanding how poly bags are made can open various doors for your business and even allow you to experiment with new ways to supply your product. This is the basic manufacturing process to be aware of. Continue reading “Understanding How Poly Bags Are Made”

How Custom Poly Bags Help in Branding

Establishing a solid company brand is one of the most important things you can do to grow your business and bring in new customers. As the name, design, and mission statement will be associated with your business, your brand needs to both appeal to the consumer and accurately represent everything you stand for. Because of this, many businesses use more creative means to uniquely launch their brand so that it’s noticed by their market. Creating custom poly bags is one of these methods. This is how custom poly bags help in branding and why they’re so effective at drawing shoppers’ attention. Continue reading “How Custom Poly Bags Help in Branding”

What Are Poly Bags Made out Of?

Poly bags are a common shipping resource for numerous businesses in varied markets. However, despite how useful and common they are, few businesses know specifically what materials go into making them. Just having an understanding of how these bags are manufactured can provide you with a greater knowledge of how they can better be utilized. This makes it easier to not only get the most out of your wholesale purchase, but also gives you additional opportunities to package products sustainably. Learn what poly bags are made out of and how this knowledge helps you standardize the packaging process. Continue reading “What Are Poly Bags Made out Of?”

Why Buying Plastic Bags in Bulk Is Smart

Though buying materials in bulk is a common practice for grocery shoppers looking for a deal, it often doesn’t occur to business professionals that they can get the same benefits. For a business that specializes in selling specific products, packaging items need to constantly be replenished in order to satisfy demand. As such, finding ways to save a bit of cash is key to limiting overall expense costs and ensuring each product is packaged correctly. This is why buying plastic bags in bulk is smart and what companies gain for adopting this practice. Continue reading “Why Buying Plastic Bags in Bulk Is Smart”

A Beginner’s Guide To Ecommerce Shipping

Ecommerce is at the core of our modern consumer culture. Rather than drive to the store for the goods we need, current technology now allows us to purchase everything on our lists with a few simple clicks of a mouse. This sense of ease has led overall sales to skyrocket in as little as the past few years—with shopping rates rising as our ecommerce technology improves. But, there’s one crucial step to this process that often goes overlooked by consumers, yet is incredibly important for business success and shopper satisfaction. This is a beginner’s guide to ecommerce shipping and the role it plays in your online company’s sales and overall future. Continue reading “A Beginner’s Guide To Ecommerce Shipping”

The Advantages of Resealable Packaging

The Advantages of Resealable Packaging

When it comes to getting the most of our favorite products, many consumers and businesses prefer resealable packaging. These packaging methods not only allow the ease of opening an item, but also make it incredibly simple to reclose the bag for later use. For this reason, resealable packaging has been growing in popularity for decades—specifically in the food processing industry. But the benefits to using these packages don’t end there. In fact, the advantages of resealable packaging extend further than expected and affect both businesses and consumers alike. Continue reading “The Advantages of Resealable Packaging”

Reasons to Ship Products with Mailer Bags

Reasons to Ship Products with Mailer Bags

The process of shipping products is an essential part of keeping customers happy and returning to a particular business or reseller. As such, it’s important to find methods to ship reliably and ensure that each product stays properly protected while in transit. Fortunately, there are specialized mailer bags you can invest in to do just that. Learn the core reasons to ship products with mailer bags and how they can help your business.

Cost and Space Effectiveness

Mailer bags are small, lightweight, and versatile—all qualities that make them well worth the price. In fact, these bags are generally cheaper than many other shipping accessories and, as such, are a great way to reduce business spending and increase revenue. Furthermore, since these packages are small and light, they typically don’t weigh as much and can save you additional funds on the cost of the shipment.

Increased Strength and Protection

Another key feature of mailer bags is that they’re very strong and impervious to many of the hazards that an item could encounter while in transit. Poly bubble mailers, in particular, offer exceptional protection because they’re resistant to tearing, puncturing, dirt, and water. In addition, the polyethylene walls of these bags help block out light and reduce the risk of UV damage to more sensitive products.

Easy to Pack and Seal

The flexibility and durability of mailer bags also make them simple to pack, seal, and get on their way. The packing process itself primarily consists of securing a properly sized product in the envelope-like bag and using the adhesive along the lip to seal the opening. Even if you’re shipping items that are too small for the bags you have, you can still use them by folding the bag to better fit the shape.

Overall Waste Reduction

Best of all, mailer bags can help you cut back on the amount of waste your business is producing during the shipping process. The bags’ polyethylene materials are easy to recycle and restructure into more bags. This saves you additional monetary resources and makes your shipping process more sustainable.