Bubble wrap, honeycomb paper and tissue ranked for UK home sellers wrapping parcels, with what each one protects and what a roll costs.
A 100 m roll of bubble wrap costs about £10 to £15 and lasts most home sellers months. It is the cheapest way to stop glass, ceramics, figures and electronics breaking in the post.
Paper does the same job for buyers who want no plastic, at a higher price per metre. Tissue protects nothing from knocks; it keeps clothes clean and makes the parcel look cared for.
The criteria that set the order. Commission plays no part.
The cheapest protection per metre, light enough to keep a parcel inside its postage band.
Typical price
£10to £15
Honeycomb paper that wraps and cushions without plastic, for shops that sell on it.
Typical price
£18to £28
Keeps clothes and accessories clean and makes the parcel look cared for; adds no knock protection.
Typical price
£7to £11
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Bubble wrap cushions a knock better per layer and weighs almost nothing, which matters when postage goes by weight. Honeycomb paper takes two or three layers to match it.
Use paper when your shop sells on being plastic-free, and say so in the listing. Buyers who care read it.
Kit for this step
Wrap fragile items in two layers, then fill the gaps in the box so nothing moves when you shake it. An item that slides around breaks against its own box.
Clothes need no bubble wrap: a mailing bag and a sheet of tissue are enough.
Kit for this step
Mugs and glasses: stuff the inside with paper, wrap two layers of bubble wrap, and stand them upright in the box. Framed prints: card corners first, then bubble wrap over the glass.
Electronics travel best in their original box inside a bigger one, with bubble wrap filling the gap. Figures in window boxes need the box itself wrapped, since collectors pay for a crisp box.
Kit for this step
A 500 mm by 100 m roll is bulky. Hang it on a rail or a broom handle above the packing table and pull off what you need, so it stays clean and flat.
Straight answers to what sellers ask about this.
It depends on what you post: a mug takes far less than a framed print. Note how long your first roll lasts and reorder before it runs out.
Bubbles facing in, towards the item, cushion it best. The flat side outside also takes tape cleanly.
Yes, if it is clean and the bubbles are intact. Many buyers like seeing reused packing.
For most items it is, with an extra layer. Bubble wrap is lighter for the protection it gives.
No. A mailing bag keeps clothes clean and dry; tissue makes the parcel look cared for. Save bubble wrap for anything that can break or dent.
