One roll covers a few hundred small parcels.
Typical price
£10 to £15
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- £10 to £15
- Works with
A long roll costs several times less per metre than the small packs sold in shops.
Our approved alternative for the same job: Honeycomb paper wrap, 100 m roll
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Who a 100 m roll suits
A long roll of bubble wrap suits you if you post breakable or awkward items such as mugs, boxed figures, electronics, glass candle jars and cameras. At a few items a week, a 100 m roll lasts months; at 50 orders a week, expect to reorder every few weeks.
If you sell clothing alone, you will rarely need it. Vinyl, book and card shops usually need less than they expect, because rigid mailers do most of the protecting.
Width, bubble size and perforations
A 500 mm width wraps most small and medium items in one or two turns and fits on a shelf or a dispenser bar. Wider 750 mm and 1,000 mm rolls suit larger homeware and suitcases of stock.
Bubble size changes the job. Small bubbles, around 10 mm, wrap surfaces and fill gaps; large bubbles, around 20 to 25 mm, cushion heavier items against drops. Many listings also state whether the roll is perforated, which saves cutting with scissors.
If your buyers ask about recycled content, the film description lists it. Some supermarket chains take plastic film at front-of-store collection points, so check their current list before telling buyers it goes in the kerbside bin.
Wrapping a mug or figure for the post
Wrap with the bubbles facing in, towards the item. The flat side faces out and resists punctures, and the bubbles grip the surface so the wrap stays put.
Two turns cover most items. Tape the end down with a short strip of brown packing tape, then sit the wrapped item in a box with at least 5 cm of space to each side, filled with scrunched paper or more wrap.
Mount the roll on a broom handle across two brackets, or on a dispenser above the table, and pull from it there instead of unrolling it across the floor.
Kit for this step
Paper wrap or rigid mailers instead
Honeycomb paper wrap, 100 m roll is the paper alternative. It cushions like light bubble wrap and goes in the paper recycling, so choose it if your buyers care about plastic or you sell handmade or vintage on character.
Board-backed card mailers, C6, 100 pack or 12-inch LP record mailers, 10 pack protect flat items with rigid board in place of cushioning. Small light pieces travel in Kraft padded envelopes, D/1, 100 pack, which carry their own bubble lining.
Pence per metre and storing the roll
£10 to £15 for 100 m puts a metre of wrap at roughly 10p to 15p. A mug or a boxed figure takes around half a metre to a metre, so wrap adds pennies per order.
Store the roll upright and away from radiators. Heat lets the bubbles lose air and flatten.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- Bubbles facing out pop against the box wall. Face them in towards the item.
- Add a second layer or switch to larger bubbles for a heavy item; one thin layer lets it hit the box floor.
- A box packed too tight crushes the wrap flat, so leave a few centimetres of space on every side.
- Small shop packs cost several times more per metre. Once you post breakables weekly, buy a long roll.
- Store the roll somewhere cool, because a spot by a radiator deflates the bubbles.
Setups that use it
Complete kits this product is part of.
Guides that use it
Step-by-step help where this product does a job.
Questions
Which way round does bubble wrap go?
Bubbles face in, towards the item. The flat side faces out and protects the bubbles from puncture.
How many parcels does a 100 m roll cover?
Small items use around half a metre each, so a roll covers 100 to 200 small parcels. Larger homeware uses more.
Small or large bubbles?
Small bubbles suit surface protection and light items. Large bubbles cushion heavy or fragile pieces against drops.
Can buyers recycle bubble wrap?
Many councils do not take it at the kerb, though some supermarkets collect plastic film. Point buyers to their local recycling rules instead of promising a route.
Is bubble wrap better than paper?
Per metre, bubble wrap cushions heavy items better. Honeycomb paper suits lighter items and plastic-free shops.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
Grip seal bags, 100 × 150 mm, 100 pack
A coiled charger, a set of earrings or a bag of spare game pieces fits a 100 × 150 mm grip seal bag, and you can write the stock code on the white panel. Pick a larger size if you bag laptop power bricks or whole controllers.
Typical price£4 to £8
See on AmazonAcid-free tissue paper, 100 sheets
A sheet of tissue costs pennies and changes how a £15 vintage shirt feels on arrival. Buyers mention it in reviews.
Typical price£7 to £11
See on AmazonCoin capsules, assorted sizes, 100 pack
A fingerprint on a coin's surface can knock its value. Capsules show both faces on your stream and protect the coin in the post.
Typical price£8 to £14
See on AmazonBox protectors for vinyl figures, 20 pack
Collectors pay for the box as much as the figure. A protector guards the corners and the window against crushing and scuffs, in storage and in the post.
Typical price£10 to £16
See on Amazon