Bubble wrap, honeycomb paper and tissue ranked for sellers shipping from home, with what each one protects and what a roll costs.
A 328 ft (100 m) roll of bubble wrap costs about $15 to $30 and lasts a home seller for months. It is the cheapest way to keep glass, ceramics, figures and electronics in one piece.
Honeycomb paper does the same job without plastic, at a similar price. Tissue adds no knock protection. It keeps clothes clean and makes the package look cared for.
The criteria that set the order. Commission plays no part.
Lowest cost per foot of the three, and light enough to keep a package in its weight band.
Typical price
$15to $30
Honeycomb paper that wraps and cushions without plastic, for shops that sell on it.
Typical price
$20to $35
Keeps clothes and accessories clean and the package looking cared for; adds no knock protection.
Typical price
$10to $16
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Bubble wrap cushions a knock better per layer and weighs almost nothing, which matters when USPS prices by weight. Honeycomb paper needs two or three layers to match it.
Use paper when your shop sells on being plastic-free, and say so in the listing.
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 poly mailer and a sheet of tissue are enough.
Kit for this step
Mugs and glasses: stuff the inside with paper, wrap two layers, and stand them upright. Framed prints: cardboard corners first, then bubble wrap over the glass.
Electronics ship best in their original box inside a bigger one, with bubble wrap filling the gap.
Kit for this step
A large roll takes space. Hang it on a rod 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 ship: a mug takes far less than a framed print. Note how long your first roll lasts and reorder before it runs out.
Bubbles in, toward the item, cushion 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.
Yes for most items, if you add a second or third layer. Bubble wrap weighs less for the same protection.
No. A poly mailer keeps clothes clean and dry. Save bubble wrap for anything that can break or dent.
