Do you get overwhelmed with all of the envelope options out there? Or, like most people, did you not realize until this very moment that padded envelopes come in several different dimensions, colors, materials, and prices? Regardless of the answer, you’ve come here to learn all about padded envelopes, and we’ve got your answers.
When it comes to padded envelopes and bubble mailers, one size does not fit all. In this post, we’ll cover the difference between padded and bubble envelopes, how to choose the best mailer, and the many padded envelope sizes on the market. Bonus: We’ll also touch on the history of Bubble Wrap! 🤯
If you have something fragile you’re trying to ship or want extra peace of mind when mailing an item, choose a padded envelope.
Studies show that small packages are dropped, tossed, and handled 27 times in a one-way shipment. Without padding, items can slide around or fall out in the shipping process, sometimes causing irreparable damage. Placing your objects in a sealed padded envelope is a much sturdier and more secure way to pack and ship your valuable objects and products.
Padded envelopes are ideal for transporting important flat items—such as Blu Rays, CDs, books, and jewelry—securely. Packages can bounce around during the shipping process, so finding a durable, padded envelope means you don’t have to worry about your valuables breaking.
With so many opportunities for the objects you’re shipping to get damaged, using a padded envelope or bubble mailer is a no-brainer for important shipments.
You may have seen these terms used interchangeably, but there’s a difference between padded envelopes and bubble mailers. When searching for padded envelopes, you’ll likely get results for both padded envelopes, bubble mailers, and poly bubble mailers.
🤫 Are you secretly reading this article to learn more about your favorite poppable shipping product?
The two inventors continued working on their invention, trying to find some sort of application for Bubble Wrap. After a few unsuccessful years, Fielding and Chavannes decided to use it as packaging material. It was fortuitous timing as IBM had just created the 1401 Processing System and they were searching for a way to ship their fragile piece of computer equipment.
Bubble Wrap soon became the favorite way to ship. And as for the irresistible desire to pop the bubbles? There’s no quaint origin story there; bubbles were made for popping!
✉️ Want more envelope-related history? Read Looking Past the Fold: A History of Envelopes.
✉️ More on common business envelope dimensions in our article Business Envelope Dimensions: 10 Common Envelope Sizes Used at the Office. Read it for envelope dimension charts and uncommon envelope sizes used for QuickBooks, business forms, and taxes.
There are two dimensions to consider when selecting a bubble mailer. When you have an envelope lined with Bubble Wrap or a poly bubble mailer, the outside dimensions will differ from the interior dimensions. This difference is often referred to as exterior vs. useable size.
To choose the right size envelope, you need to consider the outside dimensions (exterior) for shipping costs as well as the inside dimensions (useable) so that your product will fit inside. Remember to leave enough room for your product to fit inside comfortably, but not too much room so that your product doesn’t bounce or slide inside the envelope during shipping.
While padded envelopes typically come in a few standard sizes, bubble mailers are produced in a wide range of sizes and can often vary depending on the supplier you purchase from. Even the height of the bubbles will play a role in envelope size. When in doubt, ask for a sample or buy a small amount that you can test before you make a bulk purchase. Below we’ve outlined a few bubble mailer sizes as well as their uses. Uliner has a mailer guide to determine the right size mailer if you are ordering from them.
✉️ Read our Envelope Size and Style Guide for more on envelope sizes, visual examples, and envelope terminology.
💡 How To Address An Envelope: What To Write On An Envelope
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