Bubble Cushioning

Featured Moving Box Bundles

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Bubble Wrap® is a plastic (polyethylene) cushioning material forming air chambers primarily for the purpose of packing fragile items. In 1957 two engineers invented and trademarked the original Bubble Wrap®, and soon after they formed the company Sealed Air to create and sell their new invention. In the many decades since, the term Bubble Wrap® has become a generic term to describe this packing material more than the actual brand name itself.

Bubble can come in many different forms, lengths, and cell sizes. The typical form used by movers as moving supplies is the standard plastic material, however, it can also come in a non-static form which is often times used by manufacturers to pack and ship electronics. Additionally, it can come with an adhesive layer which is used to help apply and stick to the item it is meant to protect. Neither of these two types of Bubble Wrap® is used as often as moving supplies.

Although there are as many different lengths and widths of bubble packaging as there are products to protect it, the two primary widths for moving and packing supplies are 12” and 24”. The size that you need will almost solely be decided by the items you are packing, but generally, movers require the 12-inch width.

Bubble Cushioning is also classified by the height of the cellular chambers. These cells range from 1/8 of an inch to a full 1 inch in height. Movers typically use three sizes of the bubble cushioning: 3/16 (small), 5/16 (medium), and ½ inch (large). However, the primary used as a moving supply is the 3/16.

All protective moving supplies serve a certain purpose as discussed on the moving supplies page: Surface Protection, Cushioning, and Void/Fill. Each bubble size is not exclusively designed for one purpose but may instead fill a couple of different needs. For example, the small Bubble Wrap® roll provides protection for finished surfaces of items to prevent scratches, denting, and chipping. However, it can also provide a layer of cushioning for lighter items against vibration.

The medium Bubble Wrap® roll has larger bubbles and hence is more expensive so although you could use it for wrapping your lighter items it’s probably not necessary. Instead, you’d want to use the medium bubble wrap roll for your heavier items that need surface protection or shock absorption such as mirrors and pictures.

The large Bubble Wrap® roll is almost strictly used as void fill, or in other words to fill empty space that is left in your moving box once it’s been packed.

Finally, bubble bags are a great packing supplies tool. These are pouches that are made of small bubbles and fit various items such as glasses, saucers, fragile figurines and such. These are items are very convenient but a little more expensive. In the end that is what separates bubble products from other packing supplies. They are designed with maximum efficiency to provide the right type of protection while at the same time being less laborious and saving you time while your packing.

BUBBLE WRAP® is a registered trademark of Sealed Air Corporation (US)