If you&#;re looking for the ultimate bubble mailer to help guarantee that your products reach their final destination with no dents, no dings, and no damage you know exactly how much of an uphill battle this can be.
Not all bubble mailers are created equally, and not all companies that sell these kinds of packaging solutions are created equally, either.
Some products are heavy-duty, offering the kind of protection you and your customers are expecting. Others are flimsy imitations of quality packaging solutions, cheap for sure &#; which helps pad your profits &#; but might cut into your business&#;s reputation if products start arriving at your customer&#;s door with a lot more damage than they should have.
Below you&#;ll find the ultimate breakdown of the best bubble mailer options on the market today.
PRO Tip: Customize and design your own mailers to set your brand apart from your competition.
We run through six of the best suppliers of these packaging options, highlighting both the pros and cons of both of packaging solutions they make available as well as the benefits and shortfalls of those specific suppliers, too.
If you&#;re running in e-commerce platform that depends on the mailers performing the way you and your customers expect you never should have to settle for anything less in the very best of the best.
With the inside information that we highlight below in this ultimate bubble mailer breakdown, you won&#;t have to!
Let&#;s dig right in.
Uline Bubble Mailers
Easily one of the most well-known operations in the mailing and shipping solution, ULine has a gigantic product catalog of different shipping and packaging options for you to pick and choose from. With more than 34,000 types of packaging options, including just over a dozen bubble mailer products, you won&#;t ever be hurting for choices with ULine.
This has to be the biggest benefit that this operation brings to the table, the sheer volume of the bubble mailing products that you can pick and choose from. You&#;ll be able to select from a variety of different bubble mailing options ranging in quality from cheap, &#;economy grade&#; solutions all the way up to professional (and much more expensive) options.
Obviously, you&#;ll end up getting what you pay for.
The Economy Gold options and the Economy Poly White options that ULine makes available are well-made and relatively inexpensive. They use high quality materials throughout for the price tag, though they do not have a reputation for holding up to the rigors of longer distance delivery and transportation systems.
If you&#;re going to be sending your products and merchandise clear across the country or around the world, you&#;ll want to step up to the Gold Bubble mailing options offered by ULine &#; at which point you are going to be spending quite a bit of money for a quality able mailer.
As far as the actual ULine operation is concerned, you can expect to spend higher prices as a general rule from this larger operation. Bulk orders will bring down the total cost of your individual mailers, but don&#;t expect to save all that much compared to some of the other options we highlight on this list.
ULine isn&#;t a bad company to move forward with by any stretch of the imagination &#; and their bubble mailing products are high enough quality to be useful for most &#; but they aren&#;t the most recommended company for products to move forward with, either.
Amazon Bubble Mailers
Amazon has become the &#;go to&#; one-stop shopping solution for small business owners and solo entrepreneurs alike, especially when it comes to office supplies and shipping products like bubble mailers.
Known around the world for its ridiculously low prices, unbelievably large selection of products, and some of the best and fastest shipping on the planet (including free shipping when you have an Amazon Prime membership), you&#;ll have even more choices to select from when you visit Amazon compared to ULine.
But that wide range of selections is a bit of a double-edged sword.
Sure, some of the more reputable companies offer their bubble mailing products on Amazon (as well as on their own websites), but plenty of fly-by-night operation sell counterfeit bubble mailing products advertised as the real deal on Amazon as well.
You&#;ll never know exactly what you&#;re getting into until you pull the trigger on this kind of purchase, and because there isn&#;t a feedback system for individual sellers on Amazon you might end up wasting hundreds of dollars on these shipping products and eating the costs because of it.
Free shipping from Amazon is especially useful when making these kinds of orders, however, as long as you are purchasing your mailing solutions from legitimate vendors.
You&#;ll want to pay close attention to ALL of the reviews that have been left behind on Amazon about the bubble shipping products you&#;re looking into, and that&#;s probably the biggest competitive advantage that Amazon offers compared to everyone else.
As long as you purchase mailing products with four-star reviews or better you really shouldn&#;t have much to worry about. Just dig into those reviews to confirm that they are legitimate before you click the order button and you should be alright.
Walmart Bubble Mailers
Walmart carries two or three different brands of bubble mailing solutions, including the popular Duck brand of products, and the prices are pretty reasonable for what you&#;re getting &#; as long as you aren&#;t looking to purchase bubble mailers in bulk.
The biggest advantage here is the fact that you are going to be able to get your hands on the bubble mailers you need immediately when you need them, since Walmarts are located in pretty much every community clear across the United States. You&#;ll never have to worry about running out of bubble mailing options and even if you do run out of these products, close at hand, you can jump down to Walmart and pick up a pack of 10, 25, 50, or even more and replenish your supplies before the end of business that day.
The ability to replenish your stock instantly isn&#;t something that should be readily discounted. Sure, you&#;re probably going to be able to find better prices on these kinds of shipping options elsewhere &#; especially online if you purchase in bulk &#; but the chance to run down to your local Walmart and get a couple of shipping solutions so that you can get your merchandise into your customer&#;s hands faster is a very compelling benefit.
On the flip side of things, Walmart isn&#;t going to carry anywhere near as many brands, as many sizes, or as many colors of bubble mailers as you find with any of the other options we highlight in this quick guide.
Even Staples, which we are going to review in just a moment, has a lot more options as a local retail store &#; but that&#;s primarily because they focus on office supplies to begin with where Walmart is more your general department store.
In a pinch, Walmart is probably going to be your best option (especially if you aren&#;t looking for the highest quality or the cheapest bubble mailers available). If you plan things out in advance and replenish your stock of shipping solutions before they run out then your best options will lay elsewhere. On a side note, the same is true if you want to throw Walgreens into the mix.
Staples Bubble Mailers
Staples is a titan of the office supply industry, with retail outlets all over the United States and in pretty much every community.
You won&#;t have any trouble finding a variety of different size bubble mailing products at Staples, and you won&#;t have any trouble finding a variety of different brands (with varying degrees of quality), either. As a dedicated office supply operation, Staples has a dozen or more different choices to pick and choose from at EVERY retail outlet, and even more options than that on their website.
While the quality of the bubble mailing solutions they carry from different companies in the industry varies wildly, the in-house brand of Staples bubble mailers are considered to be some of the best in the business.
Relatively expensive, even for larger quantities, they usually take advantage of higher-end construction materials and are almost always lined with at least a 1/8 inch bubble barrier system to make sure that your merchandise arrives at its final destination in picture-perfect condition.
The trouble with Staples is that it&#;s impossible to know whether or not your local retail outlet is going to have enough of the bubble mailers you need at any one particular point in time. The odds are pretty good that other e-commerce operators in your area, as well as other small business owners, are going to be taking advantage of these bubble mailing solutions. It&#;s not at all uncommon for Staples to be sold out.
You can certainly order from the online platform and have these bubble mailing products delivered to your doorstep (or right to any local Staples store). When you&#;re talking about bulk quantities those shipping charges can get pretty steep in a hurry, throwing the economics of your shipping out of whack.
USPS Bubble Mailers
The United States Postal Service (USPS) carries a fair share of USPS branded mailing solutions and make them available to USPS customers free of charge, which explains why so many people choose to take advantage of these mailers on a day to day basis.
Relatively decent quality for the most part, but certainly much lower quality than the kinds of products you&#;ll find from operations like ULine or Mailers HQ, it&#;s nice to know that in a pinch you can pop down to your local post office and get your hands on a handful of bubble mailing options to ship out to your customers &#; but there&#;s definitely a catch.
For starters, you aren&#;t going to be able to walk out of your local post office with boxes and boxes of bubble mailers.
You&#;ll almost certainly be stopped by your local postmaster or postal employees, which means these kinds of &#;supply runs&#; will have to be limited to just a handful of bubble mailers at the same time. That can really throw your shipping schedule out of whack pretty quickly and create some very unhappy customers.
On top of that, ALL of the bubble mailers that you grab at the post office are going to have USPS branding all over them. This might be all right if you&#;re moving forward with the USPS as your shipping partner (though prices here can get pretty expensive, even with free shipping supplies), but if you&#;re using a different vendor to handle your deliveries things start to get pretty confusing.
You&#;ll also have a tough time affixing your own branding to these bubble mailing options. It&#;s also going to be tough to charge any extra for shipping and handling, as your customers will be able to go directly to the USPS and find out how much you paid for shipping &#; which can generate some negative reviews for your business as well if you&#;re padding your profits with this approach.
USPS shipping supplies are usually for priority mail which means it will not work for items under one pound which can be a predicament for a lot of small businesses.
Mailers HQ Bubble Mailers
A company established in specifically to make sure that ALL small businesses had an opportunity to leverage inexpensive but high quality shipping solutions (that's us BTW), you really can&#;t go wrong with the Mailers HQ bubble mailing solutions.
Right out of the gate, we offer a variety of different bubble mailers for you to pick and choose from. Prices are always, especially compared to some of the competing products on the market today, lowest in the market and only the highest quality construction materials are used at Mailers HQ.
The poly mailers that we offer are made from 100% recycled materials, feature an increased level of durability and moisture resistance compared to most of the other brands on the market today, and utilize environmentally friendly adhesive agents that pose zero health risk to people, pets, or your local ecosystem.
The &#;Bubble Out&#; bags that we offer are some of the most innovative solutions in the product shipping world today. Also made completely out of 100% recyclable materials and using that same environmentally friendly and non-toxic adhesive we mentioned above, these bags are designed to have even more improved air retention than traditional &#;bubble in&#; bags &#; helping them to stay properly inflated to provide a higher level of protection across the board.
Ecobag Product Page
Of all the different advantages that Mailers HQ offers compared to every other option on this list, the biggest competitive advantage has to be the fact that we offer completely custom branding and design solutions for bubble, Kraft, poly mailing products at very competitive rates.
Instead of sending a &#;Plane Jane&#; Kraft bubble mailer or USPS/shipping partner branded mailer to your customers, you&#;ll be able to slap your logo, your branding, and your own custom designs on ALL of your bubble mailing solutions &#; immediately identifying the delivery that your customers are receiving and helping to build the kind of brand familiarity that creates repeat purchases going forward.
Prices on all of our shipping solutions are low and get better with bulk discounts and wholesale orders, you&#;ll also be able to take advantage of free shipping on EVERY delivery of these bubble mailers to 11 different states in the US already.
If you&#;re looking for high quality, inexpensive, and customizable bubble mailing products for your business, Mailers HQ is the right choice to make!
If you work in an office and routinely have to mail out reports, surveys or other printed materials, chances are good that bubble mailers are the lifeblood of your work routine. Bubble mailers protect your company&#;s important documents as they make their way through the postal system.
There are several options out there for bubble mailers that can best suit your needs. For instance, if you want a mailer that&#;s durable and simple to use, Duck Brand Bubble Wrap Cushioned Poly Mailers are the ideal choice.
What to know before you buy a bubble mailer
Dimensions
Knowing the dimensions you&#;ll need for the type of documents or materials you&#;ll be sending is the first step in determining the best bubble mailer for your office needs. You&#;ll need a size that is big enough to fit your items, but not too big for them to be sloshing around &#; plus, the bigger it is, the more you&#;ll have to pay for shipping. Common sizes are 4-by-8 inches, 6.5-by-10 inches or 8.5-by-12 inches, so be sure to know the dimensions of the paper or product that you&#;ll be sending before picking a size.
Durability
Mail can take quite a beating as it gets from one destination to the next. Picking out a durable bubble mailer can ensure your documents get where they need to go without getting scuffed up. Poly covers tend to be more durable than paper and thicker bubbles protect the contents of your mail better than thinner ones.
External cover
The outside of a bubble mailer will either consist of poly or kraft paper. Kraft paper is easy to write on with a pen but isn&#;t waterproof. Poly exteriors, on the other hand, are harder to write on unless you have a marker, but are waterproof and more durable. For more information about the best writing supplies for addressing your mailer, check out the full ink pen buying guide from BestReviews.
Bubble mailer features
Number
Mailers are typically sold in multipacks; if you&#;re buying in bulk, you can find multipacks most commonly in either 25 or 50 mailers. Few manufacturers let you buy individual mailers, since it&#;s typically unrealistic to need to buy just one at a time for an office setting.
Color
Kraft paper bubble mailers come with a classic orange-brown exterior, whereas poly exteriors are offered in a wide assortment of colors, which can be especially useful if you&#;d like to color-code certain types of mail by category or destination.
Space for address
Some bubble mailers include a space on the front, often a series of lines, in which you can write mailing and return addresses. While not strictly necessary, writing neatly between the lines helps maintain a tidy presentation for your mail.
Comes with an adhesive close
Bubble mailers come with an adhesive close. Assembling your package is as simple as peeling off the backing, folding the mailer down and sealing it tightly. The strength of the adhesive will determine whether it actually stays shut for the duration of its journey, but should still be easy to open upon arrival with either a letter opener or a tug at the corner.
Bubble mailer cost
Bubble mailer multipacks cost $10-$30. Individually, this breaks down to anywhere from 50 cents to $1 or more. It all depends on whether the cover is poly or kraft paper, the thickness of the bubbles and the quality of the adhesive seal.
Bubble mailer FAQ
What&#;s the difference between a padded envelope and a bubble mailer?
A. Padded envelopes are almost always made with kraft paper and are typically padded with cardboard instead of bubbles. Bubble mailers, on the other hand, offer water-resistant or waterproof protection, bubbles for cushioning and options for a poly cover, which is more durable than kraft paper.
Can I mail things other than paper in a bubble mailer?
A. Absolutely. Just be sure to keep in mind that you&#;ll pay shipping per weight, which will normally be more expensive for non-paper mail. Additionally, you may opt to include inner bubble wrap to further protect delicate items like jewelry or art.
Which bubble mailer should I get?
Best of the best bubble mailer
Duck Brand Bubble Wrap Cushioned Poly Mailers: available at Amazon
Our take: This fan-favorite may cost more than others, but is worth the extra cost for its durability and protection.
What we like: These mailers have it all: extra-large bubbles for added protection, lines on the front for writing in addresses and waterproof poly exteriors. They also come in various size options and are available in packs of 25.
What we dislike: This mailer is on the pricey side. A few users reported issues with the adhesive close, though most reviews were glowing.
Best bang for your buck bubble mailer
HBlife Kraft Bubble Mailers: available at Amazon
Our take: A no-frills option at a great price point, these mailers will get your documents where they need to go safely and effectively.
What we like: These mailers are light and will save money on weight per mailing cost. They come with an adhesive close, kraft paper exterior and various size options. They are offered in packs of 50.
What we dislike: They are a bit thinner than others, which reflects the lower price point.
Honorable mention bubble mailer
Metronic Lined Poly Bubble Mailers: available at Amazon
Our take: These mailers come in all sorts of colors and shapes, making them a great way to visually distinguish different categories of mail.
What we like: These flexible mailers are waterproof, bendable and easy to attach labels to. They&#;re available in many colors and sizes.
What we dislike: Some users complained that the adhesive strips fell off and that the colored exteriors faded over time.
Micayla Mead is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Originally Published: August 31, at 7:57 PM EST
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