An air cushion machine takes a roll of flat plastic film and inflates it into air pillows or cushion wrap while you pack. You make only as much void fill as each order needs, and the stock you keep on the shelf is compact film rather than bulky bags. Pack Solution sells the machine and two film rolls to go with it.
Whether one is worth buying depends mostly on how many orders you pack and how much storage space you have. A business sending a few parcels a week will usually find loose fill or bubble wrap simpler and cheaper to run.
In This Guide
- Quick Picks: Air Cushion Machine and Film
- How an Air Cushion Machine Works
- Air Pillow vs Air Cushion Film
- When an Air Cushion Machine Is Worth It
- Choosing an Air Pillow Machine
- Setting Up a Packing Station
- Alternatives for Low Volumes
- Air Cushion Machine Checklist
- Is an Air Cushion Machine Right for You?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Picks: Air Cushion Machine and Film
These three cover the decision. The machine and film go together, and the packing peanuts are the no-machine option for lower volumes.
Best for making void fill on demand
Air Cushion Machine, Automatic Inflator
An automatic inflator that fills air pillow and air cushion film at the point of packing, so you inflate only what each order needs.
- Works with air pillow and air cushion film
- Sold per machine
- Volume pricing on more than one
£300.00 ex VAT (£360.00 inc VAT)
Buy nowView product
Best for feeding the machine
Air Cushion Film Rolls
Flat film that stays compact on the roll until the machine inflates it into pillows or cushion wrap.
- Air Pillow 100 x 200mm pillows
- Air Cushion 400 x 330mm, 7 bubbles per row
- 300m rolls, sold individually
From £20.00 ex VAT (£24.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for low-volume void fill with no machine
EcoFlo Packing Peanuts (5 Cubic Feet)
Loose fill you pour into the box so it settles around the product and stops it moving.
- 5 cubic feet bags
- White, Blue EcoFlo Ultra or Mixed Colour
- Described by the manufacturer as biodegradable
From £13.00 ex VAT (£15.60 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productThe Air Cushion Machine, Automatic Inflator is sold per machine. It runs Air Cushion Film Rolls, which come in a pillow format and a wrap format. EcoFlo packing peanuts need no equipment at all.
Key Facts
- The Air Cushion Machine, Automatic Inflator fills air pillow and air cushion film on demand.
- Air Cushion Film Rolls come as Air Pillow 100mm x 200mm or Air Cushion 400mm x 330mm with 7 bubbles per row.
- Each film roll is 300m long and sold individually.
- The film stays flat until a machine inflates it.
- EcoFlo packing peanuts come in 5 cubic feet bags in White, Blue EcoFlo Ultra and Mixed Colour.
- Small Bubble Wrap has 10mm bubbles on 100m rolls, 300mm or 500mm wide.
How an Air Cushion Machine Works
An air cushion machine feeds flat film past an air nozzle, fills each chamber and seals it, so a strip of pillows or cushion wrap comes out ready to use. The film stays flat until that moment.
The film arrives on a roll with the chambers already formed but empty. You thread the roll onto the machine, start it, and it inflates and seals the film as it runs. Pillows come out joined in a chain, so you can tear off the number you need for each box. Cushion film comes out as a quilted sheet you can wrap around a product.
Because the output is mostly air, it adds very little weight to a parcel. That matters for any carrier that charges by weight band, since heavy void fill can push a light order into a dearer band.
What the Machine Does Not Do
It does not make paper fill, foam or bubble wrap from scratch. It only inflates the film made for it. The product page does not list power, output speed or dimensions, and the team will confirm film sizes, power and output before you order. Email sales@packsolution.co.uk with your questions.
Air Pillow vs Air Cushion Film
Air pillow film makes separate pillows that fill the gaps around a product. Air cushion film makes a cushioned sheet that you wrap around the product itself.
| Film | What it makes | Size | Roll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pillow film | Separate pillows for void fill | 100 x 200mm pillows | 300m, sold individually |
| Air Cushion film | A cushioned wrap for the item | 400 x 330mm, 7 bubbles per row | 300m, sold individually |
| EcoFlo packing peanuts | Loose fill poured into the box | 5 cubic feet bag | No machine needed |
| Small Bubble Wrap | Wrap cut from the roll by hand | 10mm bubbles, 300mm or 500mm wide | 100m, no machine needed |
Pillows suit boxes where the product is already sturdy and only needs to stop moving, such as boxed goods, books and bottles packed upright. A few pillows on each side keep it centred.
Cushion wrap suits products with surfaces that scratch or edges that chip. Wrap the item in the cushion sheet, then fill the remaining space with pillows. Many packing benches run both rolls, pillows for gaps and wrap for the product, which gives a simple two-film set-up on one machine.
When an Air Cushion Machine Is Worth It
A machine pays off when you pack orders every day and pre-made void fill is taking up space you need for stock. If you pack a handful of parcels a week, the set-up rarely earns its place.
The two benefits are storage and control. A roll of flat film takes up less room than the same volume of ready-made fill, and you inflate only what each box needs. A packing station that has bags of loose fill stacked behind it gets that floor space back.
The costs are the machine itself, the film, and a little bench space and power. You also need someone to change rolls and keep the machine clear.
A Simple Method to Weigh It Up
Use your own figures. This is a method to fill in, not a forecast.
- Count the orders you pack in a normal month.
- Note how much void fill each order uses now, in bags, metres or cubic feet.
- Multiply the two to get your monthly void fill use.
- Write down what that fill costs you each month, plus the shelf space it takes.
- Ask the sales team how much fill a roll of film gives for your box sizes, then work out the film cost for the same month.
- Subtract the film cost from the current fill cost. Divide the machine price by that monthly difference to see how many months it takes to cover itself.
If the answer is a few months and you are short of space, a machine makes sense. If it runs to years, or your order numbers swing a lot, stick with pre-made fill for now.
Good to know: the best air pillow machine for a business is the one that fits its volume. A small shop with a quiet bench gains little from a machine, while a busy fulfilment line can gain a lot of floor space.
Choosing an Air Pillow Machine
Check that a machine runs the film you want, fits your bench and suits your daily volume. Those three points decide the best air cushion machine for you more than any single feature.
The machine Pack Solution sells works with both air pillow film and air cushion film, so one unit covers void fill and wrap. It is sold per machine, with volume pricing if you buy more than one for several stations.
Some sellers want a mini air pillow machine that sits on a small desk. The product page does not give dimensions, so if bench space is tight, ask the sales team to confirm the size before you order. Do the same for power and output if you plan to run it for long shifts.
When comparing void fill machines for a multi-station set-up, plan the film stock as well. Each station needs its own rolls to hand, and a spare roll of each format avoids a stop mid-shift.
Setting Up a Packing Station
Put the machine at the end of the bench where the boxes are filled, with the film roll behind it and a tray or bin for the pillows in front. Keep the product, box and tape within reach of one spot.
- Place the machine on a stable surface near a power socket.
- Load the film roll and thread it as the machine's instructions show.
- Run a short length and check the pillows are full and sealed.
- Set a bin or tray under the outlet to catch the chain of pillows.
- Keep a spare roll of each film on a shelf next to the bench.
- Show everyone who packs how to change a roll and clear the outlet.
Common Set-Up Mistakes
The most common problem is overfilling. Packers new to a machine tend to stuff a box with pillows until the lid bulges, which wastes film and can split the tape. Aim for the product to sit still with light pressure from the pillows, then close the box. If you shake it gently and nothing moves, there is enough fill.
The second is putting the machine where the pillows get in the way. A chain of pillows takes up a surprising amount of room on a bench, so give the outlet its own bin or a hanging bag. Some stations feed pillows into a bin under the bench, which keeps the work surface clear for boxes and labels.
The third is running out of film mid-shift. Count how many rolls you get through in an ordinary week once the machine is running, and reorder before the last spare roll goes on.
Run a small batch of pillows at the start of a shift instead of one at a time. A tray of ready pillows lets you pack several boxes in a row, and the machine can top it up while you tape and label.
Alternatives for Low Volumes
If you pack a few orders a day or fewer, loose packing peanuts and a roll of bubble wrap do the same jobs with no machine to buy or maintain.
EcoFlo packing peanuts are poured into the box, settle around the product and stop it moving. They come in 5 cubic feet bags in White, Blue EcoFlo Ultra and Mixed Colour, and the manufacturer describes EcoFlo as biodegradable. Pour a base layer, set the item on it, then fill around and over it until nothing moves when you gently shake the closed box.
Best for wrapping small items by hand
Small Bubble Wrap
10mm bubbles that hug small and awkward shapes, on 100m rolls.
- 10mm bubbles
- 300mm x 100m or 500mm x 100m
- Sold per roll
From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productSmall bubble wrap has 10mm bubbles that hug small and awkward shapes. It comes on 100m rolls, 300mm or 500mm wide, and you cut what you need by hand. Wrap the item, then use peanuts or paper to fill the space around it.
For a side-by-side look at all the main fills, read void fill compared: air, peanuts and paper. Our guides to honeycomb paper vs bubble wrap and foam vs biodegradable packing peanuts go deeper on each.
Air Cushion Machine Checklist
- Count your monthly orders and current void fill use.
- Work out the payback with your own figures.
- Confirm power, output and film sizes with the sales team.
- Choose pillow film, cushion film or both.
- Plan bench space, a power socket and a pillow tray.
- Keep a spare roll of each film at every station.
- Keep loose fill or bubble wrap as a backup.
Is an Air Cushion Machine Right for You?
If you pack every day and void fill is crowding your shelves, a machine and two film rolls give you fill on demand from compact stock. If your volumes are low, peanuts and bubble wrap do the job with less set-up. The packing equipment collection and the protective packaging range have everything covered here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an air cushion machine do?
An air cushion machine inflates flat film into air pillows or cushion wrap at the packing bench. You feed a film roll through it and it makes the void fill or protective wrap as you need it. The Air Cushion Machine, Automatic Inflator works with both air pillow film and air cushion film.
Is an air pillow machine worth it for a small business?
It depends on volume and space. If you pack orders every day and bags of ready-made fill take up shelves, an air pillow machine lets you store compact film rolls instead. If you send a few parcels a week, packing peanuts or bubble wrap usually cost less in time and set-up.
What film does the machine use?
It uses air pillow film for void fill and air cushion film for wrapping. Air Cushion Film Rolls come as Air Pillow 100mm x 200mm and Air Cushion 400mm x 330mm with 7 bubbles per row, both on 300m rolls. Ask the sales team to confirm the film suits your set-up before your first order.
Which is the best air cushion machine for my bench?
The best air cushion machine is the one that matches your order volume and bench space and runs the film you plan to use. The product page does not list power or output figures, so email sales@packsolution.co.uk to confirm them before you order, along with film sizes.
Can I use air pillow film without a machine?
No. Air pillow and air cushion film is supplied flat on the roll and needs an air cushion machine to inflate and seal it. Without a machine, use pre-made void fill such as EcoFlo packing peanuts in 5 cubic feet bags, or wrap items in small bubble wrap.
Air pillows or air cushion wrap: which do I need?
Air pillows fill the empty space around a product in a box, so it cannot slide about. Air cushion wrap is a 400 x 330mm cushioned sheet with 7 bubbles per row that you fold around the item itself. Many benches run both, pillows for gaps and wrap for the product.
