Bubble Wrap Guide: Small vs Large Bubbles, Rolls and Uses

When a parcel arrives broken, the wrap is rarely missing. The usual causes are the wrong bubble size, too few layers or a box with room to rattle. Here is how to pick bubble wrap by bubble size, roll width and job, so you buy the right roll first time. Pack Solution is a UK packaging supplier with a Manchester warehouse.

You have two bubble sizes, a few widths, and the option of a ready-made pouch instead of a roll. Air cushions, a paper alternative and a method for wrapping an item come further down.

Quick Picks: Bubble Wrap for Every Job

For small and delicate items, choose small bubble wrap with 10mm bubbles. For bulky or heavy goods and for filling gaps, choose large bubble wrap with 25mm bubbles. For single items going into a box or mailer, bubble pouches come ready made, so there is no roll to cut.

Best for delicate and awkward items

Small Bubble Wrap

10mm bubbles cushion smaller items against knocks and scratches, and the wrap folds easily around corners, edges and handles.

• 10mm bubbles
• 100m rolls
• Widths: 300mm, 500mm

From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)

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Best for bulky items and moving house

Large Bubble Wrap

25mm bubbles give extra cushioning around bulky or heavy items, and the wrap can be scrunched into gaps as void fill.

• 25mm bubbles
• 50m rolls
• Widths: 300mm and 500mm

From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)

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Best for single items in boxes and mailers

Bubble Pouches

Ready-made open-ended bags of bubble wrap, so there is no cutting a roll or taping edges by hand.

• Seven sizes, BP1 to BP7
• BP1 (100 x 135mm) to BP7 (380 x 425mm)
• Boxed from 100 to 750 pouches

From £30.00 ex VAT (£36.00 inc VAT)

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Key Facts

• Small bubble wrap has 10mm bubbles and comes on 100m rolls in 300mm or 500mm widths.
• Large bubble wrap has 25mm bubbles and comes on 50m rolls in 300mm and 500mm widths.
• Bubble pouches come in seven sizes, BP1 (100 x 135mm) to BP7 (380 x 425mm).
• Air cushion film comes on 300m rolls and needs an air cushion machine to inflate it.
• Honeycomb paper is 80gsm and comes on 250m rolls in 500mm and 395mm widths.
• Every roll is sold individually, with volume pricing as you order more.

Small vs Large Bubble Wrap: Which Bubble Size?

Use 10mm bubble wrap for small, delicate and awkward shapes, and 25mm bubble wrap for bulky, heavy items and gaps in the box. Small bubbles wrap closely around corners and handles. Larger cells give a deeper cushion and double as void fill.

Small bubble wrap at 10mm suits jewellery, phone accessories, glassware, ceramics and ornaments. It folds easily around edges, so it is the usual choice for online orders and for wrapping kitchen items on a house move. Large bubble wrap at 25mm is the one for furniture, lamps, vases, kitchen appliances and boxed goods that are heavy for their size.

If you pack a mix of products, keep one roll of each. Many packing benches run 10mm for the item itself and 25mm for the space around it.

Branded Small Bubble Wrap

Some buyers specify a named product. Jiffy Mono Bubbles is branded 10mm small bubble wrap on 100m rolls in 300mm and 500mm widths.

Best for buyers who specify a branded wrap

Jiffy Mono Bubbles Small Bubble Wrap

Branded small bubble wrap with 10mm bubbles for cushioning small and fragile items, sold per roll.

• 10mm bubbles
• 100m rolls
• Widths: 300mm and 500mm

From £10.00 ex VAT (£12.00 inc VAT)

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Bubble Wrap Roll Widths and Lengths Explained

Pick a bubble wrap roll width that wraps your usual item in one or two turns without heavy trimming. Roll size is always width x length, so 500mm x 100m is a 500mm wide strip, 100 metres long.

The area column is simply width multiplied by length. It helps you compare a narrow, long roll with a wide, shorter one.

Compare rolls bubble wrap by area as well as length, and choose a bubble wrap roll large enough to cover the item in two turns. On a bench, a roll only a little wider than your usual item is easiest to handle. A wide roll can be cut down, and a narrow one is quicker for small repeat orders.

Large Bubble Wrap Rolls for Moving House and Bulky Items

For a house move, large bubble wrap rolls in 25mm are the safer choice for furniture and heavy boxes, and many people buy one of each width. The wide 500mm roll covers more with each turn, and the narrow 300mm roll is easier to handle on boxes.

A large bubble wrap roll also works as void fill. Scrunch it into gaps so the contents cannot shift inside the box. If you want huge bubble wrap, the widest small roll is 500mm, while the biggest bubble wrap bubbles are the 25mm cells on the large rolls. Large bubblewrap, spelt as one word, is the same 25mm product.

Removal firms and furniture sellers buy a big roll of bubble wrap because it covers a lot of surface in few turns, and warehouses do the same. For one move, a huge roll of bubble wrap is rarely needed: the 50m length is plenty for most households, and you can order more if you run short.

Bubble Pouches or Rolls: Which Is Quicker?

Bubble pouches are quicker for single items because the bag is already made up: slide the product in, fold or tape the open end and pack it. A roll is more flexible for odd shapes and for wrapping several items together.

We sell bubble pouches in seven sizes, BP1 (100 x 135mm) to BP7 (380 x 425mm), boxed from 100 to 750 pouches. Choose a pouch a little larger than the item so it slides in and the end can fold over. They are inner protection, so put the pouch inside a box or padded envelope. Do not post it on its own.

BP1 and BP2 suit jewellery boxes, lipsticks and phone accessories. BP3 takes small bottles and small electronics, BP5 and BP6 take A4 items and small framed prints, and BP7 handles homeware and artwork. For bigger runs of mixed products, a roll plus a few pouch sizes covers most orders. The padded options in our Jiffy bags and padded envelopes guide pair well with pouches for small, flat items.

Air Cushions and Void Fill for Busy Packing Benches

Air cushions are inflated film that fills empty space or wraps a product, and they suit high-volume packing where bubble wrap rolls would take up storage. The film stays flat on the roll until an air cushion machine inflates it, so you make void fill as you pack.

The air cushion film rolls from Pack Solution come in two 300m formats. Air Pillow film makes 100 x 200mm pillows that fill gaps in a box. Air Cushion film is 400 x 330mm with 7 bubbles per row, a cushioned sheet you can fold round a product. Both need a machine, so they suit warehouses and busy online sellers better than a one-off move. Compared with bags of loose fill, the flat rolls take little space and the pillows add very little weight.

Best for high-volume void fill

Air Cushion Film Rolls

Flat film on a roll that an air cushion machine inflates into pillows or cushioning as you pack, which saves storage space.

• 300m rolls
• Air Pillow 100 x 200mm
• Air Cushion 400 x 330mm, 7 bubbles per row

From £20.00 ex VAT (£24.00 inc VAT)

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Paper Alternative and Recycled Bubble Wrap

Honeycomb paper is the paper alternative to bubble wrap: stretch the 80gsm paper and it opens into a cushioning honeycomb. It suits bottles, jars, glass, cosmetics and gifts, and it is often called paper bubble wrap.

The range has no recycled bubble wrap, so if you want to cut plastic from your parcels, honeycomb paper rolls are the product to look at. They come on 250m rolls in 395mm width for bottles and jars, and 500mm width for gifts, homeware and wider items. Finish the parcel with paper tape for an all-paper pack. Our guide to honeycomb paper vs bubble wrap compares the two in more detail.

Best for a paper alternative to bubble wrap

Honeycomb Paper Rolls (80gsm)

80gsm paper that expands into a cushioning honeycomb when stretched, often called paper bubble wrap.

• 80gsm paper
• 250m rolls
• Widths: 500mm and 395mm

From £28.00 ex VAT (£33.60 inc VAT)

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How to Wrap an Item in Bubble Wrap, Step by Step

Wrap the item in two to three layers, tape the bubble wrap closed, and make sure nothing can move in the box. Keep the bubbles facing inwards, against the product.

1. Cut a piece of wrap long enough to go round the item at least twice, with a few centimetres spare at each end.
2. Wrap corners and edges first, since these take most knocks, then roll the item through the sheet.
3. Fold the ends over like a parcel and tape the seam so the layers cannot unroll.
4. Place a layer of wrap or void fill in the bottom of the box, set the item in, and fill every gap on all sides.
5. Close the lid, shake the box gently, and add more wrap if you feel or hear any movement.
6. Seal the box and add fragile tape, which prints a FRAGILE warning along every seam.

Best for sealing breakable parcels

Fragile Tape

Printed packing tape that seals the box and warns couriers that the contents need careful handling.

• Printed FRAGILE warning
• 48mm wide, pack of 6 rolls
• 48mm x 66m, or BigTape 48mm x 150m low noise

From £5.50 ex VAT (£6.60 inc VAT)

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For fragile goods like cups and plates, our guide on how to pack ceramics and glassware for posting covers the box and layering in more detail. Browse the tapes collection to match a tape to your box.

How Much Bubble Wrap Do You Need?

Plan on enough wrap to go round each item at least twice, plus extra for the gaps. A 100m roll covers a lot of small parcels, while a house move uses the 50m large rolls up quickly on furniture.

For a business, count your orders per week and the wrap each takes, then buy by the roll so the price per roll falls with volume. Cheap bubble wrap costs more if parcels come back damaged, so buy the bubble size the item needs and let volume pricing bring the cost down. The price of each roll drops automatically as you order more, so discount bubble wrap here simply means paying less per roll at higher quantities.

For a house move, work room by room. Kitchens and glassware need the most 10mm wrap, while furniture, mirrors and appliances need the 25mm rolls. Order a bit more than you estimate, since running out halfway through packing is a nuisance.

Bubble Wrap Buying Checklist

• Small, delicate or awkward items: choose 10mm bubbles.
• Bulky, heavy items or gaps in the box: choose 25mm bubbles.
• Check the width as well as the length: 300mm or 500mm for both small and large bubble wrap.
• Single small items going into a mailer or box: bubble pouches.
• High-volume void fill: air cushion film and a machine.
• Want less plastic: look at honeycomb paper.
• Seal fragile parcels with warning tape and check nothing moves in the box.
• Order more rolls to use volume pricing.

Choosing Bubble Wrap: The Short Version

Start with the item. Use 10mm bubble wrap for small and fragile pieces and 25mm for bulky goods and void fill. Move to pouches or air cushions when you pack enough parcels that speed matters. Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day, and Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery is free with no minimum. Unused items can be returned within 30 days of delivery under the refund policy.

The protective packaging collection has all the rolls. For the rest of your packing, see the moving boxes guide and the kraft paper rolls guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between small and large bubble wrap?

Small bubble wrap has 10mm bubbles and suits small, delicate items. Large bubble wrap has 25mm bubbles and suits bulky or heavy items and filling gaps in the box. Pack Solution sells small bubble wrap on 100m rolls and large on 50m rolls.

What size bubble wrap roll should I buy?

Pick a width that wraps your usual item in one or two turns. Small bubble wrap comes in 300mm and 500mm widths, and large bubble wrap in 300mm and 500mm. A 500mm roll is the everyday width for glassware and ornaments.

Is a large bubble wrap roll better for moving house?

Large bubble wrap with 25mm bubbles is made for furniture, lamps and bulky boxes, so it suits most of a house move. Many people buy a large bubble wrap roll in each width and add 10mm wrap for glasses and small kitchen items.

Can I buy recycled bubble wrap?

The range has no recycled bubble wrap. For a paper-based alternative that cuts plastic from the parcel, honeycomb paper in 80gsm is available on 250m rolls in 500mm and 395mm widths.

Do bulk orders make cheap bubble wrap or discount bubble wrap cheaper per roll?

Yes. Every roll is sold individually and the price per roll drops automatically as you order more, with the tiers shown on each product page. Prices are shown excluding VAT. For trade quantities you can call or email the sales team.

What are air cushions and do I need a machine?

Air cushions are inflated film pillows or sheets that fill gaps or wrap products. The film comes flat on a 300m roll, and you need an air cushion machine to inflate and seal it, so it suits warehouses and busy online sellers.

Shop for This Job

• Protective Packaging
• Packing Tapes

Related Guides

• Moving Boxes Guide: Sizes, Strength and How Many You Need
• Kraft Paper Rolls: Wrapping, Void Fill and Moving Uses
• Jiffy Bags and Padded Envelopes: Sizes Chart and Uses
• Honeycomb Paper vs Bubble Wrap: Pros, Cons and Uses
• Dispatch Your Fragile Items Safely and Securely in 5 Easy Steps
• How to Pack Ceramics and Glass for Posting

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