Bubble Wrap Roll Sizes Explained: Widths, Lengths and Bubble Sizes

Choosing a bubble wrap roll comes down to three numbers: the width, the length and the bubble size. Get the width right and you trim less waste. Get the length right and you change rolls less often. Get the bubble right and the item arrives in one piece. Pack Solution stocks rolls in 300mm and 500mm widths, on 100m rolls with small 10mm bubbles or 50m rolls with large 25mm bubbles.

This guide explains each size, what the wider trade widths are for, how many metres a typical job uses and how many rolls to order for an online shop, a warehouse or a house move.

Quick picks: which bubble wrap roll to order

Most orders need one of these three rolls. Pick by the size and weight of what you are wrapping.

Best for small, delicate items and daily order packing

Small Bubble Wrap

10mm bubbles that sit close round glassware, ceramics and small electronics, on long 100m rolls.

• 300mm x 100m or 500mm x 100m
• 10mm bubbles
• Price per roll falls as you buy more

From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)

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Best for furniture, bulky items and filling gaps

Large Bubble Wrap

25mm bubbles give a thick layer of cushioning and double as void fill in large boxes.

• 300mm x 50m or 500mm x 50m
• 25mm bubbles
• Sold per roll, one roll minimum

From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)

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Best for buyers who want the Jiffy brand

Jiffy Mono Bubbles Small Bubble Wrap (10mm)

Branded 10mm bubble wrap from the Jiffy Mono Bubbles range, in the same widths as our standard roll.

• 300mm x 100m or 500mm x 100m
• 10mm bubbles
• Price per roll falls as you buy more

From £10.00 ex VAT (£12.00 inc VAT)

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What bubble wrap roll sizes does Pack Solution stock?

We stock six rolls across three products. Every one is 300mm or 500mm wide, and the length depends on the bubble size.

Sizes are written as width x length. So a bubble wrap 500mm x 100m roll is half a metre wide and a hundred metres long. The width is the height of the roll as it stands on the bench, and the length is how far it unrolls.

Our standard Small Bubble Wrap and the branded Jiffy Mono Bubbles do the same packing job, with the same 10mm bubble, the same widths and the same 100m length. The Jiffy roll carries the Jiffy name, which matters if your customers or your buying policy ask for a named brand. If not, the standard roll is the simple choice.

Large Bubble Wrap has 25mm bubbles and comes on 50m rolls. The bigger bubbles take up more room on the core, so the roll reaches a manageable size at 50m. In practice a 50m roll of large bubble covers fewer items than a 100m roll of small bubble, but each item gets a much thicker layer.

Which width should you choose: 300mm or 500mm?

Pick the width that goes round your usual item in one or two turns with a little overlap at each end. If the wrap is much wider than the item, you either trim it off or fold it over, and both waste film and time.

300mm wide. This is the narrow roll. It suits jewellery, cosmetics, phone accessories, small electronics, candles, mugs and single glasses. On a small packing bench it is easier to handle, and you can tear or cut short lengths without the sheet flopping about. A small bubble wrap roll at 300mm is what most online sellers of small products use every day.

500mm wide. This is the general packing width. It covers dinner plates, bowls, vases, bottles, boxed electronics and orders with several items wrapped together. A sheet of bubble wrap 500mm wide also covers most framed prints and mirrors up to about 450mm on the short side in one turn. For a house move, the 500mm roll is the one to buy if you only buy one.

If you pack a mix of small and large products, keep one of each width on the bench. Using the 300mm roll for small items stops you wasting the wider sheet on them, and the 500mm roll is there for everything else.

What about 750mm, 1000mm and 1500mm rolls?

Wider rolls are common in the packaging trade, and it helps to know what they are for even though we do not stock them. A bubble wrap 750mm x 100m roll is used where staff wrap large flat items such as artwork, panels and boxed furniture. A bubble wrap 1000mm x 100m roll, often called bubble wrap 1m wide, is used by removal firms and furniture makers to wrap a sofa arm or a wardrobe side in one sweep. A 1500mm roll is mainly for very large panels, mattresses and pallet loads. These are what most sellers mean by a giant bubble wrap roll or an industrial bubble wrap roll.

Pack Solution stocks 300mm and 500mm only. For most online orders and house moves, a 500mm roll does the same job as a wider one: you wrap the item in two passes with the turns overlapping by about 100mm, or you run the wrap round the item in a spiral from one end to the other. It takes a little longer on very large pieces, but the 500mm roll is lighter to carry and easier to cut on a normal bench.

Is a 50m or 100m roll better for you?

You do not choose the length on its own here, because it comes with the bubble size. Small 10mm rolls are bubble wrap 100m long. Large 25mm rolls are bubble wrap 50m long.

A bubble wrap 100m roll suits a packing station that wraps every day. You change rolls less often, and 100m of 10mm bubble goes a long way on small items. The 50m large roll suits jobs where each item needs a lot of cushioning, such as furniture or bulky products, and where you may want to scrunch spare wrap into the box as void fill.

If you compare our bubble wrap rolls for packing with rolls elsewhere, check the length as well as the width and the bubble. A roll that is only 10m or 20m long can cost more per metre than a full 100m roll.

Small 10mm or large 25mm bubbles: which protects better?

Neither is better for everything. They protect in different ways.

Small 10mm bubbles sit close against the item. They follow curves, corners, handles and stems, and they guard against scratches and small knocks. That makes them right for glassware, ceramics, ornaments, electronics and anything with a fine finish. Several thin layers of small bubble give good protection without bulking out the box.

Large 25mm bubbles give a thicker cushion. They are the right large bubble wrap for packing heavy and bulky items, where the weight of the item would flatten small bubbles. They also fill space, so a few scrunched sheets stop a wrapped item moving in a large box. Removal firms and furniture sellers use large bubble wrap rolls for chairs, table legs, mirrors, TVs and boxes going into storage.

For a house move, buy one of each. Use the small bubble on kitchen items and ornaments, and the large bubble on furniture and to fill gaps in removal boxes. Our guide to small vs large bubble wrap rolls goes into more detail, and our comparison of void fill options covers what to use when you only need to fill space.

How many metres of bubble wrap does a job use?

A simple rule works for most items. Measure round the item the way you will wrap it, multiply by the number of turns, then add about 100mm for the overlap. Two turns is right for most items, and three or more for anything heavy or very fragile.

These figures are working estimates for two turns of wrap. Your own items will vary, so time a few on the bench and adjust.

For an online shop, work it out per day. If you send 30 orders a day and each uses about 0.6m, you use about 18m a day, so a 100m roll lasts roughly five to six working days. Keep at least one spare roll so you never run out halfway through a dispatch.

For a house move, a one bedroom flat usually needs about one 500mm small roll for kitchen items and ornaments, plus one 500mm large roll if you have furniture or a TV to protect. A three bedroom house usually needs two small rolls and two large rolls. Bulky items use the large roll quickly, so if in doubt add an extra large roll.

How many rolls should you buy?

Every roll is sold on its own, so you can buy one roll to try a width and then stock up. The price per roll falls automatically as you order more, and you can see each price tier on the product page. Prices are ex VAT, and every order comes with a VAT invoice.

• Trying a size: one roll of each width you think you need.
• Small online shop: two to four weeks of use, which is often four to eight 100m rolls.
• Warehouse or busy packing bench: a month of stock in your main width, plus a few rolls of the other width.
• House move: see the estimates above and add one spare roll.

For larger volumes, our guide to buying bubble wrap in bulk in the UK explains how volume pricing works and how to plan a regular supply. Businesses that order often can apply for a trade account. For pallet quantities, call 0161 706 1246 or email sales@packsolution.co.uk.

Order small bubble wrap rolls

Once items are wrapped, put them in a box that is strong enough for the weight. Double Wall Cardboard Boxes have two layers of fluting, which suits wrapped breakables, heavy items and house moves. Sizes run from 9 x 6 x 6" (229 x 152 x 152mm) to 24 x 24 x 24" (610 x 610 x 610mm), supplied flat. Pick the smallest box that holds the wrapped item, then fill any gaps so nothing moves.

Best for heavy or fragile items once they are wrapped

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes

Two layers of fluting make a stiffer box for wrapped breakables, heavy goods and house moves.

• Sizes from 9 x 6 x 6" to 24 x 24 x 24"
• Supplied flat, sold per box
• Minimum 5 boxes for most sizes

From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)

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Ordering, delivery and collection

Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day from Manchester. Royal Mail Tracked 48 is free on every order with no minimum, and faster paid options are shown at checkout. If you are near Manchester, click and collect from Unit 2, 50 Derby Street, M8 8HF is free and usually ready within 2 hours. Within 10 miles of the unit, our vans deliver the same day on orders placed by 12pm Monday to Friday; see local delivery in Manchester for details.

Unused rolls can be returned within 30 days. If you are not sure which width to order, contact us before you buy and tell us what you are wrapping. The full range of wrap, film and fill is in our protective packaging collection, and boxes are in the boxes collection.

Order large bubble wrap rolls

Frequently Asked Questions

What widths of bubble wrap roll do you sell?

300mm and 500mm. Small 10mm bubble wrap, large 25mm bubble wrap and Jiffy Mono Bubbles all come in those two widths. We do not stock 750mm, 1000mm or 1500mm rolls.

Do you sell bubble wrap 1000mm x 100m?

No. Our widest roll is 500mm. For wide items, run a 500mm roll round twice with the turns overlapping, or wrap the item in two passes from each end.

How long is each roll?

Small 10mm bubble wrap and Jiffy Mono Bubbles come on 100m rolls. Large 25mm bubble wrap comes on 50m rolls, because the bigger bubbles make a fatter roll.

Is large bubble wrap better for moving house?

Yes, for furniture, mirrors, lamps and other bulky pieces. The 25mm bubbles give more cushioning and also fill gaps in large boxes. Use small 10mm bubble wrap for glasses, plates and ornaments.

Can I buy a single roll?

Yes. Every roll is sold on its own, and the price per roll falls automatically as you order more. Prices are shown ex VAT and every order comes with a VAT invoice.

How quickly will my bubble wrap arrive?

Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day from Manchester. Royal Mail Tracked 48 is free on every order with no minimum, and free click and collect from Unit 2, 50 Derby Street, M8 8HF is usually ready within 2 hours.

Shop for This Job

• Protective Packaging
• Cardboard Boxes

Related Guides

• Cheap Bubble Wrap in Bulk: Where to Buy in the UK and Cut Cost per Parcel
• Bubble Wrap Guide: Small vs Large Bubbles, Rolls and Uses
• Void Fill Compared: Air Cushions, Packing Peanuts, Paper and Bubble Wrap

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