Cushioning Bags & Sleeves

Protect fragile and expensive items during storage and shipping by placing them in cushioning bags. Made of two conjoined sheets of bubble roll, these bags are polyethylene sleeves lined with pockets of air bubbles. The bubbles act as padding for mailed items by providing shock and impact resistance. Browse the large inventory of shipping, packing, and mailing supplies at Staples® to find the right bubble sleeves to keep goods safe and undamaged while in transit.

Choose the Right Bubble Bags for Your Needs
Low-density polyethylene is the plastic polymer of choice for making bubble rolls and bags for a number of reasons. It is lightweight, transparent, water-resistant, and insulating. This plastic material is flexible and tear-resistant but also easy to cut with a blade. The standard bubble bag is a general-purpose pouch suitable for a wide range of delicate items. You use it as a mailer or a cushioned insert for an envelope.

To send electronic products, choose anti-static bubble sleeves. In addition to serving as padded mailers, these also protect sensitive electronic components by dissipating static charges that could fry circuit boards. While bubble roll and pouches are mostly transparent, they also come in other colors. Choose a clear cushioning bag to make it easy to identify contents and pick a colored one to keep its contents hidden. Pink bubble pouches are unique because manufacturers use this color for anti-static options.

Consider Size and Mouth Opening When Shopping for Cushioning Sleeves
Both regular and anti-static bubble sleeves are available in open-end and self-sealing designs. An open-end bag should go inside a closed mailer. This design makes content retrieval easier. A self-sealing bubble bag can serve as a standalone mailer. It uses no adhesives. Rather, its peel-and-seal closure exposes a bubble film layer that sticks to itself when folded. This type secures contents and prevents them from falling out in transit and while opening packages.

Bubble sleeves come in different sizes ranging from tiny 3 x 4-inch units for securing jewelry and other small items to large ones measuring more than a foot wide and long. Bubble size is another important factor to consider. The most common size is 3/16 inch but there are smaller (1/16 and 1/8 inch) and bigger (5/16 and 1/2 inch) bubbles. Cushioning pouches with 3/16-inch bubbles have air pockets the size of a pencil eraser. These are suitable for lightweight and medium-weight items.

Are There Special Bubble Bags for Food Items?
Yes. To transport food items like eggs and fresh fruits, you need food-grade plastic bags. Look for FDA-grade bubble sleeves. These also carry USDA approval guaranteeing that the plastic used won’t affect the quality of food wrapped in it or leave a toxic residue.

What Are Heavy-Duty Cushioning Bags?
Also known as high-grade bubble pouches, these are for bagging heavy items. They usually have a double-wall construction with two layers of bubble roll sealed together and their bubble sides sandwiched. This arrangement produces bags that offer better cushioning and bubbles that don’t pop easily.

Can You Transport Frozen Items With Bubble Cushioning Sleeves?
Yes, but you’ll need metalized bubble pouches. These temperature-controlled pouches offer thermal insulation. They have laminated foil backings that help keep contents at desired temperatures for some time.