Stretch Wrap
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Stretch wrap and shrink wrap serve similar purposes. They’re both used to wrap, seal and tightly package together items such as boxes and pallets for transportation or storage. The primary difference between the two is their application method.
Per the name, stretch wrap is stretched around items when packaging them together. It’s highly elastic and wraps tightly for a secure, no-move wrapping. On the other hand, shrink wrap, or shrink film, is covered loosely over the items and shrunken from exposure to heat. Both types of wrapping provide protection against the elements, such as dust and moisture; prevent surface damage and chafing during transportation; are cost-effective and adaptable to a variety of needs.
What Type of Stretch Wrap Is Available?
Stretch wraps at Staples come in a range of brands, sizes, gauges and colors. Intended use and production scale can help determine which moving stretch wrap to choose.
Different Brands of Stretch Wrap
Staples carries a wide variety of popular stretch wrap brands. These include Staples brand,, SI Products, Partners Brand, GoodWrappers and many others.
Stretch Wrap In a Variety of Sizes
Choose from different sizes of stretch wrap. Smaller rolls are around 5 to 10 inches in width, with larger rolls anywhere from 16 to 20 to over 30 inches wide. Length of stretch wrap varies depending on the brand and type, though it’s generally between 1,000 to 1,500 feet.
A Variety of Stretch Wrap Colors
There are different colors of stretch wrap available, from the more utilitarian to the fun and vibrant. Clear is by far the most popular stretch wrap color, with a much higher volume of selections compared to a different color family.
Other colors of stretch wrap include blue, green, red, orange, pink and more. There is also black stretch wrap, which is well-suited for security purposes and concealing contents of a packing pallet. In some cases, purchasing several different colors of stretch wrap can help with color-coding and organizing packaged goods.
Hand Film and Machine Length Stretch Wrap
Stretch wrap can be wrapped and applied by hand or by machine. Smaller rolls that aren’t as wide, usually under five to 10 inches, may be designed with a handle for easy movement of the roll when hand wrapping items. Hand wrapping is cheaper and more convenient for smaller-volume warehouses and smaller pallet sizes.
Machine wrapping refers to applying stretch wrap using a special machine engineered for efficiency and speed. Plastic wrap for moving can be stretched more tightly with machines than could be done by hand, extending the yield per roll. Machine length stretch wrap is a great choice for high-volume warehouses with tight schedules, bulk inventory and a need for efficiency.
Different Stretch Wrap Gauges
Stretch wrap gauges at Staples range from 28 to over 120. The gauge refers to the thickness of the plastic sheet or stretch film. Thicker gauges will be more durable for use with bigger, heavier items and shipping pallets. They also keep out dust and moisture while protecting against any scuffs or damage from transit.
How Can Stretch Wrap Be Used?
Stretch wrap is primarily used for packing, packaging or bundling materials together on a pallet. Materials can range from bricks, lumber and commercial goods to flats of water bottles and bulk food items. Because of the different varieties, plastic wrap can also be used to hold boxes together, to keep items secure when moving offices or homes, to secure appliance doors and to wrap furniture. These and other items can be shipped or kept in long-term storage.
Looking for more packaging options when moving or storing goods? Shop for cardboard boxes and shipping and packing tape at Staples.