What are poly mailers?

Poly mailers. Bubble mailers. Poly bags. Plastic bags. Mailing bags.

Whatever you call them, they have gained a lot of popularity in the ecommerce shipping world.

Choosing the right packaging for shipments will determine everything from shipping costs to whether products arrive safely at the customer’s doorstep.

If you’re paying too much for shipping, you may never get a positive return on your customer acquisition cost. If a customer orders from you and they realize a product is damaged during the unboxing experience, they may never order from you again.

While you may associate cardboard boxes with online shopping, many orders don’t come in a box at all.

Poly mailers are a common packaging option because they can protect certain products at a lower cost than corrugated cardboard packaging.

Poly mailers are lightweight but sturdy plastic bags designed to ship products. They have a self-sealing foldover lip so no tape is needed, and a shipping label can be directly affixed on the bag. They are thin, yet durable so they don’t take up much space on a truck while in transit.

Poly mailers come in many sizes and styles with some being padded with bubble wrap so they don’t require additional dunnage like many boxes require to hold items in place to prevent shipping damages.