The Best Mailers - 2021
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Our Picks For The Top Mailers
Several Sizes AvailableThese white poly mailers offer you multiple size options and work great for non-fragile items.
Padded for ProtectionYou'll get extra protection with these padded poly mailers available in five color choices.
Tear-Proof SealThis pack of 120 teal poly mailers offers a tear-proof seal to prevent tampering during the mailing process.
Good for Larger ItemsComing in spacious size options, you can fit multiple non-fragile items in these waterproof poly bags.
Whether you’re needing to ship products for your home business or send gifts to family and friends, mailers make it easy to ship items and offer some advantages over boxes. These shipping materials don’t take up much space in your home and come in a variety of sizes and colors. Mailers can even save you money versus buying boxes and filling materials.
When it comes to materials, paper and poly mailers are common choices. These types of mailers differ in terms of pros, cons, appearance and ideal use.
Usually yellow or brown, paper mailers can be thicker and more protective than poly mailers. However, since they’re made of paper, they’re also easier to damage if they get wet or caught on something sharp.
Poly mailers have a shinier appearance, are water-resistant and are more flexible for items with an odd shape or sharp angles. Poly mailers can come in a wide range of colors and designs, and this allows for more customizability.
You can choose from mailers that come with or without padding, and the fragility of the contents shipped will play a role in your decision. Mailers with bubble wrap inside are thicker and work well when you plan to ship something that can easily get crushed in the postal machines. On the other hand, mailers without padding are thinner and can do a fine job for mailing flat, non-fragile items like papers.
Whether you go with a paper or poly mailer, you’ll need to take into account the size and shape of the item you’re shipping to choose a mailer with the right size. You’ll find smaller mailers suitable for sending items such as jewelry along with document-sized mailers that can hold larger gifts and papers. It helps to get a slightly larger mailer than you think you’ll need, especially if you’re shipping a thicker item and using a padded mailer.
The Best Mailers
KKBESTPACK White Silicone Poly Mailers, 100-Pack
With size options ranging from 6 by 9 inches to 12 by 15.5 inches, these unpadded poly mailers can hold both small and large items. They're waterproof and made out of 100% recyclable materials.
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Specifications
Fuxury Fu Global Plastic Poly Bubble Mailers, 25-Count
Measuring 6 by 10 inches, these poly mailers include bubble wrap inside to protect fragile items. They're tamper-proof and come in green, pink, yellow, blue and orange.
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Specifications
FilmHoo Self Adhesive Poly Mailers, 120-Count
These teal poly mailers without padding are very thin and work well to ship non-fragile items like T-shirts or books. They have a tear-proof seal for privacy and security and are strong.
Features
Specifications
Fuxury Fu Global Plastic Self-Seal Poly Mailers, 100-Count
Available in pink and blue, these poly mailers without padding come in larger sizes ranging from 10 by 13 inches to 14.5 by 19 inches. They're waterproof and have a tamper-proof seal.
Features
Specifications
METRONIC Plastic Poly Bubble Mailers, 50-Count
Measuring either 4 by 8 inches or 6 by 10 inches, these poly mailers come with bubble wrap inside and can stand up against water and wear. You can choose from colors such as pink, blue, white, black, purple, orange and yellow among others.
Features
Specifications
Our Mailer Buying Guide
Whether you’re needing to ship products for your home business or send gifts to family and friends, mailers make it easy to ship items and offer some advantages over boxes. These shipping materials don’t take up much space in your home and come in a variety of sizes and colors. Mailers can even save you money versus buying boxes and filling materials.
When it comes to materials, paper and poly mailers are common choices. These types of mailers differ in terms of pros, cons, appearance and ideal use.
Usually yellow or brown, paper mailers can be thicker and more protective than poly mailers. However, since they’re made of paper, they’re also easier to damage if they get wet or caught on something sharp.
Poly mailers have a shinier appearance, are water-resistant and are more flexible for items with an odd shape or sharp angles. Poly mailers can come in a wide range of colors and designs, and this allows for more customizability.
You can choose from mailers that come with or without padding, and the fragility of the contents shipped will play a role in your decision. Mailers with bubble wrap inside are thicker and work well when you plan to ship something that can easily get crushed in the postal machines. On the other hand, mailers without padding are thinner and can do a fine job for mailing flat, non-fragile items like papers.
Whether you go with a paper or poly mailer, you’ll need to take into account the size and shape of the item you’re shipping to choose a mailer with the right size. You’ll find smaller mailers suitable for sending items such as jewelry along with document-sized mailers that can hold larger gifts and papers. It helps to get a slightly larger mailer than you think you’ll need, especially if you’re shipping a thicker item and using a padded mailer.
DWYM Fun Fact
Did you know that the bubble wrap found in padded mailers came about accidentally in 1957 in an attempt to make a textured wall covering? This occurred in Hawthorne, New Jersey, where the chemist Marc Chavannes and engineer Alfred Fielding came up with the idea of using shower curtains with air bubbles in between them.
After the product failed on the market as a wall covering and type of insulation, a company called Sealed Air decided to market it as a protective material. Tech company IBM would end up using bubble wrap for shipping fragile computer systems. Alongside alternatives like foam wrapping and packing peanuts, this protective material remains a popular choice for mailing items today.
The Mailer Tips and Advice
- Consider checking the shipping service’s pricing and requirements first so you can meet your needs and minimize shipping costs. For example, mailers of a certain size limit, thickness and weight may be classified as envelopes and cost less to mail than packages. Slightly larger or heavier mailers may fall into the packages category with higher rates, so you’ll want to choose carefully.
- Mailers usually are self-sealing with an adhesive you expose by peeling off a protective strip, but you can always add some tape around the seal for extra security. You can also look for tamper-proof seals for peace of mind.
- If you’re wondering which size mailer you should purchase, first measure the height, width and length of the product you plan to ship. To decide on a minimum width for the mailer, add the product height and width plus 1/4 of an inch extra. You can add twice the height plus the length and an extra 1/4 of an inch to get the minimum length for the mailer.
- Whether you get a padded or unpadded mailer, you can still wrap your item in some bubble wrap to give it extra protection during shipping.
- If you plan to ship something heavy, large or fragile, you’ll likely want to skip the mailer and go with a box instead.
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About The Author
Ashley Donohoe is an Ohio-based writer and small business owner with a background in business, technology and personal finance. When she's not researching and writing, she spends her time playing piano, making crafts and learning new things. She has 10 years of experience writing for various online publications.