Whether you own a business, work as the purchaser of supplies for a company, or need to do some basic shipping of your own, you'll need to be on the lookout for the appropriate materials for your various shipping needs. No two shipping materials are alike, and getting the right mailer for the size, shape, and type of item you're sending is key to making sure your materials make it to their destinations intact.
When choosing the right packaging for shipping your items, things like durability, cost, and presentation matter. Poly mailers are a fantastic option to fulfill these needs, as they are lightweight, cost-effective, and presentable. Choosing poly mailers for your shipping needs is not only beneficial for secure shipment, but it is also a reflection of your company and your commitment to proper presentation. The last thing your company needs is a reputation for not caring about the look or safety of the items you are responsible for shipping!
First, let's walk through what poly mailers are and then take a closer look at why selecting the appropriate size mailer is essential.
The Basics of Poly Mailers
Like many of us, you may not have given a second thought to the types of poly mailers available for use before reading this post. You may have chosen a mailer that seemed to be the appropriate size for your shipping needs, popped your items in your mailer, and never gave said mailer another thought.
Though you may not have known what to call them, you've likely seen and used poly mailers before reading this post. Poly mailers are flexible, self-sealing envelopes ideal for shipping apparel, t-shirts, and non-fragile items. If you've ever ordered a t-shirt from a website, it was likely shipped to you in a poly mailer.
Poly mailers are ideal for keeping smaller items secure as they travel through the mail, which can be a rough trip. We've all had the experience of receiving a package and finding the contents inside to be broken, bent, or spilled out into the container. With poly mailers, your items will be secure during shipping. Poly mailers also protect your items from damage from liquids, dust, dirt, and debris.
Types of Poly Mailers
Making the switch from traditional cardboard boxes to more compact poly mailers can be a big change, but we know that it will be a change for the better for your business. At Shop4Mailers, we stock several options for poly mailers to suit all of your shipping needs. What you'll first need to determine is the type of poly mailer you will use.
You can select a standard white poly mailer for a classic look, clear poly mailers to provide your client a glimpse of their purchased items when delivered to their home or office, or patterned poly mailers for more fun, carefree vibes! We suggest buying a mix of both standard white poly mailers and those that feature a custom design, to diversify your shipping options.
While a white poly mailer doesn’t have any external distinguishing features, the size will vary depending upon what you are shipping.
Poly Mailer Size Matters
Choosing the correct size of white poly mailer is crucial to ensuring that your items reach their destination safely. The professional look of a white poly mailer ensures that your company is taken seriously by clients from the beginning of the sale to the receipt of purchased items.
Before you ship, it’s helpful to know what items can generally fit in a particular size mailer. Knowing what size you need before you buy saves you time and money in the long run, and helps keep your shipping station free of excess, unused mailers.
If you’re planning to ship sweaters, dress shirts, t-shirts, or jeans, you’ll want to opt for poly mailers that are between 9 x12” and 14.5 x 19” to ensure that everything fits snugly in the packing. For smaller items, like socks or tea towels, poly mailers between 6 x 9” and 7.5 x 10” will suffice.
At Shop4Mailers, we are serious about poly mailers and provide you a selection of sizes to choose from. Check out our guide below to help determine the correct size of white poly mailer to suit your shipping needs.
- 12 x 15.5 Glossy White Poly Mailer Envelopes: Measuring 12 x 15.5 inches, these Glossy White Poly Mailer Envelopes are perfect for shipping a modest number of t-shirts, a single dress, a pair of jeans, or several other small, soft items. The lightweight design of this white poly mailer makes it an economical shipping choice, as it won't add on extra weight and inflate your shipping cost.
- 6 x 9 Glossy White Poly Mailer Envelopes: These smaller poly mailers are a perfect alternative to heavy cardboard boxes for shipping. Ideal for sending small items like books, shoes, or small boxes, this white poly mailer is opaque, meaning the contents of the mailer will remain confidential through the shipping process.
- 19 x 24 Glossy White Poly Mailer Envelopes: The largest size white poly mailer we offer, the 19 x 24 option can easily fit multiple t-shirts, sweaters, pants, dresses, or even bedding in one bag. These poly mailers feature our self-sealing adhesive, helping to make your shipping experience quick and hassle-free. These poly mailers also come in a variety of thickness levels, from 1.7" Mil to 2.50" Mil, meaning you won't spend time worrying about the security of your items during shipment.
No matter what size of poly mailer you choose, there are several built-in benefits to using Shop4Mailers poly mailers for your shipping needs. All sizes of poly mailers feature durable poly material, ideal for resisting tearing, punctures, and other potential damage during transit. The lightweight poly material makes postage a snap and won't add extra cost to your shipping expenses. You can rest assured that your items, both fragile and durable, will be well protected by the thickness options of each white poly mailer as well.
Color and Design Poly Mailers We Love
Though a white poly mailer is standard and expresses a certain level of professionalism, our color and design poly mailers add a little bit of character and pizazz to the shipping process! If you want to add a bit of attitude to the operation of sending purchases to clients or gifts to friends, try out one of our favorite color or design poly mailers below.
- 10 x 13 Pink Polka Dot Poly Mailer Envelopes 2 Mil: These functional poly mailers come in a bright pink design with white polka dots, sure to have your customer’s smiling when they open their mailbox. These bags are made of durable two mil poly material, which makes them resistant to tears, punctures, and damage.
- 10 x 13 Glossy Pink Pineapples Poly Mailer Envelopes 2 Mil: Across the world, the pineapple is considered a symbol of welcome and hospitality. Why not send those sentiments through the mail with this vibrant poly mailer? The message of friendship, hospitality, and warmth means these pineapple poly mailers are sure to make your customers smile.
- 10 x 13 Glossy Hearts Poly Mailer Envelopes 2 Mil: The red background and decorative hearts featured on these poly mailers are perfect for sending Valentine's Day gifts or adding just a hint of romance to whatever you're shipping. The two mil thickness will protect t-shirts, dress shirts, napkins, fabric, yarn, and other soft-sided accessories.
Best Practices of Business Mailing
Choosing the correct size of mailers is only one aspect of maintaining an efficient shipping system for your business or the company you work for. If you do not have a reliable, consistent shipping process, you'll run the risk of causing disorganization during packaging and potentially providing less than stellar service to your clients.
Creating an organized shipping process for your business or the company you work for saves time and money, while also preventing unnecessary mistakes from adding stress to your workday. When you've decided on the right size poly mailers and are ready to move on in the shipping process, we have some tips for you to keep in mind.
- Buy in Bulk - When you are ordering poly mailers, you'll want to consider buying in bulk instead of buying a smaller amount for one shipping order. When you purchase poly mailers in bulk, you'll cut down on the frequency of orders for mailers you're placing, thereby saving yourself and your company money in the long term. It also saves time to buy in bulk, as you'll have access to a more abundant supply of mailers.
- Stay Organized - When you're doing a lot of shipping, your shipping station can get very disorganized very quickly. If you walk into your shipping room and there are materials like poly mailers, tape, shipping labels, etc., lying all over the floor and tables, it's time to get organized! Set up your space for maximum efficiency by putting the materials you'll need for shipping in the same general area of your shipping station so that you can create an assembly line-style process for yourself during shipment.
- Stay on Top of Your Inventory - Though you may have relied on shipping in bulky cardboard boxes in the past, switching over to various sizes of poly mailers will save you time, space, and money. Periodically, you'll want to do a sweep of your shipping area and take stock of your shipping inventory. Having a consistent sense of which materials you'll need to reorder will help keep your shipping process streamlined.
Additional Items for Shipping Success
Once you've determined the type of poly mailers you need and selected a variety of sizes to stock in your shipping station, you'll need to evaluate the other shipping materials that you may need to purchase. Doing so will round out your shipping process. One of the most critical items for shipping that you should not overlook are white shipping labels.
Shop4Mialer's 30-Up White Shipping Labels are an excellent addition to your shipping station. These labels, offered in a matte white finish, look clean and crisp and, with self-adhesive backing, are easy to apply. When paired with any size white poly mailer, your package will look clean and polished. These labels are compatible with inkjet and laser printers, making customization a snap.
Are you looking for some extra packaging for smaller items? While not typically durable enough to ship on their own, cello bags are excellent options for packaging within a mailer. A clear cello bag will fit inside any size white poly mailer and will show your client that you care about the safety and security of the items you ship.
Warning labels are also an essential part of the shipping process. It may be the last thing you consider when packaging your items, but making sure you label your poly mailers correctly with necessary warning stickers adds an extra element of safety and professionalism to your shipping process. Shop4Mailers offers 2” x 2” Warning Suffocation Labels with white backing and bold black lettering to inform customers of the dangers plastic packing bags can pose to children.
Final Thoughts on Poly Mailers
By now, you've probably realized how partial we are to poly mailers. They are unmatched in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness and are also more environmentally friendly than standard cardboard shipping boxes. Recycling your poly mailers should be standard practice, but many people don't realize that their poly mailers are recyclable. To be even more environmentally friendly, you can also practice reusing poly mailers for multiple shipments. Many poly mailers feature a second adhesive strip, which makes reuse a snap!
We hope that we have convinced you to give poly mailers a try for your next shipment and that you have a sense of how to choose the appropriate size mailer for your shipping needs. At Shop4Mailers, we are here to support your purchase every step of the way. Don't hesitate to check in with our Customer Service team with all of your poly mailer-related questions!
