Custom Poly Mailers & Poly Bags
For soft goods, a poly bag beats a box on almost every measure that matters commercially. It weighs a fraction as much, it takes up almost no storage, and it drops your shipping cost on every single order. Apparel brands worked this out years ago. We produce a lot of poly mailers at ZEE Packaging and the economics are usually what brings people to them.
Light, Flat And Cheap To Ship
Poly mailers cost less at every stage than a box does.
- Weight is a fraction of a corrugated equivalent
- Dimensional weight barely applies, since there is no rigid volume
- Storage takes almost nothing compared to flat packed cartons
- No assembly at all, staff just load and seal
- Waterproof by nature, which a board mailer never is
- Lower unit cost before you even factor in the freight saving
Most apparel brands using poly mailers report a meaningful drop in average shipping cost per order.
Know What They Cannot Do
We would rather be straight about the limits.
- No protection against crushing or impact whatsoever
- Unsuitable for anything fragile, hard edged or breakable
- They puncture on a sharp corner inside
- Printed material can crease without a stiffener
- They offer no structure, so contents shift freely
- Best restricted to soft, flexible, non fragile goods
- Standard peel and seal the everyday poly mailers we run
- Double seal return version a second strip for returns
- Bubble lined light cushioning for semi fragile items
- Recycled content film post consumer material
- Compostable film plant based alternatives
- Opaque privacy grade where contents should not show through
Sizes We Print Regular
Every one of our poly mailers is built to your product, though these run often:
- 6" x 9" for small accessories
- 9" x 12" for a single garment
- 10" x 13" for a standard apparel order
- 12" x 16" for bulkier items
- 14" x 19" for multi item orders
- 19" x 24" for large soft goods
Measure your folded product and add a little for the seal, since a tight bag splits along the edge under load.
Film And Print
- Standard polyethylene in various micron thicknesses
- Recycled content film, widely available now
- Compostable film where infrastructure supports it
- Flexo printing, which suits bold graphics well
- Opaque grades for privacy
- Tear resistant grades for heavier contents
Print behaves differently on film than on board. Fine detail and small text reproduce less crisply, so bold simple artwork works considerably better on poly mailers.
Materials And Honest Trade Offs
- Recycled content film, which reduces virgin plastic use
- Compostable options, though they need the right disposal route
- Lighter weight means lower transport emissions per parcel
- Plastic remains plastic, and we would not pretend otherwise
- Paper mailers are the alternative where plastic is unacceptable
- Right sizing so you use less film per order
Compostable film only helps where customers actually have access to composting. Without that it ends up in the same stream as standard poly.
How An Order Runs With Us
- 100 unit minimum, so a small brand can test the format
- Free artwork setup and flat proof before anything prints
- Free design support from our own team
- Physical sample on request to check the fit
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide, including to your fulfillment center
Frequently Asked Questions
Are they suitable for fragile items?
No, and we would say so plainly. There is no crush protection at all, so anything breakable needs a corrugated mailer instead.
Is compostable film worth it?
Only where your customers can actually compost it. Without that route it performs no better than standard film at end of life.
Can they be recycled?
Standard polyethylene can, though usually through store drop off rather than curbside collection.
How much do poly mailers cost?
Rough estimate is $0.09 to $0.25 per unit plain, $0.1 to $0.75 with one color print and $0.2 to $1 for compostable film at moderate quantity. Volume moves it. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
Will print look sharp?
Bold graphics reproduce well. Fine detail and small text lose definition, so we would simplify the artwork for film.
Do you offer return seals?
Yes, a second adhesive strip. It matters a great deal in apparel where return rates are high.
What thickness should we choose?
It depends on the weight and the sharpness of your product. Send us both and we specify the micron accordingly.
