Protective Packaging

Protective Packaging Supplies for Safe Storage and Transit: Bubble Wrap Rolls, Edge & Corner Protection & More

Packaging Express supplies protective packaging materials for businesses and individuals who need to protect goods during storage, handling and transit. Our range includes bubble wrap in rolls, foam rolls, furniture protection, void fill, postal tubes, bubble pouches and edge and corner protectors, in a choice of materials, widths, thicknesses and pack sizes.

From fragile glassware and electronics to furniture, artwork and e-commerce orders, the right packaging cushions products, reduces movement inside the box and protects vulnerable surfaces. The most suitable material depends on the size, weight, shape and fragility of your goods, and on how they will be handled once they leave you.

If you are looking to buy bubble wrap, the bubble size and roll width are particularly important. Smaller bubbles suit close-fitting protection, while larger bubbles provide deeper cushioning for bigger items. The roll width should allow enough material for the required coverage without creating excessive waste.

How to choose the right protective packaging

Surface protection helps prevent scratches and abrasion. Cushioning helps absorb impact. Void fill helps prevent movement. Edge protection guards corners and spreads pressure from straps. These materials do different jobs and may need to be used together.

Start with the item rather than the material. Four questions will usually point you to the right product.

What are you protecting? Glass, ceramics and painted or polished surfaces mark easily, so they need a smooth, non-abrasive layer against the surface before any cushioning goes on.

Does it need cushioning, surface protection, void fill or anti-static protection? Many parcels need a combination of these, depending on the product and the risks involved.

How heavy, large or fragile is it? Small and awkwardly shaped items wrap closely in small bubble wrap, where the 10mm bubbles follow contours. Larger or unboxed goods suit the 20mm bubbles of large bubble wrap. Heavy items need packaging that will not compress under load, and sharp corners need a separate edge or corner protector.

Is it a parcel, stored, moved or sent on a pallet? Single parcels need wrapping and void fill. Palletised loads need cardboard edge guards to hold the load stable and reduce strapping pressure. Furniture and storage need laminated furniture protection.

Many items need more than one material: foam as the first layer where scratching is a concern, bubble wrap for cushioning over the top, and peanuts, paper, air pillows or foam sheets to limit movement inside the carton.

Bubble wrap rolls

Small bubble wrap

A small bubble wrap roll is made from clear polyethylene film with 10mm bubbles and a 30-micron film thickness. Its transparency allows you to identify contents without unwrapping them.

The bubbles conform to the shape of the item, making this material suitable for irregular shapes and general-purpose protection. Commonly used for glassware, ceramics, ornaments, bottles and framed items, and widely used by e-commerce sellers.

Cush-n-air branded and UK manufactured. The product information states a minimum of 30% recycled content and that the film is recyclable. Available in 100m rolls from 300mm to 1500mm wide, with shorter 50m and 75m rolls also listed. Check the product page for the current range of sizes.

Large bubble wrap

A large bubble wrap roll has 20mm bubbles, providing a deeper layer of cushioning for larger items, broad surfaces and goods that may face knocks during handling. It is less suitable for wrapping very small or finely detailed objects closely. Common uses include furniture parts, large appliances and machinery components.

Supplied in 50m rolls, from 300mm to 1500mm wide.

Jiffy small bubble wrap

Jiffy small bubble wrap describe this wrap as offering superior puncture resistance, with an easy straight-tear property so lengths come off the roll cleanly without scissors. It may suit high-volume packing and goods with firm corners.

Polyethylene, clear, 10mm bubbles and 30 micron film, according to the product information. Rolls are listed at 100m across widths from 300mm to 1500mm, UK manufactured and described as recyclable. Standard small bubble wrap has the same bubble size and film thickness and may offer a lower cost per roll, depending on pack size and current pricing.

Biodegradable bubble wrap

Biodegradable bubble wrap is described as containing an additive intended to help the film break down under the conditions specified by the manufacturer. It provides cushioning broadly similar to standard bubble wrap. Check the product information for recycling guidance and the conditions required for biodegradation before making any environmental claims of your own.

Listed in 75m rolls and produced in the UK.

Anti-static bubble wrap

Standard polythene bubble wrap can generate static during handling. Anti-static bubble wrap is designed to reduce electrostatic risk when used correctly, and is suitable for products that may be damaged by electrostatic discharge, including circuit boards, hard drives, memory and assembled electronics. The pink tint makes it easy to identify.

It is not a moisture barrier, so goods sensitive to humidity need additional protection.

Foam and furniture protection

Jiffy foam rolls

Jiffy foam rolls are a closed small cell polyethylene foam, made non-corrosive, non-abrasive and acid-free so it can go against surfaces that mark easily. The soft, non-abrasive surface is designed to help reduce the risk of scuffing during handling and transit. Used for glassware, china, televisions, electronics, furniture and other surfaces that need a smooth, non-abrasive protective layer.

Listed in thicknesses of 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm and 4.0mm, and widths of 500mm, 750mm and 1500mm, and described as recyclable. Roll length generally falls as thickness rises, so check length against thickness on the product page before comparing prices.

For items that also need shock absorption, use foam as the inner layer and bubble wrap over the top.

Furniture protection options

Laminated furni-rolls are bubble wrap laminated with LDPE film in a sandwich construction, used as a heavy-duty alternative to bubble wrap, foam and woollen transit blankets. Common in domestic and overseas removals, and with furniture manufacturers and retailers. All three are currently listed in 1200mm x 100m rolls.

Void fill and cushioning materials

Corrugated paper rolls

Single-faced corrugated paper rolls are used for wrapping, interleaving and building custom packaging around odd-shaped items. One flat liner with an exposed fluted face lets the roll bend around a shape while the flutes absorb impact. A paper-based alternative to bubble wrap, often used for separating stacked plates, tiles and framed items. Rolls are listed at 75m long across 11 widths, UK made from recycled paper.

Packing peanuts

Packing peanuts fill the empty space in a carton so the contents cannot shift during handling. They flow around irregular shapes, which makes them useful for items no pre-formed insert would fit. Lightweight, abrasion-resistant and intended to minimise scuffing. Used for glassware, china, ornaments and electronics, in several colours, with biodegradable and compostable options listed. Refer to the product page for the disposal route that applies to each.

Speedman paper void fill system

The Speedman paper void fill system is a roll of recycled paper in a manual dispenser box. The paper is described as recycled and recyclable, so the void fill can generally go out in the same waste stream as the carton, and no machinery or power is required. It suits businesses moving away from plastic void fill.

EPS70 polystyrene foam sheets

EPS70 polystyrene foam sheets are made from rigid white expanded polystyrene. They can be cut or shaped into inserts, spacers and corner blocks to provide support inside packaging, and are used for parcel void fill and interleaving.

For heavy or dense products, rigid foam sheets may provide more stable support than loose fill alone, depending on the item and load.

Pre-inflated air pillows

Pre-inflated air pillows are ready to use, so they do not require inflation equipment. They fill empty spaces quickly and are useful for e-commerce packing and other high-volume dispatch operations. They are lightweight and may be reusable, depending on their condition and handling. Available in the Greenlight Opus Bio brand, they work best around boxed or already-wrapped goods.

Postal and specialist protective packaging

Cardboard postal tubes

Cardboard postal tubes offer resistance to crushing and come with plastic end caps that keep the contents enclosed and the tube rigid. Used for posters, prints, charts, plans and certificates. Listed in multiple lengths with 45mm and 50mm diameters, UK made from recycled materials. Choose a tube longer than the rolled item, and the 50mm diameter for thicker rolls or multiple sheets.

Bubble pouches

Bubble pouches are ready-made bubble wrap bags with a peel-and-seal strip, so an item is wrapped and closed in one action. They suit businesses dispatching the same small items repeatedly, such as phone accessories, jewellery, cosmetics and spare parts. Listed in 7 sizes and UK manufactured. For mixed or larger items, a bubble wrap roll is usually more flexible.

Edge and corner protectors

Use cardboard for pallet loads, rigid polystyrene where the corner carries load, and foam where the surface itself is vulnerable.

Protective packaging materials compared

Protective packaging for different products and industries

• E-commerce and mail order. Small bubble wrap or bubble pouches, with air pillows, peanuts or paper for void fill.
• Glassware and ceramics. Foam against glazed surfaces, bubble wrap over the top, void fill so pieces are not in contact.
• Electronics. Anti-static bubble wrap for components, foam corners for cased items, void fill to limit movement.
• Furniture and removals. Laminated furni-rolls for main surfaces, Furni-Soft for polished finishes, foam protectors on corners and legs. For bubble wrap for moving house, use a small bubble wrap roll for glassware, ornaments and other breakables. A large bubble wrap roll is more suitable for larger or unboxed items that need deeper cushioning.
• Artwork and documents. Postal tubes for rolled items, corrugated paper and foam corners for framed pieces.
• Pallet distribution. Cardboard edge guards under the strapping, with corner protection where the goods take the pressure.

Recyclable and biodegradable protective packaging

These terms are not interchangeable, and the difference matters if you report on your own packaging.

Recyclable. The material can be reprocessed into new material, provided it reaches the right recycling stream. Kerbside collection does not accept every recyclable material.

Biodegradable. The material breaks down through biological action. The rate and conditions vary by material, so a biodegradable product is not automatically suitable for home composting or general waste.

Compostable. The material breaks down into compost under defined conditions, home or industrial. Industrial compostable material will not necessarily break down in a garden bin.

Recycled content. The material was made using previously recycled material. Our small bubble wrap, for example, is listed with a minimum of 30% recycled content. Recycled content reduces virgin material use but says nothing about disposal.

A product can be recyclable without being biodegradable, or both at once. Specifications and environmental claims vary by product and can change, so check the individual product page for current details and the manufacturer's guidance before relying on them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is protective packaging?

Any material used to cushion, wrap, separate or support goods so they are less likely to be damaged in storage, handling or transit. It covers cushioning such as bubble wrap and foam, void fill such as peanuts and air pillows, and structural protection such as edge and corner protectors.

What is the difference between small and large bubble wrap, and which do I need?

Small bubble wrap has 10mm bubbles on 100m rolls and wraps closely around detail and contours, which makes it the more versatile of the two for general parcel packing. Large bubble wrap has 20mm bubbles on 50m rolls and gives a deeper cushion for bigger or unboxed goods. Whichever bubble wrap roll you choose, pick a width that wraps the item in one or two turns without trimming waste off every length.

What is the best packaging for fragile items?

Wrap each item individually in bubble wrap or foam, place it centrally with cushioning on every side including the base, then fill the remaining gaps without over-compressing the contents.

How do I stop items moving inside a shipping box?

Use void fill. Packing peanuts flow around irregular shapes, air pillows and paper fill larger gaps quickly, and foam sheets cut into spacers for heavier items.

What is anti-static bubble wrap used for?

For products that can be damaged by electrostatic discharge, such as circuit boards, drives and components. Standard bubble wrap can generate static as it is unrolled and handled. Anti-static wrap is designed to reduce that risk while still cushioning the item.

Should I use foam or bubble wrap for delicate surfaces?

Foam is usually the better first layer for polished, painted, glazed or easily marked surfaces, as it gives a smooth barrier against scratching. Bubble wrap adds cushioning against knocks, so fragile items may need both: foam against the surface, bubble wrap over the top.

How do I protect furniture during transport?

Use laminated furni-rolls, which combine bubble cushioning with a tougher LDPE outer film. The three options are supplied in 1200mm x 100m rolls. Furni-Soft is suited to polished, veneered and high-gloss surfaces because it includes a non-abrasive woven polypropylene layer. Foam can also be added around furniture legs, corners and other vulnerable areas.

What packaging should I use for rolled artwork and posters?

Cardboard postal tubes with plastic end caps. Choose a tube longer than the rolled item so the contents are not pressed against the caps, and the 50mm diameter for thicker rolls. Artwork that should not be rolled needs flat packaging instead.

What information do I need when ordering protective packaging for my business?

The dimensions, weight and surface type of the goods, the outer box or pallet size, roughly how many units you dispatch in a typical week, and any specific risks such as static sensitivity or delicate finishes.

Buy bubble wrap and protective packaging online

Browse the full protective packaging range to buy bubble wrap in rolls, foam rolls, furniture protection, void fill, postal tubes, bubble pouches and edge and corner protectors. Small bubble wrap rolls and large bubble wrap rolls are available in a range of widths and lengths, alongside Jiffy, biodegradable and anti-static options. Part loads are available on most lines, so you can order a single roll or a full bundle depending on how much you pack.

Need help choosing protective packaging?

If you are unsure which protective packaging to choose, send us the dimensions, weight, surface type and intended use of the item. Our team can help you compare materials, roll widths, cushioning options and void fill, and can advise on regular business orders, packaging quantities, oversized items, removals and palletised goods. Part loads are available on most lines if you want to trial a material first.

Call the customer helpline on 0345 224 3691, request a call back, or use the Contact Us form.