Packaging tools
Poly bag thickness selector
Poly bag thickness is measured in mils — thousandths of an inch. Pick your item's weight, edges, closure, and any special requirement, and this tool returns the mil thickness and bag format that fit. The goal is not always the thickest bag; it is the right bag for the workflow.
Recommended thickness
Light product protection for soft goods, documents, or low-abuse handling.
Recommended format: open top poly bag.
Right gauge, right format — shop matching poly bags → or browse all bags & liners.
How to choose poly bag thickness
Start from the contents, not the film. Weight and edges drive puncture risk: a soft 1 lb garment is fine in 2 mil, while a 5 lb casting with machined corners wants 6 mil. Then match the closure to the workflow — open top for line packing, reclosable for parts and samples, self-seal for fulfillment speed, tie or heat seal for a tamper-resistant close. Special requirements override thickness: electronics need anti-static film, and consumer-bound thin bags need the printed suffocation warning. Thicker film costs more per bag, so sizing the gauge to the actual handling risk — instead of defaulting to the heaviest bag — keeps packaging spend down without adding damage. See the poly bags guide for a deeper walkthrough.
Common questions
What does "mil" mean on a poly bag?
A mil is one thousandth of an inch (0.001 in) of film thickness — it is not a millimeter. Most stock poly bags run from 1 mil to 6 mil. Thicker film resists punctures and tears better but costs more per bag, so the right choice matches the gauge to the contents and handling.
When is 2 mil enough?
2 mil handles light-duty work: apparel and soft goods, documents, and general product protection where the contents are under about a pound and have no hard edges. It is the most economical gauge for high-volume packing of low-abuse items.
When should I move up to 3 or 4 mil?
Move up when the item weighs roughly 1 to 5 pounds, has some edges, or is hardware and parts that get warehouse handling. The extra film adds puncture resistance for kitting, bin storage, and shipments that get handled more than once.
When do I need 6 mil or heavier?
Use 6 mil or heavier for items over about 5 pounds, sharp or abrasive contents, rough handling, or long-term heavy-duty storage. At that point the film is doing structural work, not just keeping dust off.
Why do electronics get an anti-static bag instead of a thicker one?
For static-sensitive electronics, thickness is not the failure mode — electrostatic discharge is. Standard poly film can build a static charge, so circuit boards and components belong in anti-static packaging regardless of how heavy the item is.
When does a bag need a suffocation warning?
Thin-film bags that can end up in homes — ecommerce packaging, apparel bags, anything consumer-bound — commonly need a printed suffocation warning; several U.S. states require specific warning text by bag size. If your bags could reach households, choose warning-printed stock and verify the exact requirement for your case before purchase.
Related tools
Sizing the film on a pallet instead of a product? Pallet covers and liners follow the same mil logic at pallet scale. Also see the dimensional weight calculator for what the bagged shipment will cost to ship, or ask support for an odd spec.