Packrift · Void-Fill Guide

Which void fill should I use?

For most shipments: crumpled kraft paper — one recyclable material wraps, beds, and fills, and it stays where you put it. Reach for packing peanuts on deep, irregular voids, air pillows for light goods at volume, and bubble when the piece needs wrap-first protection. Match the material to how fragile the load is, below.

Find by fragility → Compare the four types How to fill a box Shop all void fill
FIG. 1 — CUTAWAY · ITEM BEDDED IN FILL wrap first 2 in sides 2 in bed
01 — START WITH FRAGILITY

Find your fill by fragility

Fill exists to stop the load from moving, so the load decides the material. Find your row, read the verdicts, start with a real SKU.

What you're shipping Paper Peanuts Air pillows Bubble Start here
Very fragileglass, ceramics, framed pieces BestIndented kraft beds and caps the wrapped piece. Wrapped onlyPeanuts migrate — an unwrapped piece can reach the wall. SkipOne puncture and the protection is gone. BestWrap first — self-sticking bubble grips the piece. Self-sticking bubble → Indented kraft roll →
Semi-fragileelectronics, decor, resale goods BestNewsprint wrap plus kraft crumple covers most of it. BestAnti-static loose fill for boards and components. OKLight units in shallow voids. OKThin PE foam to interleave surfaces. Anti-static loose fill → Newsprint roll →
Durablebooks, apparel, hard goods Best30 lb kraft crumple closes small gaps fast. OKDeep voids in large boxes. BestFastest fill at ecommerce volume. SkipCosts more per cubic foot of void than the job needs. 30 lb kraft roll → 9x11" air pillows →

Unboxing part of the product? White gift-grade tissue is presentation fill, not impact protection — put newsprint under it for structure. Still torn between two types? The void-fill showdown runs the head-to-head.

02 — THE FOUR TYPES, PLUS ONE

The four void-fill types compared

Every SKU below is real and in the Packrift catalog — open one for current dimensions and case counts. Honest downsides included, because the wrong fill fails in transit, not at checkout.

Wrap + fill in one

Kraft & newsprint paper

The default. Basis weight is the honest quality signal: 60 lb indented sheets protect, 30 lb rolls wrap and fill, bogus kraft buys the most crumple per dollar.

  • +One recyclable material wraps, beds, and fills — and stays where you put it.
  • +No equipment: tear, crumple, pack.
  • −Slower per box than pillows or peanuts.
  • −Crumple compresses under very heavy items.
Real SKUs 24" × 300' indented kraft roll→ 18×24" 60 lb indented sheets · 415→ 24" × 720' bogus kraft roll · 50 lb→ 18" × 1200' recycled kraft · 30 lb→ 15" × 1440' newsprint roll · 30 lb→ 18×24" gift-grade tissue · 960→

Browse: kraft paper · newsprint

Pour-and-go · deep voids

Packing peanuts

The fastest way to surround an odd shape. The trade-off is migration: peanuts flow, so wrap the item first and fill in layers.

  • +Reaches deep, irregular voids no other fill gets into.
  • +Corn-starch versions dissolve in water for easy disposal.
  • −Migrate in transit — unwrapped items settle toward the wall.
  • −Messy to unbox, bulky to freight in.
Real SKUs Corn-starch peanuts · 12 cu ft→ Corn-starch peanuts · 7 cu ft→ Anti-static loose fill · 7 cu ft→ Ceiling-mount dispenser · 30 cu ft→

Browse: loose fill · peanuts guide

Light goods at volume

Air pillows

Film ships and stores flat, then becomes fill at the pack station — the standard for high-volume shippers of light goods.

  • +Lightest fill per cubic foot of void.
  • +Flat film stores dense; inflate as you pack.
  • −One puncture turns a pillow into loose film.
  • −Wrong for heavy, sharp, or dense items — and it needs inflation equipment.
Real SKUs 9×11" Fill-Air RF bags · 250→ 16×21" Fill-Air RF bags · 250→

Browse: air pillows — confirm equipment compatibility on the product page

Wrap first, fill second

Bubble & thin foam

Really a wrap that moonlights as fill. Wrap the piece in bubble, then close the remaining gap with paper — that usually beats one material doing both jobs.

  • +Wrap and fill in one pass on fragile pieces.
  • +Self-sticking bubble grips the item — no tape.
  • −Costs more per cubic foot of void than paper or peanuts.
  • −Wasteful as pure gap-filler on sturdy goods.
Real SKUs 3/16" × 24" × 300' self-sticking bubble · 2-pack→ 1/16" × 24" × 350' PE air foam dispenser→

Browse: bubble wrap & foam · cushioning

The fifth type: corrugated void fillers

Die-cut corrugated inserts hold one item in one box, every time — a spec'd-line material, not an off-the-shelf bag. Packrift doesn't stock a dedicated corrugated void-filler SKU, and won't pretend to: folded 60 lb kraft sheets or bogus kraft cover flat voids for most shippers. Running a spec'd line? Send the drawing and it gets sourced against the spec, not guessed at.

Bulk quote →
03 — APPLY IT RIGHT

How to choose and apply void fill

Any fill fails if the box is wrong or the item is loose. Five steps, same order every time.

1

Match the material to the load

Fragile gets wrap-first bubble with paper to close the gap; durable gets kraft crumple; deep odd voids get peanuts; light goods at volume get pillows. The matrix above settles it.

2

Right-size the box first

About 2" of clearance per side on fragile loads. Fill can't fix an oversized box — pick the size with the box-size guide before you pick the material.

3

Wrap the item

Bubble or newsprint goes directly on the piece. Peanuts and pillows are void fill, not wrap — nothing loose should touch the product.

4

Bed, surround, cap

About 2" of fill under the item, fill the sides, then cap over the top before the flaps close.

5

Shake test

Close the box and shake gently. Any shift, rattle, or bulging flaps means re-fill or resize before it ships.

cap · ≈2" item, wrapped bed · ≈2" close the flaps · shake · nothing moves

Void fill is mostly air — freight bills it anyway

Carriers bill the greater of actual weight and dimensional weight, so every cubic inch of void you're filling was already a freight decision. Fill protects the contents; it never shrinks the bill. That's why right-sizing the box comes first, and fill handles what's left.

Inbound, the same physics: peanuts freight in at full volume, while paper rolls and uninflated pillow film pack dense. Order fill in case quantities so the freight spreads across more material. We publish the underlying numbers instead of hiding them.

Open the cost & cube index →
DIMENSIONAL WEIGHT (US domestic)
dim lb = (L × W × H) ÷ 139
example — a 20×20×12 box
= (20 × 20 × 12) ÷ 139
= 4800 ÷ 139 ≈ 34.5 lb billable
…whether that cube is product, peanuts, or air.

Two inches of cushion is protection. Six inches of peanuts is a shipping bill. Right-size, then fill.

04 — QUICK ANSWERS

Void-fill questions, answered

What is void fill?

Void fill is the material that fills the empty space between a product and the walls of its shipping box so the contents cannot shift in transit. The main types are paper, loose fill packing peanuts, inflatable air pillows, and bubble, plus die-cut corrugated fillers for spec'd repeatable voids.

Is paper or packing peanuts better for void fill?

Paper is better when the item also needs wrapping or the void is shallow, because one material does both jobs and stays where you put it. Peanuts are better for deep, irregular voids around odd shapes, as long as the item is wrapped first.

Are packing peanuts polystyrene or biodegradable?

Both exist. Packrift's loose fill range includes corn starch peanuts, which are plant-based and dissolve in water, and an anti-static pink polystyrene loose fill for electronics and components.

What are corrugated void fillers?

They are die-cut corrugated inserts and pads that position an item and fill a flat, repeatable void. Packrift does not stock a dedicated corrugated void filler SKU; folded heavy kraft covers flat voids for most shippers, and spec'd die-cut fillers can be sourced through the bulk quote route.

Which void fill is cheapest to ship in?

Air pillow film and paper rolls pack dense, so inbound freight spreads well. Peanuts ship at full volume, the steepest freight-to-product ratio of any type. And outbound, no fill reduces dimensional weight — an oversized box bills its full cube — so right-size the box first and check landed cost on small orders.

PACKRIFT · Wrap it, bed it, cap it, shake it. Confirm current dimensions and case counts on each product page before ordering.