A padded envelope – a mailer that contains some padding, cushion, and protection – is a great solution when you need some buffer from the outside elements but do not need a shipping box.
These protective mailers strike a balance between being relatively low cost, being cushioned, and delivering an excellent customer experience.
- What are padded envelopes?
- What products ship well in padded envelopes?
- What padded envelope are on the market?
- What is the most circular paper padded envelope?
- Are padded envelopes better than shipping boxes?
- Are padded envelopes better than flat mailers?
- How do bubble mailers compare to padded mailers?
- What is the eco-impact of padded envelopes?
- What size bubble mailer do I need?
What are Padded Envelopes?
Padded envelopes – also known as bubble mailers, padded mailers, cushioned mailers – are just that, shipping envelopes with padding on the inside. This padding serves two purposes – it offers some protection and it enables the envelope to hold its shape, regardless of what it contains.
For example, suppose you put a small jewelry box or a vial of essential oil in a flat poly mailer or a paper envelope. In that case, it is less protected and more exposed to damage as shippers throw around the mailer because the sides of the mailer will collapse around the shape.
Why is this bad? UPS, FedEx, and USPS sort and ship tons of packages daily, and they do so with a lot of machining and scanning involved in the process. A poorly filled poly mailer with weak or flat spots can get caught in or misread by machinery, leading to errors, delays, damages, or even returns to the sender on the products you ship out.
Everspring offers three padded envelopes to keep your fragile items intact during transit.
Paper Padded Mailers | Poly Bubble Mailers
What Products Ship Well in Padded Envelopes?
Consider padded envelopes for shipping jewelry, cosmetics, essential oils, vitamins and nutraceuticals, skincare, books, accessories, and other items that need extra protection.
When assessing whether or not you can ship something in a padded envelope, consider:
Product Weight:
Is it relatively lightweight? Heavy items like candles or large shampoo bottles ship best in corrugated boxes. But light items like sunglasses, lipstick, or t-shirts do well in bubble mailers.
Product Thickness:
Is it relatively flat? It is hard to fit a bulky item – like a shoebox – in a padded envelope. For things like this, we recommend shipper boxes or, in some cases, a poly mailer, which is flexible enough to more readily fit and wrap around the bulky item than a padded envelope.
Product Size:
Will it fit in an available padded envelope size? If you are shipping a large quilt or a large set of towels, padded envelopes aren’t likely to be big enough. But large and soft items that can fill out a mailer would work well in a poly mailer.
Product Fragility:
Is it very fragile? These “protective” mailers are not designed for highly breakable items. Are you shipping easy-to-break glass vials or glass picture frames, or a high-cost electronic item? Stick with corrugated boxes, which you can pad with void fill, to ensure your item arrives in excellent condition.
What Padded Envelopes are on the Market?
There are four categories of protective mailers. Find varying levels of “eco-friendliness” within each.
Bubble Mailers with Plastic Exterior and Plastic Cushioning
End-Of-Life: Thin Film Recyclable
Eco-Rating: High, if made with recycled content and have no foil and metal additions
Bubble Mailers with Paper Exterior and Plastic Cushioning
End-Of-Life: Not Recyclable
Eco-Rating: Low; avoid these
Padded Mailers with Paper Exterior and Paper Cushioning
End-Of-Life: Curbside Recyclable
Eco-Rating: High, if made with recycled content
Bubble Mailers with 100% Biodegradable Material
End-Of-Life: Not recyclable, sometimes “industrially compostable” but are detrimental to compost streams
Eco-Rating: Low; avoid these
What is the Most Circular Paper Padded Envelope?
Paper is more circular than plastic. everspring offers a 100% recyclable paper padded mailers made from two or three layers of kraft paper with macerated newsprint as the interior cushioning.
Other options include mailers with honeycomb, fluted corrugated, and expanded foam cushioning.
Every brand has unique criteria for choosing between padded envelopes. Decision criteria typically include:
Sustainability: Meet the brand’s specific sustainability goals and environmental values
Performance and Protection: Effectively protects products in transit with minimal damage rates
Budget: Meet the brand’s per unit budget after accounting for inbound/outbound shipping/storage
Operational Alignment: Match the brand’s existing distribution and fulfillment operations
Brand Aesthetic and Printability: Custom printing messages the brand’s colors, aesthetic, and story
Unboxing Experience: Showcases sustainability, and enhances customer loyalty and excitement
We first work with our brands to establish their specific decision criteria, then evaluate cushioned mailer options using their criteria as a filter.
Because so many of our brands place high importance on (1) sustainability and circularity and (2) performance and protection, we’ve developed the following visual to illustrate how cushioned mailers on the market compare across these dimensions.
Why Does Recycled Content Matter?
Are you curious as to why recycled content is such an important driver of our definition of sustainability? Read our guide - All Paper Isn’t Equal - to learn more. In summary, recycled paper has a significantly lower carbon and resource footprint. Virgin paper contributes to deforestation, one of the most pressing environmental concerns today. When virgin content is required, opt for FSC® certification to avoid deforestation risk.
Are Padded Envelopes Better than Corrugated Shipping Boxes?
Many eCommerce businesses are shifting from shipping boxes to padded envelopes.
Why? Mainly due to cost and operational simplicity.
Post time: Mar-25-2025