Air Pillows

Air pillows are a manufactured plastic product that are most commonly used for shipping and cushioning in order to prevent fragile items from breaking in transit.  They are made from a non-abrasive poly and protect items against scratching and chipping, as well as being smashed or damaged during shipment.  They are essentially made up of inflated bags, and come in many shapes and sizes.  They are available in rolls, sheets or individual strands of bubbles.  The pillows are regularly spaced, air filled hemispheres that also come in many shapes and sizes, from very small to the larger quilt.   The bubbles can be in a single rolls of pockets or up to sixteen packets across and or greater.  The air pillows range from (3/16”), medium (5/16”) to large (1/2”).  Larger size pillows and multiple shapes are available. VP Supplies offers a wide range of air pillows to protect all of your items in transit.

The air pillows can be manufactured in uniform rows or irregular, offset rows. The pillows can appear in multiple shapes from round “buttons” to elongated cylinders and everything in between.  They are most commonly used for shipping of fragile items and are very popular with both individuals and organizations because they are reusable, recyclable and when deflated take up almost no space in the trash.

Air pillows have both home and industrial uses.  They are often available in perforated sheets for easy tearing.  Unlike plastic “peanuts”, they are dust free and cleaner to use.  They are durable and long lasting -- you may find they can be used year after year for household uses such as protecting Christmas ornaments.  The rolls or sheets are clear for easy product identification.  Rolls are available in all sizes, from a box for home use to a massive roll for industrial shipping.

What makes air pillows particularly popular is their cost-effectiveness. They are durable but very light which means that they do not add any weight to your shipping costs. Newer products are even biodegradable making them a popular “green” and eco-friendly item. Consider the many uses that air-pillows have: they can line the inside of a mailing envelope for mailing delicate and small items, manufactured as pouches and bags, or used as a simple sheet of padding. The diverse range of uses and wide array of products available makes them a popular and useful shipping supply. Other configurations are bubble lined boxes, bubble sheets with an adhesive side for wrapping irregular objects and anti-static wrap for electronic devices.

Because of the flexibility in manufacturing, several shapes and sizes are available including to flexibility to dispense rolls in all sizes.   Extra-large rolls can be stored on a portable stand for easy cutting and distribution.  Table top cutters are available.

Air pillows are extremely cost effective and much more efficient to store than plastic peanuts or paper packaging.  There are air pillow machines to manufacture the wrap rather than purchase pre made items, thus can be produced in various lengths and sizes to fill all needs.  These machines range in price from $100 to $1000 for home use, while industrial sized machines run much higher.  These machines offer a customized output to create different wrap for different needs.

Besides protecting fragile items, air pillows are often used for shipping of produce, as well as being used in home insulation as window coverings, to winterize pipes, and for other household items. And of course, children will happy deflate the air pillows as a fun game once you are done with the sheet of packing supplies.

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John Jones is an expert on shipping supplies and related products.  He is a packaging specialist with VP Supplies, a company providing a complete line of shipping supplies using an innovative approach to serving its customers. Visit our website for a complete line of shipping supplies