Custom poly mailers are lightweight plastic shipping bags printed with your brand. They are the cheapest way to ship anything soft that does not need a rigid box, which is why almost every apparel brand uses them. We print them full color front and back, build them in your size, and there is no minimum order.
Custom poly mailer specification
| Spec | What you get |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | None. Order a small printed run to test, or bulk for a launch. |
| Material | Co-extruded LDPE as standard, with recycled content and recycle-ready options. |
| Thickness | 2.5 mil for light soft goods, 3 mil for everyday use, 4 mil for heavier or sharp-edged items. |
| Sizes | From about 6 by 9 inches up to 24 by 24, or built to your product. |
| Closure | Permanent self-seal adhesive lip, with an optional peel-and-seal return strip. |
| Bubble option | Bubble-lined poly mailers where the contents need light cushioning. |
| Full color, front and back, CMYK or PMS matched. | |
| Artwork | Free design, free dieline, free digital proof before printing. Samples on request. |
Poly mailer sizes
These are the sizes the industry actually runs. Weights are for 2.5 mil stock and are typical rather than exact, because gauge and supplier both move the number. The last column matters more than most people realise, and it is explained underneath.
| Size (in) | Typical empty weight | USPS large envelope? | What it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 x 9 | 0.2 to 0.3 oz | Yes | Socks, underwear, jewelry pouches, small accessories, prints |
| 7.5 x 10.5 | 0.3 to 0.4 oz | Yes | Books, phone cases, small apparel, sample packs |
| 9 x 12 | 0.4 to 0.5 oz | Yes | A tightly folded t-shirt, documents, flat goods |
| 10 x 13 | 0.5 to 0.6 oz | Yes | A folded t-shirt with room, leggings, a small kit |
| 12 x 15.5 | 0.7 to 0.9 oz | No, over 15 in | Jeans, a dress, two tees, shoes out of the box |
| 14.5 x 19 | 1.0 to 1.3 oz | No | A hoodie or sweatshirt, multi item orders |
| 19 x 24 | 1.7 to 2.1 oz | No | Two hoodies, bedding, bulky soft goods |
| 24 x 24 | 2.2 to 2.8 oz | No | Blankets, large bundles, oversized apparel orders |
Why the last column is worth money. USPS prices a flexible, evenly thick piece as a large envelope, also called a flat, when it stays within 15 inches long, 12 inches high and three quarters of an inch thick. A poly mailer is flexible and evenly thick by nature, so up to and including 10 by 13 it can qualify. At 12 by 15.5 it is half an inch too long and becomes a package. If your product fits either, that half inch is the difference between two rate tables on every order you ship. Confirm current limits and rates with your carrier before you build a fulfilment plan on them.
What size poly mailer for clothing
This is the question we get more than any other, so here is the short version. Lay the garment folded the way you actually pack it, measure it flat, then add about an inch on each side. Do not size up “just in case”, because a loose mailer looks cheap on the doorstep and can push you into a higher dimensional weight.
| What you are shipping | Start here |
|---|---|
| Socks, underwear, small accessories | 6 x 9 |
| One t-shirt, folded | 10 x 13 |
| Two or three t-shirts | 12 x 15.5 |
| Leggings or an activewear set | 10 x 13 |
| Jeans, one pair | 12 x 15.5 |
| A folded dress | 12 x 15.5 |
| A hoodie or sweatshirt | 14.5 x 19 |
| Two hoodies, or a bulky knit | 19 x 24 |
| Shoes out of their box | 12 x 15.5 |
| Shoes in their box | Use a mailer box. A poly mailer does not protect the shoe box, and a crushed shoe box gets returned. |
| Bedding or a blanket | 19 x 24 or 24 x 24 |
Choosing the mil
Mil is thickness, in thousandths of an inch. It is the single decision that most affects whether your mailers arrive intact.
| Gauge | Use it for |
|---|---|
| 2.5 mil | Light single garments and soft accessories with nothing sharp inside. The lightest option, and the cheapest to post. |
| 3 mil | Everyday ecommerce. Most apparel, most multi item orders. This is the default if you are unsure. |
| 4 mil | Heavier contents, anything with a corner or a zip that can work through the film, and long transit legs where the parcel gets handled repeatedly. |
Poly mailer, bubble mailer or box
Three choices, and the right one is usually obvious once it is written down.
- Poly mailer when the contents are soft and cannot be damaged by being squashed. Apparel, textiles, soft accessories. Lightest and cheapest to ship.
- Bubble mailer when the contents are small and semi fragile but not rigid. Phone cases, cosmetics, books, small electronics. Cushioning built in, still light.
- Mailer box when the product is rigid, breakable, or when the unboxing is part of the brand. Subscription boxes, gift sets, anything that must arrive square.
Recyclable, recycled, biodegradable and compostable
These four words get used as if they mean the same thing. They do not, and printing the wrong one on your packaging is a real risk, because some US states restrict how these claims can be made.
- Recyclable. Most poly mailers are LDPE, resin code 4. LDPE is recyclable in principle, but almost no US kerbside programme accepts plastic film. It goes to a store drop off point for film, if the customer bothers.
- Recycled content. A mailer made partly from post consumer recycled LDPE. This is what most people mean when they say recycled poly mailer, and it is the option we can quote.
- Biodegradable. A claim that something breaks down eventually, with no agreed timeframe or conditions attached. It is the weakest of the four words and the one regulators look at hardest.
- Compostable. Certified to break down in a commercial composting facility, usually against ASTM D6400 with BPI certification, and made from a different material rather than LDPE. If you need genuinely certified compostable mailers, say so on your quote request and we will tell you straight whether we can supply them at your size and quantity.
Ordering custom poly mailers in bulk
- No minimum order. Print a short run to prove the size and artwork, then scale the reorder. No floor, no minimum order fee.
- Free design, free dieline and a free digital proof. Send a logo, a sketch, or the mailer you buy today.
- Free samples so you can feel the gauge before committing a bulk run.
- Reorders run from your approved file, so the second order skips the setup.
- Free shipping with tracking.
- Price match. Send a written quote for the same size, gauge, print and quantity and we will beat it.
Where we ship
We are a national supplier rather than a local one. Custom poly mailers ship to every US state, shipping and tracking are free, and the quantity matters far more to the price than the address it goes to.
Frequently asked questions
What is a poly mailer?
A poly mailer is a lightweight plastic shipping bag with a self-seal adhesive lip, used to post soft goods without a box. It is waterproof, tear resistant, weighs almost nothing, and can be printed edge to edge with your brand. It offers no impact protection, so it suits anything that cannot be damaged by being squashed.
What size poly mailer do I need for clothing?
Start at 10 by 13 inches for a single folded t-shirt, 12 by 15.5 for jeans, a dress or two or three tees, and 14.5 by 19 for a hoodie or sweatshirt. Lay the garment folded the way you pack it, measure it flat, and add about an inch on each side.
What size poly mailer fits a hoodie or a sweatshirt?
14.5 by 19 inches is the standard choice for a single hoodie or sweatshirt. Go to 19 by 24 for two of them, or for a heavy knit that does not compress.
Can I ship shoes in a poly mailer?
Shoes out of their box, yes, in a 12 by 15.5. Shoes still in their retail box, no. The poly mailer will not stop the shoe box being crushed, and a crushed box is a return. Use a mailer box for those.
How do I measure a poly mailer?
Poly mailers are quoted as width by length, measured on the usable area below the seal flap, not including the flap itself. So a 10 by 13 gives you 10 inches across and 13 inches down of usable space. Measure your folded product flat and add roughly an inch on each side.
How much does a poly mailer weigh?
At 2.5 mil, roughly 0.2 to 0.3 oz for a 6 by 9, about 0.5 oz for a 10 by 13, about 1.2 oz for a 14.5 by 19 and around 2.5 oz for a 24 by 24. Thicker gauges weigh proportionally more. Ask us to confirm the weight for your exact specification before a large run, because it lands on every postage label you print.
Are poly mailers recyclable?
In principle yes, in practice rarely. They are LDPE, resin code 4, which is recyclable as a material but is not accepted by most US kerbside programmes because it is a film. Store drop off points for plastic film are where they belong. If recycled content matters to your brand, we can quote a mailer made partly from post consumer recycled LDPE.
What mil thickness should I choose?
2.5 mil for light single garments, 3 mil for everyday ecommerce and most apparel, 4 mil for heavier contents, sharp edges or long transit. If you are unsure, 3 mil is the safe default.
Is there a minimum order for custom poly mailers?
No. There is no minimum quantity and no minimum order fee. Print a short branded run first if you want to test the size and the artwork, then scale.
Should I use a poly mailer or a bubble mailer?
Poly if the contents are soft and squash proof, which means apparel and textiles. Bubble if the contents are small and semi fragile, which means phone cases, cosmetics, books and small electronics. If the product is rigid or breakable, neither, use a mailer box.
Related packaging: custom bubble mailers, poly bubble mailers, custom mailer boxes, apparel packaging and types of mailer boxes.