So you've carefully crafted a product, it's nicely packaged, labelled and designed. And now your customers want it! That's great. But how are you sending it to them? Safely packaging your products—whether it's a perfume bottle, a collection of artisan jams or a 1 metre lamp stand—is vital. That's where void fillers come in. Technically, these could be anything from Polystyrene chips (yuck) to scrunched up paper (actually not a bad option, see below).
There are a lot of options out there (torn up cardboard and newspapers through to industry standard Fasfill Void Fill Paper). So how do you choose? To help, we've asked our Packaging Specialists to create this guide to picking the right void fill for your products.
What's most important to you?
There are many things to think about when choosing your void fill:
- The shape of your product
- How heavy it is
- Is it fragile?
- How it looks when your customer opens the box
Awkwardly shaped products:
Some products are nice and simple. They're cubic, with no pointy awkward angles or odd curves. But what if they're not?
For odd shapes, a soft, pliable void filler is often the best option. For example, something like ExpandOS or Wood Wool, which can easily mould around an awkward shape while still providing a cushion for the ride.
Heavy products:
Heavy products might crush your void fillers (and render them useless). So it's important to test these before you buy them. A heavy wine bottle is unlikely to sit well on some torn up pieces of card. Consider a void filler that's tough enough to hold a heavy product, while also enough to cushion it.
Fragile items:
Some things (soft toys, clothing) could be shipped in a soft plastic courier package. Others (light bulbs, crockery) need some reinforcement. NewAir iBubble wrap or ExpandOS are usually perfect for these types of products.
Look and feel:
Let's face it, for a lot of us, receiving a parcel in the mail feels a little bit like Christmas. If you're suddenly faced with an explosion of Polystyrene chips to clean up (before the kids and pets decide to snack on them) that bubble can pop pretty quickly. Void filler can feel a bit like an afterthought, but the devil is in the details. Filler such as Wood Wool, Geami WrapPak or scrunchy brown paper can help give your produc that extra touch—and makes all the difference to your customers.
Some void fillers to consider
Now that you have some idea of what is more important to you when it comes to void filler, here are some options.
Please note that some of these options require machinery. Talk to our Specialists to see what your options are to rent or use these free on loan.
1. ExpandOS
ExpandOS are carefully engineered paper pyramids. It sounds simple, but when you see them in action you'll be as blown away as we were. The pyramids lock together, providing your product with a protective cocoon. Because they're small, they shift slightly in transit, absorbing weight and movement.
ExpandOS are also recyclable, making clean up easy—and preferable—to your customers.
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- Perfect for oddly shaped products (simple pour into the box and let them settle)
|
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| Product Weight: |
- Light to Heavy – up to 15kg
|
 |
| Fragile Products: |
- High protection
- Pyramids absorb shocks and keep pressure away from your products
|
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| Design: |
- Reusable
- Leave your customer with small bits to clean up
|
 |
2. PadEZ Void Fill Paper
This nifty machine scrunches paper into cushions of pre-set length for you. It's another fast, easy-to-use option to safely pad your products for shipping. PadEz works with small workstations as well as large fulfilment centres.
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- The paper cushions roll and fold well around different shapes
- Twist and scrunch as needed
|
|
| Product Weight: |
- Light to very heavy
- Create sturdy padding by coiling the cushions
|
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| Fragile Products: |
- High protection
- PadEZ cushions are shock absorbent
- Wrap small items individually
|
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| Design: |
- Nice "organic" look
- Easy clean up
|
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3. Fasfill Void Fill Paper
Reliable, safe and fast, this is another great paper void fill option. Fasfill produces sections of scrunched paper—made from 100% recycled materials—into manual or programmed lengths, with auto repeat modes to help you be as efficient as possible.
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- The paper cushions roll and fold well around different shapes
- Twist and scrunch as needed
|
|
| Product Weight: |
|
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| Fragile Products: |
- Medium to high protection
|
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| Design: |
- Nice "organic" look
- Easy clean up
|
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4. Geami WrapPak
This paper-based bubble wrap alternative has taken the packaging world by storm. Geami WrapPak uses a brown-patented die cut Kraft paper to create a honeycomb structure which mimics how bubble wrap works. There's also an inner white tissue paper for extra protection and presentation.
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- Easy to wrap around differently shaped products (limited to small-medium sized products)
- Twist and scrunch as needed
|
|
| Product Weight: |
|
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| Fragile Products: |
- Medium to high protection
|
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| Design: |
- Nice "organic" look
- Easy clean up
|
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5. Wood Wool
Wood Wool is one of the oldest forms of packaging (dating back 200 years). It's a popular option for small products and doubles as a display option in stores.
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- Wood Wool fits well around small and/or oddly shaped products
|
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| Product Weight: |
- Light to medium weight (not useful for very heavy items such as tools)
|
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| Fragile Products: |
- Low to medium protection
- Better suited to gift baskets and smaller cottage industries
|
|
| Design: |
- Nice "organic" look
- Can be used for display purposes
|
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6. iBubble
This little machine can do some big stuff. Ideal for large and heavy products, and with a compact footprint, the iBubble system produces about 27 metres of bubble foil a minute.
The iBubble promises to safely cushion your products, while minimising the amount of void fill you need with "maximised inflation" (i.e. more air in the bubbles, which equals less materials used.)
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- Flexible
- Easy to shape around box corners or awkward angles
|
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| Product Weight: |
|
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| Fragile Products: |
- High protection
- Air-cell wrap
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| Design: |
- Easy to unpack (no small pieces)
- Reusable
|
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7. Void Fill-Air System
The Void Fill-Air System is one of our most popular void fill options. It's fast, easy to use and compact—perfect for busy production lines. You've probably seen these before, they're soft plastic "air pillows" that protect products easily, with minimal plastic use.
| Things to consider |
Description |
Rating |
| Product Shape: |
- Flexible
- Split into small, single pillows for small gaps
- Use several sheets to creat paddings
- Wrap around box corners/awkward angles
|
|
| Product Weight: |
- Light to heavy
- Not suitable for very heavy items
|
|
| Fragile Products: |
- High protection
- Air-cell wrap
- Strong enough to withstand pressure, but soft enough to absorb shocks
|
|
| Design: |
- Easy to unpack (no small pieces)
- Reusable
|
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This information is general in nature and should not be taken as professional advice. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information has been obtained from reliable sources, OfficeMax New Zealand Limited is not responsible for any errors or omission, or for the results obtained from the use of this information.