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Bubble Wrap vs. Packing Paper: The Ultimate Showdown

Posted: October 22, 2024
The illustration shows wrapping paper — also known as packing paper — vs. bubble wrap.

You’ve decided to move, and you’re gathering your moving boxes to prepare packing your home. The next step is picking out the correct moving supplies. Are you going to choose bubble wrap or packing paper for your belongings? Is one better than the other one? Get advice and help on answering the bubble wrap vs. packing paper debate from the Moving Help® Marketplace.

In this article, we’ll explain the pros and cons of bubble wrap, the pros and cons of packing paper, using both products together, environmental considerations, cost considerations, and choosing the right packing supplies for your individual move.

When to Use Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap is a go-to choice for packing fragile, larger, and heavier items. While it’s an amazing choice for packing supplies, it does have its limitations, which we’ll discuss further.

Bubble Wrap Benefits

Bubble wrap is great for avoiding scratches and abrasions when protecting your items. Bubble wrap provides cushion to your items that towels, old clothes, and other packing supplies can’t provide.

Additionally, bubble wrap can be used for your moving boxes. You should always cushion the bottom of your moving box with some extra padding, which bubble wrap can provide. Bubble wrap also can be used to fill spaces between items in your moving boxes.

Below are three more reasons why you should choose bubble wrap.

Shock Absorption

The air-filled bubbles offer superior cushioning compared to packing paper, which can help during the packing, loading, transit, unloading, and unpacking process. This means if your moving boxes receive load shift, your items won’t likely get damaged. They’ll remain protected because of the bubble wrap.

Flexibility

Bubble wrap will conform to the shape of your items. This means whether you’re protecting a picture frame, a snow globe, or a pizza board, the bubble wrap will fit along the shape of your belongings. Plus, paper packing tape for moving boxes can help keep it stuck on your items.

A couple stands in the kitchen together unwrapping bubble wrap and foam pouches from their belongings from their U-Haul ready-to-go boxes.

Visibility

Bubble wrap is transparent. This will allow you to see any item that uses bubble wrap. By identifying items with bubble wrap, you can quickly unload and unpack your items more efficiently.

Bubble Wrap Disadvantages

Bubble wrap is great for so many choices, but it’s not without its flaws. The biggest problem with the most common bubble wrap is it’s not easily recyclable. You must take a few extra steps to make sure you dispose of it properly. Additionally, bubble wrap is bulky.

We’ll discuss both points below.

Environmental Concerns

Bubble wrap is made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic. This means you can’t simply just put bubble wrap in your plastic recycle bins. If you have curbside recycling, you most likely can’t throw your bubble wrap in that bin either.

You’ll have to check with your local area on which facilities specifically accept bubble wrap. If bubble wrap gets deposited in the wrong location, it could jam up the machinery.

Bubble wrap also takes longer to recycle compared to packing paper.

Storage Space

Bubble wrap can be bulkier than other packing materials. If you don’t have the storage space for extra packing supplies, bubble wrap might not be the best choice.

Of course, you can use bubble wrap in other ways. If you reuse bubble wrap in other ways inside and outside of your home, you’ll have less of a problem to deal with when it comes to storage space.

When to Use Packing Paper

Packing paper is an excellent option because it’s extremely versatile while also being a cost-effective material to protect your belongings. It can prevent scratches, and it’s more environmentally friendly. With that said, it also has its limitations, which you’ll learn more about below.

Packing Paper Benefits

Packing paper is good for safeguarding multiple items. When you use acid-free, ink-free newsprint packing paper, you also don’t have to worry about ink stains rubbing off and getting onto your belongings.

Like bubble wrap, packing paper can be used to cushion the bottom of your moving boxes. Packing paper can be easily crumpled to fill void spaces in moving boxes to prevent damage among all your belongings in a moving box. 

Below are three more reasons why you should select packing paper.

A woman takes a picture of some U-Haul bubble wrap at a U-Haul center.

Versatility

Packing paper is suitable for wrapping delicate items like dishes, glasses, jewelry, utensils, books, collectibles, and home decor. This versatility means you can use several packing paper sheets on multiple items throughout your home.

Lightweight

Packing paper is light weight, which won’t make your items heavy. It also means your moving boxes won’t become heavy to lift because you added packing paper to them.

It also makes packing paper great to ship your items, including when you use U-Box storage containers.

Cost-Effective

Packing paper is typically more affordable than bubble wrap. If your moving budget is in a bind, you can still protect your items safely with packing paper if you can’t afford bubble wrap. This means your items will remain safe during the packing, loading, transport, unloading, and unpacking part of your move without breaking your budget.

Packing Paper Disadvantages

Packing paper is good for many options, but it also has its own disadvantages. The most common problem is its durability. Packing paper can tear easily.

Because packing paper’s durability isn’t as strong, it’ll sometimes require multiple sheets to wrap the item your packing, which means if you have a heavy or fragile item, it’ll become more time consuming to pack that one item.

Less Durable

Packing paper isn’t the strongest packing supply. It can tear easily when wrapping around sharp or pointed-edged belongings. This will require several sheets of packing paper to try to ensure it won’t tear.

Packing paper is obviously made of paper, so if it’s raining or snowing and your belongings get wet, the packing paper can’t protect your items.

Time-Consuming

Because you’ll probably prefer to use several sheets of packing paper to carefully wrap your items, it could become more time consuming to finish packing.

Packing paper also isn’t suitable for heavier items, so save your time by using something else. Of course, you can use packing paper at the bottom or crumpled in your moving box.

Bubble Wrap vs. Packing Paper: Why Not Use Both?

Sometimes the answer isn’t one choice or another choice, but both.

Rather than having a packing paper vs. bubble wrap scenario, why don’t you use packing paper AND bubble wrap. You get the most protection out of your items by combining them.

A woman takes a picture of a U-Haul wrapping paper box — also known as a packing paper box — at a U-Haul center.

It just takes three easy steps to complete:

  1. Wrap delicate items with packing paper first. Tape anywhere necessary.
  1. Cover the item with a layer of bubble wrap. Secure the bubble wrap with tape.
  1. If you have super fragile/valuable/sentimental items, use multiple layers of bubble wrap.

That’s it. You’re done and ready to go.

Environmental Considerations

If you’re attempting to have an eco-friendly move, you’ll have to consider the use of your packing materials. Below is a breakdown of the eco-friendliness of bubble wrap vs. packing paper.

Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap is made from plastic, but it’s not biodegradable. Additionally, you have to find specific facilities that’ll allow bubble wrap to be recycled properly. If you don’t take your bubble wrap to the correct place, it can ruin a facility’s machinery.

U-Haul bubble wrap is 100 percent recyclable and reusable. It’s also made from recycled polyethylene.

Packing Paper

Packing paper is made from recycled materials and biodegradable, which means it’s the eco-friendlier option. You just need to make sure you remember to remove any tape or labels before putting them into the recycle bin.

U-Haul packing paper is 100 percent recyclable packing paper.

Packing Paper vs. Bubble Wrap: Cost Comparison

If cost is a key factor for you when deciding to use bubble wrap vs. Packing paper. Below is the price range for buying bubble wrap and packing paper with U-Haul.

Below are some ways to make a budget-friendly decision based off your needs:

  • Fragility of items: Bubble wrap is typically used for more fragile sensitive items, and packing paper is used for less fragile items.
  • Size and shape of items: Bubble wrap is flexible for irregular shapes, but packing paper might need more layers for sharp or jagged edges.
  • Environmental impact: Packing paper is more eco-friendly, but bubble wrap offers more protection.
A customer places a bowl wrapped in wrapping paper — also known as a packing paper — into a U-Haul moving box.

Here are three budget-friendly tips to keep in mind as well:

  1. Assess your inventory and review your needs.
  1. Consider a combination of both materials to save money.
  1. Buy in bulk and look for discounts.

Choosing the Right Material for Your Needs

What kind of packing materials you need for your move will vary for each individual. You might only need packing paper, or you might only need bubble wrap. You could need both supplies.

Some factors to consider when debating bubble wrap vs. packing paper include:

  • Fragility
  • Size and shape
  • Weight and durability
  • Eco-friendliness
  • Cost

After considering all the factors, you can make the decision on which packing material is best for you. If you need packing help for your belongings, visit the Moving Help Marketplace for all your moving labor needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is bubble wrap recyclable?

A: Yes, bubble wrap is recyclable.  It’s made from polyethylene, but it needs to be recycled at certain facilities. Check your local area for where you can recycle it. Bubble wrap isn’t biodegradable.

Q: Where to buy packing paper?

A: You can find high-quality packing paper at UHaul.com. U-Haul uses 100 percent recyclable packing paper that uses clean, white newsprint that’s acid-free and ink-free, so it’s perfect for safeguarding your items.

Q: Is packing paper recyclable?

A: Yes, packing paper is recyclable. Like the U-Haul packing paper, it’s 100 percent recyclable packing paper. Most packing paper is made from recycled materials and other paper products. Packing paper is biodegradable.

Q: Where to buy bubble wrap?

A: For bubble wrap, you can purchase it at UHaul.com. U-Haul has multiple sizes and lengths for bubble wrap, so you’ll find the right one for you.