Decision guide
Kraft Mailers: which one is right for you?
Kraft mailers are paper-based ecommerce shipping mailers — brown kraft paper bags / hybrid carry mailers used as the courier-grade outer for D2C orders where the brand voice values sustainability. They are eco-friendly, Cobb-tested for splash resistance, and screen-printable. They are the paper-mailer alternative to [[polymailer-family]].
01
Business fit — what each one is for
| Product | Construction | Sizes available | Cost band | Brand cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Mailer | Single-layer kraft paper, flat mailer | 8×10, 11×13, 12×16, 14×18, 16×20 | Low–Mid | "Your logo's first handshake with the customer" |
| Kraft Mailer Signature | Hybrid: ships flat, unfolds into a carry bag with hidden paper handles + gusset | 12 × 14 × 2 (fixed) | Mid | "Keeps your brand in the customer's hand" — mailer that becomes a carry bag |
02
Technicals — side by side
| Spec | Kraft Mailer | Kraft Mailer Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Brown Kraft paper | Brown Kraft paper |
| MOQ | 100 pcs | 100 pcs |
| Production lead | 3 weeks | 3 weeks |
| Screen | Screen | |
| Max colours | 2 | 2 |
| Sizes | 5 standard | 1 standard |
| Configure | Configure |
03
Decide in four questions
Walk down from the first question — every branch ends at a product.
1. Should the mailer ALSO function as a carry bag after delivery
(customer carries it onward, returns to store, reuses for outbound)?
│
├─ Yes → Kraft Mailer Signature (kraft-mailer-signature)
│ — ships flat, unfolds with hidden paper handles + gusset
│ — heavier 150 GSM, single fixed size (12 × 14 × 2 in)
│
└─ No → Kraft Mailer (kraft-mailer)
— standard flat mailer, 90 GSM
— 5 sizes from 8 × 10 to 16 × 20 in04
Easily confused
- "Kraft Mailer vs Kraft Shipping Mailer Boxes" — Same word "kraft," very different products. Kraft Mailer is a paper bag (flat or hybrid carry). Kraft Shipping Mailer Boxes (kraft-shipping-mailer-box) is a rigid 3-ply corrugated mailer box in brown kraft finish — it's a box, not a bag. Both are eco-friendly, but the construction is completely different. Pick mailer (bag) for soft / flat items; pick mailer-box (rigid) for items that need impact protection.
- "Kraft Mailer vs Paper Bag" — Paper bags are handled retail bags (different family, different scale). Kraft mailers are shipping mailers (courier-graded, MOQ 100, smaller). Don't confuse the two — paper bags are for hand-delivery at retail; kraft mailers go through couriers.
- "Kraft Mailer Signature vs Gable Monocarton" — Both have carry-handle functionality. Signature is a soft paper mailer that becomes a bag; Gable Monocarton (gable-monocarton-box) is a rigid printed box with a built-in handle. Signature ships flat (more efficient); Gable holds shape on a table. Pick Signature for soft / branded ecommerce; pick Gable for retail / party / display.
- "Splash-resistant ≠ waterproof" — Kraft mailers are Cobb-tested for short-duration splash resistance. They survive a drizzle or light rain on the doorstep. They are not waterproof for sustained moisture. For waterproof courier, polymailer-family is the answer.
05
When this family is the wrong call
- Contents need impact protection → corrugated-family (3-ply rigid mailers)
- Waterproof requirement → polymailer-family (plastic, 51 microns, waterproof)
- Hand-delivered retail bag with handles → paper-bag-family (separate, larger, retail-grade)
- Premium customer-kept feel → not in scope; route to rigid-family or premium retail
- Large dimensions (over 16 × 20 in) → larger paper bags or corrugated
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