Decision guide

Poly Mailers: which one is right for you?

Poly mailers are 3-layer co-extruded LLDPE/LDPE polymer film bags, 51 microns thick, used as the courier-grade outer shipping bag for D2C ecommerce. They are waterproof, tear-resistant, and seal with a built-in tamper-proof adhesive strip — the customer's first impression of the brand on their doorstep, where the bag itself is the unboxing surface. Every poly mailer also has a built-in POD (proof-of-delivery) pouch for the dispatch label.

Business fit — what each one is for

Product	Outer color	Inner color	Sizes available	Cost band	Brand cue
Black Poly Mailer	Black	Black	8×10, 10×12, 12×14, 12×16, 14×18, 16×20	Low	"Hides handling marks; premium gloss backdrop for a 1–2 colour screen-print logo"
White Poly Mailer	White	Black	8×10, 10×12, 12×14, 12×16, 14×18, 16×20, 18×22, 20×24	Low	"Clean slate, print-ready surface"
Pink Poly Mailer	Pink	Black	8×10, 10×12, 12×14, 12×16	Low	"Women's fashion, beauty, lifestyle"
Purple Poly Mailer	Purple (matte)	Black	8×10, 10×12, 12×14, 12×16	Low	"Premium without being predictable; only matte polymailer in the family"
Red Poly Mailer	Red	Black	10×12, 12×16	Low	"Refuses to blend in"
Green Poly Mailer	Green	Black	10×12, 12×16	Low	"Signals your values" (note: NOT eco-friendly)

Technicals — side by side

Spec	Black Poly Mailer	White Poly Mailer	Pink Poly Mailer	Purple Poly Mailer	Red Poly Mailer	Green Poly Mailer
Material	3-layer co-extruded LLDP/LDPE polymer film	3-layer co-extruded LLDP/LDPE polymer film	3-layer co-extruded LLDP/LDPE polymer film	3-layer co-extruded LLDP/LDPE polymer film	3-layer co-extruded LLDP/LDPE polymer film	3-layer co-extruded LLDP/LDPE polymer film
MOQ	100 pcs	100 pcs	100 pcs	100 pcs	100 pcs	100 pcs
Production lead	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks
Print	Screen	Screen	Screen	Screen	Screen	Screen
Max colours	2	2	2	2	2	2
Sizes	6 standard	8 standard	4 standard	4 standard	2 standard	2 standard
	Configure	Configure	Configure	Configure	Configure	Configure

Decide in four questions

Walk down from the first question — every branch ends at a product.

1. Do you need any specific colour (brand-driven)?
   ├─ Yes → pick the colour
   │   ├─ Black     → black-poly-mailer
   │   ├─ White     → white-poly-mailer
   │   ├─ Pink      → pink-poly-mailer
   │   ├─ Purple    → purple-poly-mailer
   │   ├─ Red       → red-poly-mailer
   │   └─ Green     → green-poly-mailer
   │
   └─ No, no brand colour preference → continue
        2. What size do you need?
           ├─ Larger than 16 × 20 in (e.g. apparel, large kits)
           │     → White Poly Mailer (only colour available up to 20×24)
           │
           ├─ 8 × 10 to 16 × 20 in (most ecommerce)
           │     → Black or White (widest size range)
           │
           ├─ 10 × 12 or 12 × 16 specifically
           │     → Any of the six colours
           │
           └─ Smaller than 10 × 12
                → Black, White, Pink, or Purple (red/green don't go that small)

Easily confused

"Green polymailer = eco mailer" — No. Despite the colour, the green poly mailer is explicitly not eco-friendly (LLDPE/LDPE plastic, not biodegradable). The green is purely aesthetic / brand-signaling. For sustainable shipping, route to kraft-mailer-family (paper, eco-friendly) instead.
"Poly mailer vs Misty Bag" — Both are plastic, both are flexible. Poly mailer is the outer courier bag (51 microns, waterproof, tamper-proof seal, POD pouch). Misty Bag (protective-bag-family) is a 75-micron frosted inner ziplock used as a protective layer inside the outer mailer or box. They work together, not as alternatives.
"Poly mailer vs Kraft mailer" — Both are ecommerce shipping mailers. Poly is plastic (waterproof, lower cost, not eco). Kraft is paper (eco, splash-resistant only, slightly higher cost). The trade-off is durability vs sustainability. See kraft-mailer-family.
"Poly mailer vs Corrugated mailer" — Poly is a flexible bag (lighter, no impact protection, lowest courier cost). Corrugated is a rigid box (impact protection, higher cost, larger MOQ). Pick poly for non-fragile flat items (apparel, fabric, soft goods); pick corrugated for anything that needs impact protection. See self-locking-corrugated-box.

When this family is the wrong call

Contents are fragile or need impact protection → corrugated-family (3-ply mailer boxes)
Eco-led brand voice → kraft-mailer-family (paper, eco-friendly and recyclable)
Customer experience focused on box unboxing → self-locking-corrugated-box or self-locking-monocarton-box (rigid mailers, premium printed surface)
Inside-product protection layer (separate from outer mailer) → protective-bag-family (Misty Bag)
Food-direct contact → no plastic mailer is food-safe certified; route to a food-safe SKU
High-end luxury / customer keeps the bag → poly mailers are single-use; route to rigid-family or premium retail bags

Ready to configure? Every product quotes live prices on its page.

Browse all poly mailers