The Many Uses of Bubble Wrap

Perhaps among the most unintentionally enjoyable products ever created which has sparked the passions and creativity of many people is the famed bubble wrap, where people are overcome with an irresistible urge to grab hold of a sheet and proceed to popping. This is not of course the real use for this wonderful product—although it can be quite helpful at certain times—since these compressed sheets of trapped air are mostly used for packaging purposes.

But aside from protecting fragile materials from getting damaged, there can also be many occasions when the popping bubble wrap can serve a purpose that is not only enjoyable but functional.For a number of people bubble wrap can act as both an entertainment item and a stress reliever since there is a certain satisfaction to be had with popping every single bubble, sheet after sheet until nothing is left. Original creators of the product thought of it as alternative for wallpaper, though sadly it was not much of a hit.

Today bubble wrap is predominantly used in packaging. Typically bubble wrap is manufactured in rolls either 50 metres or 100 metres long with a bubble size of 10mm or 25mm in diameter. Typically the rolls are cut at standard widths of 375mm, 500mm, 750mm and 1500mm long. Due to the bulk nature of the product it isn’t feasible to manufacture it any larger due to costs and restrictions with shipping. Bubble wrap is also commonly used as an insulator for hot and cold conditions. Customers now have the ability to purchase thermal bubble wrap which simply bubble wrap coated in an aluminum foil which is very popular for shipping items long distances that require cold temperatures.