Number Plate Bags
Fits a 520 × 111mm UK plate
Royal Mail: Medium Parcel180×535
From £24.72 / pack of 50 (exc VAT)
From 37.1p per item at 50+ packs
100% paper · 3 product types
Bags
Plastic-free paper mailing bags that collapse around the contents, so you post less air and often stay in the Large Letter band. Sold by the pack, ex VAT. Read the guide ↓
- Plastic-free, kerbside recyclable
- Order by 2pm, 2-day delivery
- Free samples of any size
Which bag?
- Clothing or soft goods? Paper Mailing Bags
- Needs cushioning? Paper Padded Bags
- Posting a number plate? Number Plate Bags
All prices ex VAT
Paper Padded Bags
Honeycomb paper padding
Royal Mail: Large Letter (most items)100×165100×230130×230+3 sizes
From £8.80 / pack of 100 (exc VAT)
From 6.6p per item at 50+ packs
Paper Mailing Bags
Gusseted kraft for apparel and soft goods
Royal Mail: Large Letter–Small Parcel300×190×25430×290×25
From £24.38 / pack of 100 (exc VAT)
From 18.8p per item at 50+ packs
Can't find your size?
Tell us your size and quantity and we'll quote a custom run. Or call our trade line on 01702 662392.
Get a trade quoteTest before you commit
Free samples of any product and size. Requests before 2pm dispatch the same day, you just pay shipping.
Request free samplesWe make the boxes.
No distributor in the middle. The people who make your boxes are the people who dispatch them.
Made in EssexBoxes made at our Rochford production site
2pm cut-offSame-day dispatch, delivery within 2 working days
Free deliveryUK mainland, every order. £75 minimum order value.
Trade accountsCredit accounts on request, pallet and volume pricing
Accredited & audited
BRCGS PackagingCertified for secondary food & consumer packaging
ISO 9001 & 14001Quality & environmental management
FSC®-certified materialsResponsibly sourced board
Sedex memberResponsible & ethical trading
Mailing bag guide
| Bag | Cushioning | Best for | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Mailing Bags | None, single-layer kraft with a gusset | Apparel, textiles, stationery, soft goods | Two, up to 430 × 290 × 25mm |
| Paper Padded Bags | Honeycomb paper padding | Cosmetics, books, small electronics, jewellery | Six, 100 × 165mm to 220 × 340mm |
| Number Plate Bags | Paper padding | UK registration plates, trim strips, badges | One, 180 × 535mm |
All three are paper, peel-and-seal and plastic-free. If the item can't be damaged by a knock, a non-padded bag is lighter and cheaper.
| Royal Mail format | Max size (L × W × thickness/depth) | Weight limit | BoxPac formats that fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Letter | 353 × 250 × 25mm (35.3 × 25 × 2.5cm) | 750g (1kg for UK Tracked bought online) | Paper Padded Bags (all six sizes, packed under 25mm), Paper Mailing Bags 300 × 190mm |
| Small Parcel | 450 × 350 × 160mm (45 × 35 × 16cm) | 2kg | Paper Mailing Bags 430 × 290mm, and padded bags packed deeper than 25mm |
| Medium Parcel | 610 × 460 × 460mm (61 × 46 × 46cm) | 20kg | Number Plate Bags (535mm long) |
Source: Royal Mail size and weight guide. Bag sizes are flat dimensions. A soft item in a bag can often stay under 25mm where a box of the same capacity cannot. The weight limit includes the contents.
Every bag on this page is paper. No polythene, no plastic bubble lining, no mixed-material laminate that has to be separated before it can be recycled. That is a deliberate choice, and it comes with a genuine trade-off worth understanding before you buy.
A bag conforms to what's inside it. A box doesn't. For soft goods and flat items, that difference decides both what you pay the courier and how much air you ship.
Everything here is supplied in trade packs for UK sellers, with a £75 minimum order. Prices exclude VAT and are shown on each product page.
Padded, Non-padded, or purpose-shaped
| Paper Mailing Bags | Paper Padded Bags | Number Plate Bags | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Also called | Kraft postal bags, paper postage bags | Paper padded mailers, paper cushioned envelopes | Number plate envelopes, licence plate bags |
| Cushioning | None — single-layer kraft | Honeycomb paper padding | Paper padding |
| Best for | Apparel, textiles, stationery, documents, soft goods | Cosmetics, books, small electronics, jewellery, accessories | UK registration plates, trim strips, badges, small signage |
| Base | Expandable gusset for bulk | Flat | Flat, long format |
| Sizes | Two, up to 430 × 290 × 25mm | Six, 100 × 165mm to 220 × 340mm | One, 180 × 535mm |
| Closure | Peel and seal | Peel and seal | Peel and seal |
The test is simple. If the item can't be damaged by a knock, an non padded mailing bag is lighter and cheaper. If it can, pay for the padding. If it's a number plate, the purpose-made bag exists because nothing else fits a 520 × 111mm plate without wasting half the pack.
Padded bags: picking the right size
| Size | Typical contents |
|---|---|
| 100 × 165mm | Jewellery, cosmetics samples, small accessories, USB and cables |
| 100 × 230mm | Slim boxed items, pens, single paperbacks |
| 130 × 230mm | Paperbacks, phone cases, small boxed goods |
| 160 × 280mm | Hardbacks, folded apparel, boxed cosmetics sets |
| 190 × 290mm | A4 documents with bulk, larger apparel, multi-item orders |
| 220 × 340mm | Bundled orders, larger boxed goods, subscription contents |
Size up only when the item genuinely doesn't fit. A padded mailer that's one size too big lets the contents move, which is precisely the thing the padding is there to prevent.
Why a bag often beats a box on postage
Two separate savings, and most sellers only count the first.
Weight. Kraft paper weighs a fraction of corrugated board. On a lightweight order the packaging can be a meaningful share of the billed weight.
Volume. Couriers charge on the greater of actual weight or volumetric weight — dimensions divided by a figure your carrier sets, commonly 5,000. A box holds its shape whether it's full or not, so a half-empty box is billed as a full one. A bag collapses around the contents. For soft goods that difference alone can be larger than the weight saving.
There's also the Royal Mail angle. The Large Letter band allows up to 353 × 250 × 25mm and 750g. A flexible bag holding a soft item can stay inside 25mm where a rigid box of the same capacity can't. Our postal boxes and mailers page has the full band breakdown, including the depth trap that catches most sellers out.
Plastic-free: what it does and doesn't do
Paper padding absorbs shock. It does not do everything plastic bubble does, and it's worth being straight about that.
What you gain. Fully curbside recyclable with no separation step. No polythene in your packaging mix, which matters for plastic packaging tax exposure and for customers who notice. A kraft finish that takes labels and print cleanly.
What you give up. Honeycomb paper padding cushions well against knocks, drops and sorting-machine handling, but it isn't the right answer for genuinely fragile goods. Glassware, ceramics and anything you've had breakage claims on belong in a rigid format — see cardboard boxes.
What doesn't change. Paper bags are not waterproof in the way polythene is. Kraft is tough and handles normal UK transit, but if you ship anything that would be ruined by damp, factor that in.
Plastic-free here means what it says: paper outer, paper padding, no bubble film and no plastic window. The whole bag goes in the household paper recycling without the customer separating anything, which is the part that decides whether it actually gets recycled rather than just being labelled recyclable.
Free delivery to the UK mainland on every order, with a £75 minimum, and double loyalty points on everything you buy.
Three things that catch people out
Using a padded bag as a box substitute for fragile items. Padding is not rigidity. If the item needs to resist crushing rather than knocks, it needs board.
Ordering across too many sizes. Six padded sizes exist so the range covers everyone — not so that every seller stocks all six. Most operations dispatch the bulk of orders from two. Concentrating volume improves your break price and simplifies picking.
Overlooking the gusset on mailing bags. The expandable base means one size handles a wider range of order shapes than the flat dimensions suggest. Check the gusseted capacity before buying the next size up.
Not sure which formats cover your mix? Send us your dimensions and typical weights and we'll work through it with you.
Still deciding?
- Item needs to stay flat and uncreased? See board backed and cardboard envelopes.
- Item is fragile or needs to resist crushing? See cardboard boxes.
- Trying to hit a cheaper Royal Mail band? See postal boxes and mailers.
- Sending books, records or media? Variable-depth book wraps and record mailers fold to the contents.
Are your mailing bags plastic-free?
Yes. Paper outer, paper padding, no bubble film and no plastic window. The whole bag goes in household paper recycling without the customer separating anything.
Should I choose padded or non-padded mailing bags?
If the item can't be damaged by a knock, such as clothing or textiles, a non-padded Paper Mailing Bag is lighter and cheaper. For cosmetics, books or small electronics, choose Paper Padded Bags.
Which padded bag size should I choose?
Pick the smallest size your item fits, from 100 × 165mm for jewellery to 220 × 340mm for bundled orders. A bag one size too big lets the contents move, which is what the padding is there to stop.
Are paper mailing bags waterproof?
No. Kraft paper is tough and handles normal UK transit, but it isn't waterproof like polythene. For anything that would be ruined by damp, add an inner wrap.
Will a mailing bag go as a Large Letter?
Often, yes. Royal Mail's Large Letter limit is 353 × 250 × 25mm and 750g. Every padded size and the 300 × 190mm mailing bag fit that footprint, so a soft item packed under 25mm deep can go as a Large Letter.
What size are your number plate bags?
180 × 535mm, made to fit a standard 520 × 111mm UK registration plate without wasted pack space.
Why is a bag often cheaper to post than a box?
Paper weighs less than corrugated board, and a bag collapses around the contents. Couriers charge on actual or volumetric weight, so a half-empty box is billed as a full one.
Are your prices per item or per pack?
Per pack, and all prices exclude VAT. Each product card shows the cheapest pack price and the lowest price per item at 50+ packs. VAT is added in the basket.
Do prices drop when I buy more?
Yes. Prices step down at 10, 20 and 50+ packs of the same product and size, and the discount is applied automatically in your basket.
Is delivery free?
Yes, delivery is free on every order to UK mainland postcodes. There is a £75 minimum order value.
Can I get free samples before I order?
Yes, any product in any size. Samples are free and you just pay the shipping. Requests made before 2pm are dispatched the same day.
How quickly will my order be dispatched?
Order by 2pm, Monday to Friday, and stock items are dispatched the same day.
Do you offer trade accounts?
Yes. Trade credit accounts are available on request, along with pallet and volume pricing. Call our trade line on 01702 662392 or request a trade quote.
What if my delivery arrives short, crushed or wrong?
Contact us and we'll send a same-day replacement for any short, crushed or incorrect delivery.
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