10 Types Of Flexile Packaging You Need To Know
Flexible packaging has been increasingly popular among customers. From daily goods to medical suppliers, We can see the flexible packaging in various kinds of products. One popular kind is the flexible pouch, which is commonly used in the packaging of food. There are many models of flexible pouch we can find in the market. Each one of them has its respective advantages. The materials used for the manufacturing of flexible pouch are different, totally depending on the types and the requirements of customers.
Choosing properly designed flexible packaging is necessary for your business. Liquid content and solid content need to be packaged in different flexible packaging, which can make a great difference to the product value.
So in this article, we will introduce different kinds of flexible pouches, enabling you to have a clear understanding of these packaging. Besides, we will share our experience about selecting proper packaging for your products.
Different type of Flexible Pouch
1. 3 Side-seal pouch
As its name suggests, A 3 side-seal pouch means that the three sides of the pouch are sealed. On side of the pouch is left open for filling the product. Finally, the fourth side will be sealed by a specific machine.
You can choose 3 side seal pouches for different applications, such as bread, frozen food, meats, and snacks.
Mostly, the wholesale company you cooperate with will provide a wide range of sizes for customization, which provides you more flexibility. But the bigger the size of the pouch, the more money you should pay for them.
One of the properties of 3 Side Seal pouches is a high barrier, which protects the products inside against the factors which will make the product go bad, such as water vapor and oxygen infiltration.
That means the product inside can keep fresh for a long time, which is good for the sellers and customers.
This kind of pouch can be resealable, the one side left open for product filling can be sealed by zipper and grip or tear notches.
2. 4 side seal pouch
Also known as sachets, the 4 Side seal pouch is a flexible packaging designed for the storage of small quantity products in a compact form. So it’s more affordable and efficient than the 3 side seal pouch.
This kind of pouch will be applied in packing products in the following structures: powders, creams, granules. etc. Made from Mono or multi-layers of plastic film, 4 side seal pouch has great durability and long shelf life. You can choose to add protective films into the pouch to prevent the content in the pouch from UV, oxygen, and other factors which can influence the quality of the product.
The pouch can also be customized in a wide range, from its size to the dimensions. The first thing is the size of the pouch. You can choose from 0.5 square or smaller to 6-12 square or larger, but as we said before, the bigger the size you choose, the more money you need to pay. The accessories such as zippers can be used in the pouch to improve its Practicality.
The only difference between the 3 Side seal pouch and 4 side seal pouch is the number of the film used for the manufacturing. The 4 side seal pouch is manufactured from two pieces of film, which sealed all sides of the pouch, leaving only one small gap to fill the products. That’s also why 4 side seal pouch can not fill as many products as 3 side seal pouch.
3. Flat bottom pouch
A flat bottom pouch is expensive than other types of flexible packaging pouches, but the higher can not cover its advantages – convenience and beautiful appearance. That’s why it still is getting famous.
There are three gussets on the left, right side, and bottom. The flat bottom pouch can save 15% off
Material for its unique design, which also helps the sellers to save the space of the shelves. The width is narrower than some kinds of the pouch.
The flat bottom pouch provides five sides for the product sellers to print the information. Taking full advantage of this space can help your product stand out among the competitors in the supermarket.
Finally, a flat bottom pouch boasts excellent stability, which can leave a good impression on the customers at their first glance at the products.
4. Quad pouch
Quad seal pouches get their name from their two vertical panels and 2 gussets. They are joined together with four vertical seals. Other than the panels and gussets, the quad pouch has a rectangular or square bottom, that’s why they can stand without assistance. That’s one of the advantages of The quad pouch has.
The quad pouch is suitable for heavy products because of the four vertical seals. It also a sustainable option. This kind of packaging can reduce waste effectively by achieving a lower packaging product ratio. The product is an almost perfect fit for the packaging.
Both the vertical panels and side gussets can be used for message expression. It’s an excellent branding opportunity.
Just like one coin has two sides, the quad pouch also has its drawbacks.
The obvious one is the cost. Quad seal pouches cost more to produce than less complex packaging because of their structure.
As you can see from the images, the bottoms of the quad seal bags are in a fold-over condition rather than being flat. When you fill the package with products, the products are heavy enough to make the bottom flat, so the packaging can stand erect. Otherwise, there is the risk of tipping over.
5. Kraft pouch
Kraft pouch is one of the most common flexible packaging used for shopping bags. As you can see in the Movie can tv series, people will carry a kraft pouch full of vegetables or bread. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it’s environmentally friendly.
Kraft pouch is made of kraft paper, which is non-toxic, low carbon, environmentally friendly. There are two colors of the kraft paper- White and yellow. To improve the strength of the paper, manufacturers often coat the kraft paper with PP material.
6. Retort pouch
As one of the flexible pouch, retort pouch is commonly applied in the packaging of low-acid foods. They are processed in a pressure vessel thermally, that’s where the name of “retort pouch” comes from. The pouch is made of layered polyester, aluminum foil, and polypropylene.
The greatest advantage retort pouch has is that they can keep a different variety of food and drink in sterile packaging through aseptic processing.
That’s why people always treat them as the alternative to the traditional canning methods.
7. Shaped pouch
Shaped pouches are one kind of packaging pouches that are manufactured in such a way that they come in various shapes and sizes. A lot of product sellers use them because they come in shapes that would bring out the aesthetics of their product and make it more appealing.
Shaped pouches can be designed to stand up or flat as a three side seal pouch – whatever shapes packages suitable to make your products best and attractive.
Besides, this kind of flexible pouch is a very good option for environmental protection. Mostly, The shaped pouch will perfectly fit the size and shape of the product, which means that you would not waste the space of the pouch. To some extent, a Shaped pouch is the customized packaging
If you have interests in the Shaped pouch, you can read our previous article:
8. Side gusset pouch
For the products like coffee and tea, Side gusset pouches are the most popular pouches. With gussets on both sides, This kind of pouch will be shaped as square after being filled, so this kind of side gusset pouches have sufficient storage capacity. The top side is usually left open for filling the products.
Side gusset pouch has become increasingly popular in the supermarket because they can be displayed vertically on the shelf. Also, they are perfect for various products like food, snack, and even products from other industries.
9. Spout pouch
This kind of flexible packaging is mostly used for the storage of liquidity, like beverages, medical fluid diet markets.
Compared with traditional solid containers, spout pouch is better in cost-saving and sustainability because of the material reduction.
Besides, this kind of pouches can evacuate up to 99.5% of the product, cutting down food waste.
In conclusion, this kind of flexible packaging is the best choice for liquid products.
10. Valve pouch
This kind of flexible packaging is mostly used in the packaging of coffee beans.
Like all the other products, the coffee bean has a shelf life. When the green coffee beans are roasted, they begin the process of releasing carbon dioxide. If you fill the coffee beans inside the unventilated packaging like the packaging we mentioned above, the pouches are likely to explore because of the gas released by the coffee bean.
That’s why we need a valve pouch, a valve can release the air molecules from the bag, enabling the beans inside to preserve their life and quality.
Also, it’s a very good channel for the customers to get the smell of the products from the valve.
How to choose a proper pouch for your business
We have introduced 10 kinds of flexible packaging. Each of them has its unique advantages.
You may be confused about which one should you choose for your products. Do not worry, we will share our experience about how to choose a proper pouch according to your products.
Here are four questions you have to ask yourself when choosing flexible packaging for your products.
1. Does your product need to be displayed in the places like a supermarket?
If the answer is yes, choosing a pouch that can stand up among the competitors would be a good choice. The key point is that you need to customize the stand-up pouches to improve the visibility which enables your product to catch the eyes of customers.
2. Good choice for medical packaging
Resealable pouches, side gusset pouches, and flat pouches have been increasingly important in the medical industry. For medical products like syringes and pumps, the pouch packaging can provide sound protection for transportation.
3. What kind of food will be packed in the pouches?
Different kinds of food have various properties. So you should choose the right packaging according to the properties of your products.
The most commonly used type of packaging for products is stand-up pouches, including gusseted pouches (side gusset and bottom gusset), three side seal pouches, pillow pouches, and so on.
Some special products like coffee beans need to be treated specially, packed into the valve pouches. But this kind of special product is rare.
Most of the products can use common packaging.
With the information we provided about different kinds of pouches, we believe that you may be able to choose the right packaging for your products.
Conclusion
n this article, we have shared content about flexible packaging, including 10 types of pouches, and how to chooset the proper one according to the properties of the product.
This article may help you if you are confused about the product packaging.
If you still have other questions, please feel free to contact us through telephone and Email, we will reply as soon as possible Thanks for your reading.
