How To Choose Between The Different Types Of Foams For Shipping

If you have a product that you need to ship to your customers and are worried that it could be damaged while it is in transit, you might have decided to purchase custom packaging foam. These foam inserts are sure to be able to nestle your product and keep it safe for your customers. However, there are four main types of foam that you have to choose between. Here are some questions that you can ask yourself in order to make sure that you are choosing the best type of foam possible.

1. Is the item that you are shipping heavy?

The first thing that you want to look at is the weight of your item. This is going to determine if you use an open or closed-cell foam type. You can tell if you need a closed-cell foam type by getting a sample of open and closed foams and placing your item on top of them. If your item crushes the open-cell foam type to the point where it is flat, then you can tell that you will need either polyethylene foam or polypropylene foam.

If your item does not crush the open-cell foam type, then you can go with polyurethane foam.

2. Is the item that you are shipping a super weird shape?

If the item that you are shipping is a shape that is not going to nestle well against flat pieces of foam, then you are going to need something that is more moldable and flexible. The type of foam that you should therefore use is polypropylene. Polypropylene is very flexible and will keep your item safe. However, if you have a normally shaped item that can be accommodated by flat pieces of foam, then you should consider going with a different foam choice, since polypropylene tends to be more expensive.

3. Are you going to be changing the shape of your foam yourself?

If you are going to be changing the shape of the foam often and are going to be doing the job yourself, then you will want to go with expanded polystyrene foam, which is very cheap and can be easily cut using computer software. This is great because it will allow you to frequently change the shape of the foam that you are working with without actually forcing you to contact an outside company.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in custom packaging foam, like Foam Plastic Specialties.

Share