Reusable ice pack sheets: activate, freeze, pack
Reusable ice pack sheets are flexible cooling sheets that you activate with water, freeze and then place in the box, flat and without meltwater. It works in three steps: activate, freeze, pack. In this blog you go through those steps, using the ice pack sheets collection as the starting point.
For reusable ice pack sheets we do not state a number of times a sheet can be used again: that figure is not in our product data. What we do know exactly, you can read below.
What you receive: flat and empty
An ice pack sheet arrives flat and empty. Each cell in the sheet contains a super-absorbent granulate, still without water. As a result, a box of sheets takes up hardly any storage space before activation.
The sheet is only cold once you have activated and frozen it.
Activating ice pack sheets in five to ten minutes
You immerse the sheet in water for 5 to 10 minutes. The cells swell into a firm gel mat, a cushion mat of gel packs.
The sheet is leak-proof and food safe, and the gel is non-toxic. The gel does not release meltwater.
Freezing ice pack sheets: from -5 °C to -80 °C
After activation you freeze the sheet. When freezing ice pack sheets, the sheet can be used from -5 °C to -80 °C. We do not state a duration in hours.
Frozen, the sheet stays flexible. If you want to size the sheet, you tear it off along the perforation, even when it is frozen. That way you use only the number of cells that is needed and waste no gel.
You can find more about freezing and packing ice packs in general in freezing and packing ice packs.
How to pack the frozen sheet
The sheet cools flat and evenly, directly under or on top of the product. In a larger box you place a large sheet as a base or top layer. With elongated products, such as fillets or bottles, you fold the sheet around them. The size you choose depends on the box:
| Size | Cells | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| 140 x 200 mm | 2 x 3 | Small boxes and single-item shipments |
| 200 x 280 mm | 3 x 4 | Meal boxes and standard shipping boxes |
| 140 x 400 mm | 2 x 6 | Elongated products |
| 280 x 400 mm | 4 x 6 | Large boxes and volume shipments |
The blog ice pack sheet sizes sets the sizes side by side. You will find matching outer packaging in our EPS boxes and insulated shipping bags.
Which shipments is this meant for?
The sheet is meant for products that need to be cooled flat and evenly: fish and fish fillets, sushi, meat, charcuterie, meals and pharma samples. Because the sheet is flat, it fits in flat packaging and mailer boxes where thick gel packs do not fit. For air freight it is, according to our product data, a safe and practical alternative to dry ice, without complex handling or regulations.
The complete range of ice pack sheets is available from stock, also on a roll with perforation, and on request with your own printing.
The ice pack sheets in the product data
The collection consists of four sheets, each with its own number of cells and its own quantity per box. All four can be used from -5 °C to -80 °C, are leak-proof, food safe and can be torn off along the perforation.
| Sheet | Cells | Dimensions | Per box |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 x 3 cells | 6 | 140 x 200 mm (14 x 20 cm) | 2,000 pcs |
| 3 x 4 cells | 12 | 200 x 280 mm (20 x 28 cm) | 1,000 pcs |
| 2 x 6 cells | 12 | 140 x 400 mm (14 x 40 cm) | 1,000 pcs |
| 4 x 6 cells | 24 | 280 x 400 mm (28 x 40 cm) | 500 pcs |
The collection also lists a 4 x 6 sheet of 280 x 400 mm with perforation per 2 x 3 cells and a roll with perforation per 2 x 6 cells, 400 mm wide and 140 meters long.
What the product descriptions say for each sheet
The sheet with 2 x 3 cells is the smallest size in the range. The description calls it suitable for small portions and single-item shipments, such as sushi, individual meals, fish packages or a single pharma sample.
The sheet with 3 x 4 cells has twelve cells on 20 x 28 cm. According to the description it fits in standard meal boxes and shipping boxes and covers fish, meat and charcuterie packages evenly.
The sheet with 2 x 6 cells is elongated, 14 x 40 cm. The description mentions whole fish and fillets, bottles side by side, sausages and elongated meals. Because the sheet stays flexible, you can also fold it around a product.
The sheet with 4 x 6 cells, with 24 cells, is the largest sheet in the range. It is meant for large boxes and volume shipments, as a base or top layer in a shipping box or EPS box, to cool several products flat in one go.
How often can you reuse a sheet?
This is the question behind reusable ice pack sheets. For our cooling elements, the product data states that they are reusable. For the sheets we do not state a number of times.
Our specialists are happy to advise you and, if you wish, put together a trial package or a custom quote. For how reusability works with gel packs, see the blog on reusable ice packs.
Frequently asked questions about reusable ice pack sheets
How long does it take to activate ice pack sheets?
You immerse the sheet in water for 5 to 10 minutes, until the cells have swollen into a firm gel mat. After that you freeze it.
What is the best way to freeze reusable ice pack sheets?
Freeze the activated sheet. It can be used from -5 °C to -80 °C and stays flexible even when frozen.
Can I make a sheet to size?
Yes, you simply tear the sheet off along the perforation, even when it is frozen.
How many ice pack sheets are in a box?
That depends on the size: 2,000 pcs for 2 x 3 cells, 1,000 pcs for 3 x 4 and for 2 x 6 cells, and 500 pcs for 4 x 6 cells.
Are ice pack sheets leak-proof?
Yes. The sheet is leak-proof and food safe, the gel is non-toxic and releases no meltwater.
Choose the size that fits your box. You will find all sizes, also on a roll, in the ice pack sheets collection. Our specialists will put together a trial package or a custom quote if you wish.
You will find all names in our glossary.
