Insulated shipping bags

Buy insulated bags and cooling bags: flexible cooling from 12 to 72 hours

An insulated bag or cooling bag is a flexible cold packaging for shipping temperature-sensitive products chilled and frozen. The 2-layer bags are made of insulating foam with a reflective outer film. The whole inside is white and all six sizes have a self-adhesive strip. The 4- and 6-layer versions combine reflective metallised PET film with bubble film; the 6-layer bag has extra insulation layers. Combined with gel packs, this gives a reliable, affordable solution for daily use in food, pharma and e-commerce. Below you will find all three versions (2-layer, 4-layer and 6-layer) with a direct price, plus a selection guide based on our own test data.

You will meet the insulated bag under many names: cooling bag, thermal bag, isothermal bag or cool bag. They all mean the same thing: a light, insulating bag that keeps the cold chain intact together with cooling elements.

In practice you put the products in the insulated bag and then put the bag in a cardboard box. In one step you have a complete cool box, without the storage and transport costs of preformed EPS boxes.

2-layer, 4-layer or 6-layer: which should you choose?

The difference is the number of insulation layers, and so how long the contents stay cold. The figures below come from our own test with a 400 gram gel pack at a constant ambient temperature of 25 °C over 48 hours. Use them as a guide, because actual performance depends on filling, the number of gel packs and the outside temperature.

4-layer insulated bag (metallised PET + bubble film): 24 to 48 hours

The efficient standard solution, made of reflective metallised PET film and 8 mm bubble film. Keeps the contents below 0 °C for up to about 17 hours and below 8 °C for well over 40 hours. Comparable in insulation to a thin-walled EPS box. Suitable for shipments of 24 to 48 hours, and the most economical choice, widely used in spring, autumn and winter when outside temperatures are less extreme. Available in 25 × 35, 50 × 30, 70 × 40, 70 × 55, 70 × 70 and 110 × 70 cm.

6-layer insulated bag (maximum insulation): 48 to 72 hours

Reflective metallised PET film with bubble film and extra insulation layers for the tougher cold chain. Keeps the contents below 0 °C for well over 30 hours and below 8 °C for up to 48 hours with a single gel pack, and with enough cooling elements it is the choice for shipments of 48 to 72 hours. Comparable in insulation to a thick-walled EPS box, but more flexible to use and more compact to store. For hot summer days, long transit times and strictly controlled shipments such as pharma and international air freight. Available in 25 × 35, 50 × 30, 70 × 40, 70 × 55, 70 × 70 and 110 × 70 cm.

2-layer foam insulated bag: white inside and adhesive strip

The 2-layer bags are made of insulating foam with a reflective outer film. The whole inside is white and all six sizes have a self-adhesive strip. Available in 25 × 35, 30 × 45, 35 × 35, 35 × 55, 67 × 52 and 70 × 70 cm. Use the bag with cooling elements in a suitable shipping box.

How do you use an insulated bag?

The bag works best as an insulating inner layer in a cardboard box, always together with gel packs. A few rules of thumb:

• Put the products in the insulated bag and the bag in a suitable cardboard box.
• Place the gel packs on top of the products. Cold air sinks and cools evenly from above.
• Fill the bag as tightly as you can: the less empty space (and the fuller with chilled or deep-frozen products), the better the cooling performance.
• Close the 2-layer foam bag with the self-adhesive strip. Seal versions without a strip carefully with tape. The number of gel packs depends on shipping time, contents and outside temperature. If you are unsure, ask for advice or a sample.

Insulated bag or EPS box (styrofoam)?

For many chilled shipments an insulated bag is a smarter alternative to an EPS box. Performance is comparable in practice, but the bag has practical advantages:

• Takes up far less storage space, supplied flat and compact.
• Lighter and smaller in volume, which lowers shipping costs.
• No bulky, crumbly waste stream as with styrofoam; easy to throw away after use.
• Also available in a version with 95% recycled material for those who want to pack more sustainably.

What are insulated bags and cooling bags used for?

• Online meals and meal prep. Fresh ingredients and ready meals stay at temperature, even if the recipient does not take the parcel straight away.
• Meat and fish. Keeps the cold chain intact from sender to recipient. A cooling bag is widely used by butchers and fishmongers with a webshop.
• Dairy, fruit and vegetables. Dairy, vegetables and fruit travel safely chilled, with an absorbent mat against moisture if needed.
• Pharma and air freight. With the 6-layer version for validated, tightly controlled cold chain shipments.

Complete your cool box

Combine your insulated bag with a standard cardboard box as outer packaging and with ice packs and gel packs for the cooling. Sending small, flat products by post? Then our cooling envelopes are the compact alternative. Not sure about the right size, number of layers or number of gel packs? Ask for a sample or non-binding advice, and our specialists will look into it with you.