Complete Guide to Poly Bags for Amazon FBA Sellers

An Amazon FBA seller that's been around the block a few times knows how important it is to have quality tools for their business.

And I'm not talking about Amazon software tools like I normally do.

Today we are getting physical and looking at actual supplies you need for peace of mind when shipping your products out.

More specifically, we're talking about poly bags!

By the end of this guide you're going to know more about Amazon's poly bag packaging requirements, what to look for in a quality poly bag, and how you can use them to improve your Amazon FBA business efficiency.

What is a Poly Bag?

If you're brand new to the Amazon game then you might be asking what a poly bag actually is! A poly bag is a type of packaging made from polyethylene plastic, hence the name "poly" bag.

Poly bags are used for shipping a wide range of products, from clothing and accessories to small electronics and other items. They're lightweight, waterproof, and can be easily sealed with their self seal strip (which the good ones have nowadays).

Some FBA sellers still use the manual heat seal bags which requires the use of a separate heat seal machine, but since the creation of the self-seal bags I'd be surprised if most people haven't switched over. Unless you've scaled to the point that you require a bagging machine.

Why Do You Need Poly Bags for Amazon FBA Packaging?

There's a few main reasons why it's a good practice to use quality poly bags for your products, such as the following:

1. Protect Products from Warehouse Wear & Dust

Once you send your FBA shipment into the Amazon warehouse, it gets handled a lot and might be subject to rough handling or dirt and dust. The last thing we want is for a customer to receive a product that's not in the best possible condition.

A good quality polybag will help avoid this kind of situation.

2. Keep Multi-Package Products Together

If you're selling multi-packs then Amazon requires you to bundle them together properly. If a single product involves multiple pieces, like a set of books or a shampoo and conditioner set for example, then they must be packaged together before they are shipped to the FBA warehouse.

The best way to bundle products together properly is to use high quality poly bags. You'll also need to mark any bundled packaging with a label stating "sold as a set" or similar. (To avoid buying separate labels for this, check out the poly bag product I recommend later in this article.)

3. Keep Scented Products Concealed

Amazon requires sellers to use packaging for scented products like candles, incense, and dog treats. Anything with a strong scent poses a risk of rubbing off onto other products, so a poly bag or similar must be used.

Poly Bag Requirements for Amazon Sellers

Amazon is pretty clear on their requirements when it comes to poly bagging your products. Some of the requirements are to assist in streamlining processes, and some are for health and safety.

There's a full packaging and prep requirements document inside seller central, but let's cover the basics here.

Suffocation Warning

Amazon requires poly bags with a 5-inch opening or larger to have a suffocation warning printed on the bag or attached as a separate label.

Depending on the size of the bag, there are also minimum font size requirements for the suffocation warning.

Barcode

When you poly bag your products you need to ensure that there is a clear, scannable barcode (UPC, EAN, etc.) either on the product itself or on the bag.

Be careful of random barcodes on the actual product itself that might accidentally get scanned through your poly bag, however. I actually have a solution for this in the next part of this article that will help you greatly.

Sold as a Set

Loose products that are sold as a set or as one single unit need to be packaged together, as we previously covered in this article. You will also need to label the package with something like the following:

• "Sold as a set"
• "Ready to ship"
• "This is a set. Do not separate."

This message can either be printed on the poly bag itself (most ideal solution) or attached as a separate label.

Must be Completely Sealed

Seems obvious, but any poly bagged products need to be completely sealed. This is best achieved with quality self sealing bags, but can also be done if you're old school and use manual heat sealed bags.

At Least 1.5mil Thick

To prevent tearing or breaking, poly bags must be at least 1.5mil thick. (Just FYI, 1.5mil is one thousandth of an inch)

What Makes a Great Poly Bag?

There's a lot more that goes into a great poly bag than you might think! The problem is, most first-time poly bag buyers head straight for the cheapest price, highest quantity bags they can find on eBay or Amazon.

Trust me when I say, you'll regret going for cheap and nasty. Investing in good quality Amazon poly bags is well worth it.

Here's the poly bag features you need to look for, without compromise:

Bag Size Printed on the Bags

You might ask why this is important, but if you are striving for efficiency in your FBA then this is a time-saver. Knowing exactly what bag you've grabbed with out having to ask yourself "what size is this?", or without having to quickly measure a bag to confirm, is going to save you a crazy amount of time.

Non-Static Tear Away Adhesive Strips

If you're constantly trying to remove those annoying strips sticking to you constantly you'll always dread your prepping times. Static-free strips make prepping so much easier and hassle-free.

"Ready to Ship" Printed on Bags

This is a time AND money saver. If your bags come pre-printed with this message then you don't have to worry about purchasing and applying separate labels to every poly bag.

Suffocation Warning Printed on Bags

An Amazon requirement, and another huge time and money saver. The less separate labels you need to purchase and stick to your packaging, the better.

2mil Thick

Amazon's poly bag policy states that bags need to be at least 1.5mil thick, but I've found that having them slightly thicker at 2mil is much better. Breaking and damaging bags is an absolute pain so it's best to avoid this at all costs.

UPC Blocking Bags

Now this is a real 'next-level' feature. Usually you need to ensure that existing irrelevant barcodes on your products are concealed in some way so Amazon doesn't accidentally scan them though the packaging. Not any more. If you use UPC blocking bags you will comply with Amazon FBA packaging requirements and you wont run the risk of the wrong barcode getting scanned.

Strong Seal Adhesive

Amazon fulfillment centers require that your poly bags are completely sealed. If you buy cheap inferior bags, there's no guarantees that the seals will be up to standard. Make sure your poly bags have a strong, high-quality adhesive strip that won't come unstuck.

The Best Poly Bags for Amazon Sellers

Now that you know what to look for in a quality poly bag, let's look at where to buy them.

You can of course scour the web and buy from places like Amazon and eBay, but it's hit or miss. And unfortunately when a poly bag fails you, it will probably only happen when Amazon or a customer receives your product.

This means it's almost too late and you run the risk of poor feedback.

One supplier I trust wholeheartedly, and know personally, is ilovesupplies.com.

That's not even an affiliate link 😆.

So as you can see, they really do tick all the boxes. Check them out here if you are in need of quality poly bags!

Self-Sealing Poly Bags vs Ziploc Bags

Amazon FBA sellers are often faced with this decision when buying packing supplies, so let's briefly cover the differences between self-sealing poly bags and ziploc bags.

Self-Sealing Poly Bags

Self-sealing poly bags, often just referred to as poly bags, can be easily sealed by removing a strip to reveal an adhesive strip along the opening of the bag. The self sealing feature, in addition to the fact that they are quite affordable, makes poly bags a popular choice for Amazon sellers.

For Amazon FBA sellers, self-sealing poly bags have several advantages. They come in a wide range of sizes and suppliers like ilovesupplies.com have customized their options to suit FBA packaging requirements.

Ziploc Bags

Ziploc bags are made from a similar plastic material as polybags but instead of a self sealing adhesive, they have a built-in zipper mechanism for resealing the bag. 

Ziploc bags are more commonly associated with food prep or storage, but they do also have some uses in the ecommerce space.

Because Ziploc bags provide a secure seal and are resealable, they could be beneficial if your products need to be examined and re-packaged without damaging the packaging.

Ziploc is actually a brand name, but the zipper bags themselves are made by many different manufacturers. (The above image is a generic brand I found on Amazon)

The general consensus amongst Amazon FBA sellers is that the Ziploc seal is not as secure as the adhesive seal on a poly bag, particularly for heavier items. This could lead to products accidentally falling out during transit which ends up being a bit of a nightmare.

Where Can You Buy Amazon Packaging Supplies?

The best place to buy your poly bags is definitely ilovesupplies.com, but when it comes to the following products, you will probably get the best prices by looking around online and checking out the Amazon marketplace.

Here's a quick list of the packaging supplies you may need as an Amazon seller:

• Poly Bags
• Label Printer
• Laser Printer
• Scissors
• Shipping Boxes
• Tape
• Scales
• Box Resizer
• USB Barcode Scanner

Of course you don't need every single item on this list, and there's even a few additional items that you might want which don't appear on the list. Your business is unique to you so you may have a specific way of doing things.

The Final Word on Amazon FBA Poly Bags

You may never have thought that an entire article could be written about poly bags, but here we are!

They really are an important addition to any Amazon seller's kit. But quality matters, as you've just learned.

When it comes to Amazon supplies I cannot stress enough how important it is to buy quality products that will stand the test of time, and poly bags are no exception.

If you want to check out a reputable supplier, whom I know personally, then I highly recommend you head over to ilovesupplies.com and check out their range

Tell them Chris from Clear The Shelf sent you! 😀