Honeycomb paper vs bubble wrap: which protects online orders better?

Paper bubble wrap or plastic bubble wrap? Paper wrap, such as honeycomb paper or kraft paper bubble wrap, is the better choice when you want plastic-free packing for light and medium items such as books, cosmetics, gifts and small glassware. Plastic bubble wrap still wins for heavy or very fragile items, long rough journeys and damp conditions, because paper loses cushioning when it gets wet.

A ceramic mug and a cast iron kadhai should not be packed the same way. Yet most comparisons of honeycomb paper and bubble wrap try to crown one winner for everything.

So here is my short answer. For light fragile items like glass jars, candles, ceramics and cosmetics, honeycomb paper protects well when you use enough layers and fill the box properly. For heavy items, and for parcels that may sit in the rain, plastic bubble wrap or air cushions still do the job better.

We make honeycomb paper at our group's plant in Jaipur, and we have been in packaging production since 1997. So I have a bias, and I will tell you where it stops.

The rest of this guide explains why, and how to decide for your own product.

What is honeycomb paper, and how does it protect?

Honeycomb paper is kraft paper cut with rows of small slits. When you pull it, the slits open into a pattern of six-sided cells. If you have hung a paper honeycomb ball at a Diwali party, you have already seen the idea.

Those cells do two jobs. They crush under a knock and soak up the shock before it reaches your product. They also catch on each other, so the wrap holds itself in place. Our honeycomb paper roll listing says it plainly: stretch, wrap, tear by hand and interlock the sides. No tape, no scissors.

Bubble wrap works differently. It is plastic film (usually polyethylene) with sealed air bubbles. Air cushions are the bigger version, i.e. larger air-filled film pillows that wrap a product or fill the empty space around it.

Where does honeycomb paper win?

It grips itself. Bubble wrap slides and needs tape on every parcel. Honeycomb paper locks onto its own layers, which saves you tape.
Your customer can get rid of it easily. It is paper, so it goes with old newspaper to the kabadiwala. Bubble wrap needs a plastic recycling route that many homes do not have.
It stores small. Bubble wrap is mostly air from the day it is made, and it eats shelf space in a small packing room. Honeycomb paper stays flat on the roll until you pull it.
It looks right for gifting and handmade brands. A kraft wrap with a bit of crinkle paper on top feels considered. A bubble-wrapped candle rarely does.

Where do bubble wrap and air cushions still win?

I will be honest here. PackSmith is built around paper cushioning, so you could expect me to praise paper for everything.

I will not, because a broken order costs you far more than the wrap.

Heavy items

Paper cells crush under a hard hit and stay crushed. That is how they absorb the shock, but it also means a second drop gets less protection. For a mixer grinder, a cast iron pan or a heavy glass bottle set, I would use bubble wrap or air cushions, or at least air cushions around a paper wrap.

Wet routes

Paper takes up water and loses its strength. A parcel that sits on a wet hub floor in the monsoon, or travels to a coastal city in July, is safer with plastic inside. If you want to stay with paper in those months, put the carton inside a waterproof courier bag.

Very high volumes

At a few hundred orders a day, an air cushion machine that makes pillows on demand is hard to beat for speed. Our group company, Jagannath Polymers (JPPL), makes air cushion film and machines. If you are at that stage, write to us and we will tell you honestly whether it pays back for you.

What does paper cushioning cost per order?

We sell honeycomb paper as rolls and as pre-cut sheets, and we also sell a kraft paper version of bubble wrap. These are PackSmith store prices at the time of writing (October 2026). Delivery is free across India on every order.

Product	Size	Pack	Store price (incl. 18% GST)
Honeycomb paper roll (7 colours)	390 mm x 10 m	1 roll	Rs 339
Honeycomb paper roll (6 colours)	390 mm x 100 m	1 roll	Rs 1,099 to Rs 1,199
Honeycomb cushioning paper, brown	390 mm x 250 m	1 roll	Rs 1,649
Honeycomb paper sheets	390 x 500 mm	20 sheets	Rs 349
Honeycomb paper sheets	390 x 500 mm	50 sheets	Rs 409
Kraft paper bubble wrap sheets	300 x 400 mm	20 sheets	Rs 239
Kraft paper bubble wrap sheets	300 x 400 mm	200 sheets	Rs 989

A quick piece of maths, and treat it as approximate. If one wrap uses about 50 cm of roll, the 100 m roll gives you around 200 wraps. That is about Rs 5.50 per order with the brown roll. The 200-sheet pack of kraft paper bubble wrap works out to about Rs 4.95 a sheet.

I have not put a plastic bubble wrap price in this table because it is not on our store, and I will not guess at someone else's price. Compare it against your current supplier's bill per metre. We would rather you choose with real numbers than with our opinion.

If you are still choosing between a roll, sheets or a dispenser, I have worked through that in which honeycomb paper to buy.

So which one should you use for your product?

Here is how I would decide. Treat it as a starting point, then test on your own orders.

What you ship	My pick	Why
Ceramic mugs, glass jars, candles	Honeycomb paper, 2 to 3 layers	Light enough for paper, and the wrap needs no tape
Cosmetics and perfume bottles	Honeycomb paper plus void fill	Small and light, but they must not move in the box
Books, frames, flat items	Kraft paper bubble wrap sheets	Flat sheets suit flat products
Cast iron, small appliances	Bubble wrap or air cushions	Paper cells flatten under heavy weight
Orders to rain-prone routes in monsoon	Bubble wrap, or paper inside a courier bag	Paper loses strength when wet
Gift hampers	Honeycomb paper plus crinkle paper	Protection and presentation in one box

Two tests will tell you more than any article.

First, the shake test. Close the box and shake it hard. If you hear or feel anything move, add fill. Second, a simple drop test. Drop the packed box from about waist height onto a hard floor, once on a face, once on an edge and once on a corner. Then open it.

For a full step-by-step method, see how to pack fragile orders without plastic.

Questions buyers ask us

Is paper bubble wrap better than plastic bubble wrap?

For light and medium items, yes, if you want a plastic-free parcel. For heavy or very fragile items, or wet conditions, plastic bubble wrap still protects better.

Is honeycomb paper waterproof?

No. It is kraft paper, and water weakens it. Keep your stock dry, and use a courier bag outside the carton in the rainy months.

How many layers do I need?

I would start with two layers for a mug and three for anything with a thin neck or stem. Then run the drop test above. If something breaks, add a layer before you change the material.

Does honeycomb paper scratch glossy products?

On a high-gloss or freshly painted surface, I would not let any paper rub directly. Put a sheet of tissue or a soft bag on the product first.

Still not sure which suits your product? Pick the honeycomb roll and the kraft bubble sheet on our sample listing, pack your hardest product in each, and drop them both. Your own floor will give you the answer.