Air can’t leak through a film of plastic, right? Wrong.

Depending on the thickness and quality of the plastic film, air molecules can slowly escape through microscopic gaps in the plastic film. Think of the classic party balloon, which starts to look a little saggy after a day or two.

Just like balloons, some plastic films are not perfectly air-tight. Air molecules can slowly diffuse through the surface, or leak through the valve. Because the pressure is higher on the inside, the air naturally wants to escape to the area of lower pressure, outside the balloon or bag.

Interesting science fact alert… You’ve probably noticed this happens even faster with helium balloons. As helium is a very small molecule, it has an easier time escaping through those tiny gaps, and thus helium balloons generally deflate more quickly than air filled balloons. Who knew?

So why does any of this matter to packaging?

Well, when it comes to inflatable protective packaging, quite a bit! Unless the inflatable packaging you are using is made from heavy grade plastic film, and extruded as one layer rather than made from layers of thinner film laminated together, the chances are air will slowly leak through tiny holes in the film and the inflated air chambers will gradually start to deflate, reducing the protective qualities of the packaging over time and exposing your valuable contents to damage. Which sort of goes against the point of why you used inflatable packaging in the first place.

So when you need the best protection for valuable items, potentially over a period of days, weeks or even months if the package is being shipped long distance or stored for any length of time, make sure you use inflatable packaging made from heavy duty, extruded single layer film. Not all inflatable packaging is the same so be sure to check.

As the leaders in inflatable protective packaging, there’s no prizes for guessing what AirPack inflatable bags are made from!