Bubble Wrap

Bubble Wrap is the best-known brand associated with air-filled cushioning used to protect fragile products during storage, handling, and shipment. The material consists of flexible plastic film formed into regularly spaced air pockets. When placed around an item or used as void fill, the pockets absorb impact and vibration while adding comparatively little weight. The product is commonly made from polyethylene film, although the modern brand portfolio includes multiple film structures, bubble heights, grades, barrier technologies, recycled-content options, inflatable systems, mailers, and paper-based protective formats. The technology began in 1957, when engineers Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes attempted to create a textured three-dimensional wall covering by trapping air between plastic sheets. The wallpaper concept failed commercially, but the resulting material had useful insulating and cushioning properties. It was initially considered for greenhouse insulation before being repositioned as a packaging material. Fielding and Chavannes founded Sealed Air Corporation in 1960, with Bubble Wrap cushioning as the company’s signature product. One of its early high-profile applications was protecting IBM 1401 computers during shipment, helping demonstrate that the material could replace heavier or less consistent packing methods. Although “bubble wrap” is widely used as a generic description for air-cellular cushioning, BUBBLE WRAP is also a trademarked brand owned by Sealed Air Corporation. The distinction is important commercially: Sealed Air markets branded products with proprietary Barrier Bubble technology and states that only products carrying the BUBBLE WRAP brand name are authorized to use the mark. At the same time, the phrase has become a genericized trademark in everyday speech, much like other brand names that are frequently used to describe an entire product category. The brand’s core proposition is lightweight protection with efficient use of material, storage, and freight capacity. Conventional pre-inflated rolls and sheets are used for wrapping, surface protection, interleaving, blocking, bracing, and void fill. Product variants are available in different bubble heights and grades for small, delicate, heavy, high-value, or static-sensitive items. Bubble cushion bags provide pre-formed protection for smaller products and can include self-sealing closures and air-retention layers. Antistatic versions are designed for electronic components and other products vulnerable to electrostatic discharge. Sealed Air has expanded the portfolio beyond traditional pre-inflated wrap. Its on-demand inflatable cushioning systems are shipped and stored flat, then inflated at the point of use. This approach is intended to reduce warehouse space, inbound freight, and the handling of bulky pre-inflated material. The 2015 iBubble concept connected bubble pockets into strips that could be shipped flat and inflated by retailers or packers. Later systems extended the same space-efficiency principle to automated and semi-automated fulfillment operations. Sustainability has become a major part of the brand’s recent positioning. In 2020, Sealed Air introduced a BUBBLE WRAP product made with at least 90 percent recycled content and promoted store-drop-off recycling in applicable markets. The company has also developed recycled-content air pillows, curbside-recyclable paper bubble mailers, and embossed paper solutions that preserve some of the visual and functional associations of bubble cushioning while responding to demand for fiber-based or recyclable packaging. Bubble Wrap is also a cultural icon. The popping sound has generated amusement, stress-relief uses, online games, toys, fan videos, and an annual Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day celebrated on the last Monday of January. Sealed Air has used this cultural recognition in community activities, user-generated-content campaigns, competitions, and limited promotional activations. The brand therefore occupies two positions at once: a technical packaging solution sold to manufacturers, retailers, logistics companies, electronics businesses, and e-commerce operators, and a familiar consumer symbol associated with anticipation, play, and simple tactile pleasure.

Bubble Wrap originated in Hawthorne, New Jersey, during an unsuccessful attempt to create a three-dimensional plastic wall covering. In 1957, engineers Alfred W. Fielding and Marc Chavannes laminated plastic sheets in a way that trapped air between them, producing a textured material with regularly spaced bubbles. The proposed wallpaper never achieved a viable market, but the inventors recognized that the trapped air created useful insulation and cushioning. The material was subsequently considered for greenhouse applications and eventually redirected toward protective packaging. Fielding and Chavannes founded Sealed Air Corporation in 1960. The new company was built around the commercial potential of the air-filled material, which became its signature product and established a new category of protective packaging. One of the earliest widely reported applications involved IBM 1401 computers. The machines were shipped with Bubble Wrap cushioning at a time when many customers had never encountered the material. This application helped show that air-filled plastic cushioning could protect sensitive equipment while reducing the weight and bulk associated with traditional packing materials. The basic construction of Bubble Wrap uses polyethylene film, with one shaped layer bonded to a flat layer so that air pockets remain sealed. Bubble sizes can vary according to the product being protected and the required shock-absorption level. Small bubbles can provide surface protection and interleaving, while larger bubbles and multiple layers can offer greater cushioning. Specialized films and antistatic formulations broadened the material’s use in electronics, industrial components, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and other applications where impact, vibration, surface abrasion, or electrostatic discharge are concerns. Over time, Sealed Air developed barrier-layer technology to improve air retention. The company’s branded Barrier Bubble construction is designed to retain cushioning performance through repeated impacts and long distribution cycles. Bubble Wrap products have therefore been sold in multiple grades and formats, including original cushioning, strong-grade cushioning for heavy or valuable products, multi-purpose grades, limited grades, rolls, sheets, bags, and pre-formed protective packaging. The brand also evolved in response to changes in logistics and e-commerce. Traditional Bubble Wrap is produced and transported in an already inflated form, which means that a large portion of its shipping volume consists of air. Sealed Air responded with inflatable systems that ship and store flat and are inflated when required at a packing station. In 2015, the company introduced the iBubble Wrap concept, in which connected strips of bubbles could be transported more efficiently and inflated with an air pump. Unlike conventional individual cells, the connected structure was not designed to be popped one bubble at a time. Later on-demand systems extended the brand into automated fulfillment, air pillows, void fill, and high-throughput packaging. Sealed Air’s current Bubble Wrap portfolio includes pre-inflated cushioning, bubble bags, inflatable cushioning, inflatable air pillows, mailers, paper bubble mailers, and embossed paper solutions. The brand is marketed across e-commerce, retail, electronics, manufacturing, logistics, consumer products, and other supply-chain settings. Sustainability has become a prominent part of the brand’s development. In January 2020, Sealed Air introduced a Bubble Wrap packaging version made with at least 90 percent recycled content. The company stated that the product maintained the protection and air-retention properties expected from the brand while using post-industrial recycled material and qualifying for store-drop-off recycling in applicable markets. More recent portfolio descriptions emphasize recycled-content cushioning, recycled-content air pillows, curbside-recyclable paper mailers, and embossed paper products. These offerings reflect an effort to retain Bubble Wrap’s protective role while addressing customer demand for lower-impact materials and packaging systems. Bubble Wrap’s cultural history has developed alongside its industrial history. The material’s distinctive popping sound made it an object of amusement and a recognizable stress-relief tool. Sealed Air has supported this association through Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, online games, fan competitions, social campaigns, and user-generated content. The celebration is held on the last Monday of January and has become one of the brand’s most visible public-facing traditions. As of 2026, Bubble Wrap remains an active Sealed Air brand. Sealed Air completed its acquisition by funds affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice on April 9, 2026, becoming privately held while continuing to operate from Charlotte, North Carolina. The transaction changed the ownership structure of the parent company but did not end the Bubble Wrap brand. Instead, Sealed Air continued to present Bubble Wrap as one of its globally recognized solution brands and as the foundation of its protective-packaging business.

• 2026

  Sealed Air becomes privately held after CD&R acquisition

  [11]Sealed Air Announces Completion of Acquisition by CD&Rsealedair.com

  The completion of the CD&R-backed acquisition made Sealed Air privately held. Bubble Wrap continued as one of the company’s principal brands.

• 2023

  Brand portfolio expands into paper bubble mailers

  [12]Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Sealed Air described Bubble Wrap paper bubble mailers and other paper-based solutions as part of the brand’s response to e-commerce and sustainability requirements.

• 2020

  Recycled-content Bubble Wrap packaging launches

  [7]Sealed Air Reinvents Its Iconic Bubble Wrap Brand Packaging Material Using Recycled Contentsealedair.com

  Sealed Air introduced a version made with at least 90 percent recycled content and promoted store-drop-off recycling in relevant markets.

• 2019

  On-demand inflatable systems are promoted for smaller operations

  [8]Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Sealed Air highlighted desktop and warehouse-scale systems that create Bubble Wrap cushioning on demand, reducing storage and freight requirements.

• 2015

  iBubble Wrap design is introduced

  [1]Bubble wrapen.wikipedia.org

  Sealed Air introduced a connected-pocket design intended to ship flat and be inflated near the point of use, reducing transport volume compared with pre-inflated cushioning.

• 2013

  Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Fame launches

  [9]Sealed Air Announces Finalists for First-Ever Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Famesealedair.com

  Sealed Air created a fan-voted Hall of Fame for creative Bubble Wrap uses and highlighted user-generated videos from around the world.

• 2006

  Bubble Games campaign is held in New York

  [8]Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Sealed Air staged Bubble Games and online activities as part of Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, reinforcing the brand’s cultural and playful identity.

• 1970

  Sealed Air expands internationally through Canada

  [2]Who We Are - Sealed Airsealedair.com

  Sealed Air’s purchase of Smith Packaging in Canada and its subsequent rebranding as Sealed Air of Canada marked the company’s formal international expansion.

• 1960

  Sealed Air Corporation is founded

  [2]Who We Are - Sealed Airsealedair.com

  Fielding and Chavannes founded Sealed Air, with Bubble Wrap cushioning as the company’s signature product and commercial foundation.

• 1960

  Bubble Wrap is used to protect IBM 1401 computers

  [3]BUBBLE WRAP Brand Packaging Solutions from Sealed Airsealedair.com

  The material gained an early large-scale application protecting IBM 1401 computers during shipment, helping establish its role in commercial packaging.

Showing the 10 most recent.

A trusted protective-packaging brand combining lightweight impact protection, air-retention technology, packaging efficiency, and increasingly visible recycled-content and paper-based alternatives. It also benefits from exceptional consumer recognition created by the material’s distinctive popping experience.

• Pre-inflated protective packaging · 1960

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Original Cushioning

  The core Bubble Wrap product consists of flexible film containing regularly spaced air cells. It is sold in rolls, sheets, and other formats for wrapping, cushioning, interleaving, surface protection, blocking, bracing, and void fill. Sealed Air markets the product around lightweight protection and air-retention performance, with multiple bubble heights and grades available for different product sizes and distribution conditions.

• High-performance bubble cushioning

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Barrier Bubble cushioning

  Barrier Bubble cushioning uses a proprietary barrier layer intended to reduce air loss and preserve cushioning performance during repeated impacts and extended shipping cycles. The technology is used across several Bubble Wrap grades and formats and is positioned as a differentiator between branded Bubble Wrap material and generic air-cellular film.

• Pre-formed protective bags

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Bubble Cushion Bags

  Bubble cushion bags are pre-formed sleeves or bags made from inflated Bubble Wrap material. They are designed for smaller products such as glassware, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other fragile items. Available features include self-sealing closures, multiple sizes and grades, air-retention technology, and antistatic formulations for applications involving sensitive electronics.

• Heavy-duty protective packaging

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Strong-Grade Cushioning

  Strong-grade Bubble Wrap cushioning is intended for heavy, fragile, valuable, or difficult-to-protect products. It is designed for longer or unpredictable distribution cycles and for applications requiring greater blocking, bracing, and load-bearing protection than light surface wrapping. Sealed Air describes this grade as suitable for products exposed to higher loading and demanding transit conditions.

• Specialty protective packaging

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Antistatic Cushioning

  Antistatic Bubble Wrap uses a formulation intended to dissipate static charge and reduce the risk of electrostatic damage. It is used for electronic components, chips, circuit boards, and other static-sensitive products where ordinary cushioning may provide impact protection but not adequate electrostatic control.

• On-demand inflatable packaging · 2015

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Inflatable Cushioning

  Inflatable Cushioning is shipped and stored flat, then inflated at the packing station with compatible equipment. It is designed to reduce storage requirements, inbound freight volume, and the operational burden of handling bulky pre-inflated rolls. The range includes formats for cushioning, void fill, surface protection, and heavier or higher-value products.

• Flat-shipped inflatable cushioning · 2015

  iBubble Wrap

  Introduced in 2015, iBubble Wrap used connected strips of air pockets so the material could be transported in a flatter, more space-efficient state and inflated before use. The connected structure distinguished it from conventional individually sealed bubbles and was designed primarily around logistics efficiency rather than recreational popping.

• Void fill and surface protection

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Inflatable Air Pillows

  Inflatable air pillows extend the brand into lightweight void fill and surface protection. They are produced on demand, can be shipped and stored flat, and are offered in versions that include recycled content. Their primary applications include filling empty space in cartons and protecting products from movement and abrasion during parcel shipment.

• Paper-based mailers · 2023

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Paper Bubble Mailers

  Paper bubble mailers combine a paper exterior with cushioning intended to protect small products in direct-to-consumer and retail shipping. Sealed Air presents the format as curbside recyclable in applicable systems, easy to open, water resistant, and suitable for return shipping when configured with a return strip.

• Fiber-based protective wrapping

  BUBBLE WRAP brand Embossed Paper

  Embossed paper uses a raised pattern to provide lightweight product protection in a paper-based format. It is dispensed through a Ready-to-Roll system and is intended for e-commerce, retail, and other operations seeking an alternative to conventional plastic bubble cushioning.

• 2026Big Game Pop Pack

  United States

  For National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, Sealed Air announced a limited football-inspired Pop Pack activation designed to connect Bubble Wrap’s playful identity with the cultural attention surrounding the Big Game.

  Outcome. The activation extended Bubble Wrap’s consumer-facing heritage while maintaining visibility for the brand’s protective-packaging business.

  Source
• 2024Bubble Wrap Brand Appreciation Day and #BubbleWrapBrand

  Global digital audience

  Sealed Air used social content and a behind-the-scenes brand feature to explain the product’s evolution from an abandoned wallpaper concept to a portfolio of protective and sustainability-oriented packaging products.

  Outcome. The campaign connected the brand’s cultural familiarity with current products such as recycled-content cushioning and paper bubble mailers.

  Source
• 2019Keep Popping

  United States · Digital and social media

  Sealed Air’s Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day communications encouraged consumers and fans to celebrate the familiar popping experience under the Keep Popping theme.

  Outcome. The campaign kept the brand visible in consumer culture while linking the playful activity to the product’s identity.

  Source
• 2013Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Fame

  Global digital audience

  Sealed Air invited fans to submit and vote on creative uses of Bubble Wrap. The inaugural Hall of Fame campaign highlighted videos including a Bubble Wrap bicycle, a dance performance, and cats interacting with Bubble Wrap.

  Outcome. The campaign generated fan participation and formalized the brand’s user-generated-content community around playful alternative uses.

  Source
• 2006Bubble Games

  United States

  Sealed Air organized Bubble Games in New York alongside web-based quizzes and games for Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. The campaign used races and competitions to turn the material’s tactile properties into a public event.

  Outcome. The event reinforced Bubble Wrap as both a technical packaging product and a popular cultural object.

  Source

• 2026

  Sealed Air is acquired by funds affiliated with CD&RM&A

  Background

  Sealed Air entered a transaction intended to move the company from public ownership to private ownership and provide a longer-term investment structure.

  Action taken

  The acquisition was completed on April 9, 2026. Sealed Air continued operating under its existing name and retained its Charlotte headquarters.

  Aftermath

  Sealed Air became privately held and Bubble Wrap remained part of the company’s globally recognized packaging-brand portfolio.

  Transaction enterprise value. Publicly traded Sealed Air Corporation → Acquisition at an announced enterprise value of $10.3 billion; stockholders entitled to $42.15 per share in cash (Agreement announced November 17, 2025; completed April 9, 2026)

  Source

• 2023

  Add paper bubble mailers and expanded paper-based formatsProduct launch

  Background

  E-commerce brands and retailers increasingly sought packaging formats that combined cushioning with recyclable or fiber-based outer materials.

  Action taken

  Sealed Air expanded the Bubble Wrap portfolio to include paper bubble mailers and embossed paper protective wrapping.

  Aftermath

  The brand’s commercial scope broadened beyond polyethylene bubble film into hybrid and paper-based protective packaging while retaining Bubble Wrap’s cushioning association.

  Source

• 2020

  Launch Bubble Wrap packaging made with recycled contentProduct launch

  Background

  Customers and regulators were placing greater emphasis on recycled content, circularity, and reduced plastic waste in packaging.

  Action taken

  Sealed Air launched a Bubble Wrap packaging version made with at least 90 percent recycled content and promoted store-drop-off recycling where available.

  Aftermath

  Sustainability became a more explicit part of the brand’s value proposition. Sealed Air subsequently described additional recycled-content air pillows and paper-based Bubble Wrap formats.

  Recycled content. Original Bubble Wrap formulations → At least 90 percent recycled content in the launched version (January 2020 launch)

  Source

• 2019

  Expand into desktop and on-demand inflatable systemsProduct launch

  Background

  Small businesses and e-commerce operators often lack warehouse space for bulky pre-inflated cushioning and may need flexible packaging output at the point of use.

  Action taken

  Sealed Air promoted a desktop inflator and broader on-demand Bubble Wrap systems that allowed operators to generate cushioning when needed.

  Aftermath

  The brand became more closely associated with packaging equipment, labor efficiency, and reduced storage and freight requirements in addition to pre-inflated film.

  Source

• 2015

  Introduce iBubble Wrap as a flat-shipped inflatable formatGeneration change

  Background

  Pre-inflated bubble cushioning provides protection but occupies substantial storage and transport volume because it contains air before reaching the user.

  Action taken

  Sealed Air introduced iBubble Wrap with connected bubble strips that could be shipped flat and inflated close to the point of use.

  Aftermath

  The design broadened Bubble Wrap from a conventional roll product into a space-efficient, on-demand packaging system. Its connected pockets also meant that the bubbles could not be popped individually in the usual way.

  Source

• 1960

  Commercialize the failed wallpaper material as protective packagingStrategy

  Background

  The textured wall-covering concept developed by Fielding and Chavannes failed to gain traction as interior décor, but the material demonstrated useful insulation and cushioning characteristics.

  Action taken

  The inventors redirected the product toward greenhouse insulation and then protective packaging, establishing Sealed Air around the latter application.

  Aftermath

  The decision created a new category of air-cellular protective packaging and made Bubble Wrap the foundation of Sealed Air’s early business.

  Source

• 2026

  Sealed Air completes acquisition by funds affiliated with CD&R[11]Sealed Air Announces Completion of Acquisition by CD&Rsealedair.com

  M&A

  Sealed Air announced completion of its acquisition by funds affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The transaction made Sealed Air privately held, while the company retained its Charlotte headquarters and continued operating under the Sealed Air name. Bubble Wrap remained one of Sealed Air’s principal solution brands.

• 2026

  Sealed Air marks Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day with Big Game Pop Pack activation[10]Sealed Air Celebrates Innovation and Its Iconic Brand on National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Campaign · Other

  Sealed Air used National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day to celebrate the brand’s history and announced a limited football-themed Pop Pack activation connected with the upcoming Big Game.

• 2025

  Bubble Wrap brand expands its portfolio of packaging formats[3]BUBBLE WRAP Brand Packaging Solutions from Sealed Airsealedair.com

  Product generation

  Sealed Air’s current brand portfolio describes Bubble Wrap offerings spanning pre-inflated cushioning, inflatable bubble systems, air pillows, mailers, paper mailers, and embossed paper solutions.

• 2020

  Sealed Air introduces recycled-content Bubble Wrap packaging[7]Sealed Air Reinvents Its Iconic Bubble Wrap Brand Packaging Material Using Recycled Contentsealedair.com

  Product launch

  Sealed Air launched a Bubble Wrap packaging material made with at least 90 percent recycled content. The company said the version maintained comparable protection and air retention while supporting store-drop-off recycling in applicable regions.

• 2019

  Sealed Air promotes on-demand Bubble Wrap systems for small businesses[8]Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Product launch · Campaign

  Sealed Air highlighted new generations of inflatable Bubble Wrap systems, including a desktop-oriented inflator intended to help smaller operations create cushioning on demand while reducing the need to store bulky pre-inflated rolls.

• 2019

  Sealed Air celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day with Keep Popping campaign[8]Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Campaign

  The company promoted Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day and encouraged fans to participate in the brand’s playful cultural tradition under the Keep Popping theme.

• 2013

  Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Fame recognizes fan creations[9]Sealed Air Announces Finalists for First-Ever Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Famesealedair.com

  Campaign

  Sealed Air invited fans to vote on user-generated Bubble Wrap videos for the first Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Fame. Finalists included a Bubble Wrap bicycle, a dance performance, and videos featuring cats interacting with the material.

• 2006

  Sealed Air hosts Bubble Games in New York[8]Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com

  Campaign

  Sealed Air marked Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day with Bubble Games, web-based activities, and competitions designed to connect the packaging brand with its playful consumer following.

1. 1Bubble wrapen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Who We Are - Sealed Airsealedair.com
3. 3BUBBLE WRAP Brand Packaging Solutions from Sealed Airsealedair.com
4. 4BUBBLE WRAP Brand Protective Packaging Materialssealedair.com
5. 5BUBBLE WRAP Brand Bubble Cushion Bagssealedair.com
6. 6On-Demand Inflatable Cushioningsealedair.com
7. 7Sealed Air Reinvents Its Iconic Bubble Wrap Brand Packaging Material Using Recycled Contentsealedair.com
8. 8Sealed Air Celebrates Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com
9. 9Sealed Air Announces Finalists for First-Ever Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day Hall of Famesealedair.com
10. 10Sealed Air Celebrates Innovation and Its Iconic Brand on National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com
11. 11Sealed Air Announces Completion of Acquisition by CD&Rsealedair.com
12. 12Bubble Wrap Appreciation Daysealedair.com