What Size Kraft Bag Do I Need? A Guide by What You're Packing

Bag sizing usually gets explained backwards: here are the sizes, work out which one you need. This guide runs the other way. Start with what you are packing.

Two rules before the list

The gusset does the work. Dimensions are written width x gusset x height. The gusset is the depth when the bag is open. People size on width and height and are then surprised when a boxed item will not go in. If your product has any depth to it, the gusset is the number that decides.

Size up for presentation, not just fit. A bag stuffed to its limit looks cheap and tears at the handles. A bag with an inch of headroom looks deliberate and lets tissue sit above the product. If you are between sizes and the item is a gift, go up.

By what you sell

Jewelry, cosmetics samples, party favours

4.7 x 3 x 7.5 - small enough that a single item does not look lost. Anything larger and a pair of earrings sits at the bottom of a cave. Mini Gem.

Cosmetics, small accessories, bakery singles

5 x 3 x 8 - the standard small retail bag. Candles, jars, a pastry box, a small boxed gift. Gem.

A single garment, a boutique sale

8 x 4 x 10 - a folded t-shirt, a scarf, a pair of shoes out of the box. The most-used size in small retail and the one to start with if you only stock one. Cub.

General retail, homeware, two or three items

10 x 5 x 13 - the everyday mid-size. Tall enough for a bottle or a boxed candle standing upright, deep enough for several items. Debbie.

Folded apparel, multiple purchases

16 x 6 x 13 - the width is the point. Folded clothing lies flat rather than being folded again to fit, which is what stops garments arriving creased. Vogue.

Wide-format retail, small hampers

18 x 6.8 x 13 - a Vogue with two more inches of width. Worth it when a Vogue is nearly right but you are turning items sideways to fit. Super Vogue.

Coats, bedding, bulk, gift hampers

18 x 7 x 18 - the largest in the range. Also the one to use for anything you want to look substantial. Jumbo.

Wine and spirits

5.5 x 3.25 x 13 - cut for a standard 750ml bottle with room for tissue above the neck. A bottle in a general-purpose bag either does not clear the top or rattles. Wine bag.

Produce, farm stands, market stalls

7 x 3.75 x 5 vented - the perforations matter more than the size. Fruit and vegetables respire after picking; sealed in unvented paper they sweat and soften. Vented produce bag.

Food service

Takeout is a different problem - flat bases, container stacking, bags that close. Covered separately in Takeout Bag Sizes for Restaurants.

How many sizes should you stock?

Most small retailers land on two: an everyday bag and a large one. Three if you sell gifts, because the small size gets used constantly and costs almost nothing per bag.

Stocking too many sizes is a real cost. Each one is a case sitting on a shelf, and cases of paper bags are bulkier and heavier than people expect - between 11 and 43 pounds each. Two sizes used constantly beats five used occasionally.

Brown or white?

Colour only. Same paper, same handles, same block bottom, same dimensions. Natural brown reads as craft, sustainable and unfussy. White reads cleaner and more premium, and shows a stamp or a printed sticker far better. If you brand your bags with a stamp or label, white gives you more contrast to work with.

Still not sure?

Tell us what you are packing and we will tell you which size fits, or point you to the closest equivalent of a bag you already buy. Email chris@boaztradinggroup.com.

If you are moving from another supplier and only know the name of your old bag, start with Kraft Bag Size Names Decoded, which maps the trade names onto real dimensions.