Choosing stretch film comes down to five decisions: thickness, core type, colour, roll size, and how you compare suppliers. Get those right for your loads and you buy film that secures pallets reliably without overspending. This guide takes each in turn so you can work through them quickly, or you can browse our full stretch film range directly.
Start with your loads, not with a product. The film should match what you are wrapping and how, so that is where every decision below begins.
1. Thickness: How Heavy and Awkward Are Your Loads?
Thickness (measured in microns) is the first and biggest decision. It determines how much strength and holding the film has.
17 Micron suits lighter, stable, uniform loads: neat boxed goods that stack squarely with no sharp edges. It uses less material and costs less per roll.
23 Micron suits heavier, sharper or more awkward loads, and anything shipped a long way or handled roughly. It has about a third more material, so it resists punctures and holds tension better. It is our heaviest hand roll.
If your loads vary, or you are not sure, 23 Micron covers a wider range with more margin, and the extra cost per pallet is small. Light, uniform loads are where 17 Micron makes sense.
2. Core: Do You Wrap With a Dispenser or by Hand?
The core is the tube the film is wound on, and it decides how you apply the film.
Standard core is made to run on a dispenser. If you have a dispenser, this is what you order. A dispenser gives faster, more consistent wrapping at higher volumes.
Extended core has the tube extended past the film to give built-in handles, so you wrap by hand with no dispenser. This suits lower volumes, multiple wrapping locations, and operations that want to keep things simple.
The film itself is identical on both cores. Choose the core to match how you wrap, not the load.
3. Colour: Do You Need to See the Load or Conceal It?
Clear film lets you see products and read labels through the wrap, which helps with picking and scanning. It is the flexible default for most stock. We offer clear in 17 Micron and 23 Micron.
Black film helps conceal the contents, which suits higher-value or sensitive goods, or where you want a tidy, uniform look. It conceals rather than secures, so do not treat it as a security measure. We offer black in 23 Micron.
Colour does not change how the film holds a load, so choose purely on whether seeing the contents helps you.
4. Roll Size: Width, Length and Weight
Most pallet wrap is around 400mm to 500mm wide, which suits standard pallets. Our rolls are 400mm wide and 250m long.
Two figures matter more than buyers expect: length and weight. Length tells you how many pallets a roll covers. Weight tells you how much film is actually on the roll, which stops you being caught out by a short-wound roll quoted at an attractive price. Our rolls are 250m and weigh about 1.87kg at 17 Micron and 2.43kg at 23 Micron, published so you can check exactly what you are getting.
5. Comparing Suppliers: Look Past the Roll Price
The headline price per roll is the easiest number to compare and the most misleading. A cheap roll with less film on it, or a shorter length, is not cheap per pallet.
To compare fairly, look at:
- Micron for thickness and strength
- Length for how many pallets a roll covers
- Weight for how much material is actually there
- Cost per pallet, worked out from the above, not cost per roll
A supplier that publishes length and weight is giving you the figures to make that comparison. One that only quotes a roll price and a micron figure is leaving out the numbers you need. When two films are quoted at the same micron, the one with more length and weight gives you more film for your money.
Beyond the Film: Supply and Service
The film is half the decision; getting it when you need it is the other half. Running out of film stops pallets shipping, so stock availability and dispatch speed matter. Consider whether the supplier holds UK stock, how quickly they dispatch, what delivery costs, and whether you get trade or pallet pricing at volume. We hold stock in the UK (Derby), dispatch same day on orders placed before 2pm Monday to Friday, deliver free to mainland GB, and offer trade and pallet pricing. Being able to ask a real person which film suits a load helps too, especially when you are choosing between thicknesses.
Quick Decision Summary
Work through it in order:
- Thickness: light and stable, 17 Micron. Heavy, sharp or awkward, or unsure, 23 Micron.
- Core: dispenser, standard core. By hand, extended core.
- Colour: see the load, clear. Conceal it, black (23 Micron).
- Roll size: check length and weight, not just price.
- Supplier: compare cost per pallet, and factor in stock and dispatch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important factor when choosing stretch film?
Thickness, matched to your loads. It determines whether the film can secure the load. Get thickness right first, then core, colour and roll size follow easily.
How do I know if I need 17 Micron or 23 Micron?
Light, stable, uniform loads suit 17 Micron. Heavier, sharper or awkward loads, and anything shipped far or handled roughly, suit 23 Micron. If unsure, 23 Micron gives more margin for a small cost.
Does the core affect the film’s performance?
No. The core only changes how you apply the film, by hand (extended core) or on a dispenser (standard core). Thickness, clarity and stretch are the same on both.
How do I compare stretch film prices fairly?
Compare cost per pallet, not cost per roll. Look at micron, length and weight together, because a cheap roll with less film or a shorter length is not cheaper per pallet.
What roll size do I need?
Around 400mm wide suits standard pallets. Beyond width, check length and weight so you know how many pallets a roll covers and how much film is really on it.
Conclusion
For the full breakdown of terminology, thickness, core type and colour in one place, see The Complete Guide to Stretch Wrap Film.
Choosing stretch film is five decisions worked in order: thickness for your loads, core for how you wrap, colour for whether you need to see the contents, roll size checked on length and weight, and suppliers compared on cost per pallet rather than roll price. Start from your loads, match the film to them, and factor in stock and dispatch so you never run short. Do that and you buy film that does the job without paying for capacity you do not use.