What is an Air Pillow?
Air pillows are plastic pockets used during packing to cushion delicate items against harm from impacts during shipping. These are additionally used to stop product movement inside containers or packages during sudden breaks in transportation.
Air pillows are made from plastic bags filled with air and tightly sealed.
Significance of Air Pillows in E-commerce Logistics
Air pillows protect delicate products from damage and increase customer satisfaction as they receive products in good condition.
- Air pillows are lighter, so they have a lower shipping cost. Compared to other cushioning items, the raw materials used to make air pillows are also quite cheap.
- Air pillows don’t need to be stored in advance. They can be used as needed when packing, saving storage space.
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE), often used to make air pillows, is recyclable and can be reused.
Prerequisites of Air Pillow and How It Works
Depending on the size of the product to be shipped, air pillows are formed in tubes, packs, or bubble-like shapes using an internal blower and HDPE bags. Air cushions are placed around the product in the empty spaces of the packaging box to shield it from wall impacts. Here are some requirements for air pillows –
- Air and plastic bags: These are the raw materials required to construct air pillows.
- Packaging box: A packaging box larger than the shipping product is required to place airbags in the empty space.
Use Case with Air Pillow
Take the case of a glass jar that vendor X must ship on a road that is in poor condition. The vendor will select a cardboard box slightly larger than the item, load the bottom with air pillows, position the product on it, and then fill the remaining space with the air pillows. The glass jar is now protected from all impacts during transport and will safely reach the customer.