Vacuum sealer bags are a great option to store food and make it last longer. They eliminate air around the food, which prevents food from spoiling. They are made with poly woven materials, foil, or evoh addatives for lowered oxygen transmission rates. The airtight seal holds as long as the item is stored. Be sure not to confuse a standard polybag with a vacuum sealer bag. Polybags have high oxygen transmission rates and will not work with vacuum sealing applications.
The best commercial vacuum sealer bags should be puncture-resistant and durable. You need to choose the best size for your needs, and they also need to be compatible with your vacuum sealer. Consider how much product you need to store, how long you need to store it, and where it will be stored.
What Are Vacuum Sealer Bags?
Vacuum sealer bags are also called barrier bags, and they have three enclosed sides. They are designed to be sealed completely free of any air. They are used in commercial packaging facilities to protect products that businesses don’t want atmosphere exposure. Complete enclosures with optimal interior environments are perfect for many consumable products.
They come in different thicknesses, and the most common is a three mil thickness, which is three-thousandths of an inch. This size allows a dependable seal on most products, but there are bags with a five mil thickness for items with sharp edges. Bones are a perfect example of ways to puncture a standard three mil vacuum bag quickly.
It is crucial to choose vacuum bags that are compatible with the vacuum sealer you are using. Some sealers require channeled or textured vacuum bags because they have lower vacuum pressure. Standard vacuum bags are smooth and come in different sizes and thicknesses. If the sealer has an internal air compressor, it will more than likely need a channeled vacuum bag to operate.
In addition to the texture and feel of the bag, there are several different features available. One is vacuum zipper bags, which have a reclosable zipper at one end and an opening at the other where you create the seal. Another customer friendly feature is notched vacuum bag, allow customers to quickly tear open packages with ease. All bags and features have been included in the reviews below.
Best Commercial Vacuum Sealer Bags of 2022
Three Mil Vacuum Bags
Three mil vacuum bags come in various sizes to accommodate different products. You can choose bags as small as 5” x 7” or as large as 22” x 34.” There are many different sizes in between; remember, the bag needs to be larger than the product being packaged.
Three mil vacuum bags are considered a traditional strength, and they can handle most packaging applications. They are poly-nylon woven, which is features increased strength and durability, and they help increase shelf life while protecting products. They are also approved for both food and non-food applications.
Four Mil Vacuum Bags
This type of vacuum bag is a heavy-duty option that works well with products with sharp edges and corners. They are commonly used by meat packagers, especially for meat with bones. They are also FDA-approved and made of poly-nylon materials, and you can use them for edible and nonedible products. They come in various sizes, from 6” x 8” to 18” x 28.” A four mil thickness is thicker than the standard three mil vacuum bags.
Five Mil Vacuum Bags
The five mil vacuum bags are the toughest smooth vacuum bags, and they provide extra protection from punctures when you are packaging sharp, rigid objects. They are thicker than three or four mil vacuum bags, so they are even more resistant to tears, punctures, and broken seal seams. They have a smooth texture so that you can display your products. They work well when you package heavy items, such as hearts, heavy parts, metals, and more rigid products. They range in sizes from 6” x 10” to 12” x 14.”
It is essential to allow enough sealing and cooling time when packaging with five mil vacuum bags. More prolonged heat exposure and cool-down times are needed to properly seal the bag due to the material thickness. Expect seal times of up to five seconds with eight to ten-second cooldowns depending on the sealer.
Channeled Vacuum Bags
Channeled vacuum bags are designed for use with non-chamber sealer machines. They have a unique embossed surface, and it creates channels where they can pull the air directly out of the pouch. They will prevent oxygen from penetrating the bags and avoid freezer burn and dehydration loss while extending shelf life and preserving food flavor. They are available with a smooth three mil side and textured three and a half mil size. Different bag sizes range from 6” x 12” to 16” x 24.”
Channeled vacuum bags would be the number one option for home use vacuum sealers. They are perfect for sealers without large compressors. Even some vacuum sealers advertised as commercial require channel bags for airflow. Check your user manual to ensure they are not required for your machine.
Black Vacuum Bags
Black vacuum seal bags are made with a combination of LLDPE and nylon that can hold a long-term vacuum. They are different in that they block out light, preventing food from degrading. They are frequently used for cheeses, butters, and other dairy products.
They have nylon to prevent punctures and provide extra strength, and they are FDA-approved for direct contact with food. They are often used with a nitrogen flush to preserve flour, herbs, and other products that can degrade. They do a great job of protecting the smell, moisture, and quality of foods. The black background is perfect for easy labeling and product branding. They come in sizes ranging from 8” x 12” to 18” x 28.”
Vacuum Zipper Bags
Vacuum zipper bags are unique in that they have a zipper on one side and an open end where you can insert products before you create an airtight seal. Consumers can easily open the zipper and then close it again. They come in a standard three mil thickness, and they come in sizes ranging from 6” x 10” to 12” x 14.”
Vacuum zipper bags are favorites for dried fruits, nuts, jerky packs and more. Give customers convenience and ease with reclosable vacuum zipper bags.
Notched Vacuum Bags
Notched vacuum bags are vacuum bags with an easy-to-tear notch in the corner. They are easy for consumers to use because they can tear the package open without scissors or a knife. They come in three mil thickness, and they range in sizes from 5” x 7” to 12” x 16.”
Meat Vacuum Bags with Black Background
These bags are a great option to package sliced meats, sliced cheese, and other foods. They have a clear front, and the back is foil-lined black and opaque, which helps protect the products from exposure to light and lower oxygen transmission rates. They come in a four mil thickness, and they have a tear notch for easy opening. They range in sizes from 6” x 10” to 8” x 12.”
Reclosable Foil Barrier Bags
Foil barrier bags provide the best protection and lowest oxygen transmission rates. The K-style bottom seal allows products to be placed on shelves for upright storage. Reclosable foil bags come in a wide range of colors, with white and metalized being two of the most popular.
The foil barrier bags can open and reclose like standard reclosable vacuum bags only with lower oxygen transmission rates. The bags can be stored upright or hung for display. They are available in sizes from 4″ x 6″ to 7.5″ x 11″.
How Do Vacuum Sealers Work?
Once a vacuum sealer seals the packaged product, it is enclosed in packaging that protects it from the external atmosphere. A standard vacuum sealer removes air, and by reducing the oxygen, it extends the shelf life of foods. Some vacuum sealers also have a gas flush option, which inserts a gas such as nitrogen into the product, helping to extend the product’s life.
Vacuum sealers are machines that remove oxygen from a package and then use heat to seal the package closed. They come in different forms with different features, depending on your needs. The most popular vacuum sealer is a nozzle sealer, where you insert the nozzle in the vacuum bag to remove the air. However, there are other types, including thermoforming, skin packaging, and chamber sealers.
Vacuum sealers with a gas purge to introduce a gas mixture to extend shelf life longer than simply reducing the oxygen content. Self-contained vacuum sealers have built-in compressors that remove air and have a gas flush option. Machines with a built-in compressor can be quality made, but also incur problems when high volume vacuum packaging or packaging with large bags.
Final Thoughts
When looking for the best commercial vacuum sealer bags, you have many different options. The important thing is to make sure any bags you get are compatible with your vacuum sealer. Then, choose the best vacuum sealer bags for the specific products you are packaging.
The three mil vacuum sealer bags are the most commonly used, but you may need a thicker bag if you have sharp objects or jagged edges. The bags come in various sizes, so you can choose the best one for your products.
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