Stretch film is sold by gauge, and gauge is where most buyers get short-changed. Here is what the number means, how to check you are getting it, and how to work out what a roll really costs per pallet.
Gauge, mil and micron
- 1 gauge = 0.01 mil = 0.254 micron. So 80 gauge = 0.8 mil = about 20 microns.
- Common warehouse films: 60 gauge (light cartons), 80 gauge (the general-purpose standard), 90–100 gauge (heavy, sharp or unstable loads).
- Thicker is not automatically better. An 80 gauge with a good resin outperforms a cheap 100 gauge that tears at the corners.
"True gauge" vs "equivalent gauge"
A lot of film labelled 80 gauge is actually "80 gauge equivalent": a thinner film the maker claims performs like 80. Sometimes it does; often it zippers on a corner. The honest test is weight. Film is sold by length, but what you are paying for is resin, so:
- A true 80 gauge, 20" × 3,000 ft roll weighs about 11 lbs of film (about 44 lbs per 4-roll case).
- A 20" × 1,500 ft roll of the same film weighs about 5.5 lbs.
- If a "3,000 ft, 80 gauge" roll weighs 7 or 8 lbs, it is not 80 gauge.
Put a case on the warehouse scale when it arrives. It takes ten seconds and settles the question. Our 20" industrial film is a true 80 gauge (20.3 micron) LLDPE on a 3" core; the 3,000 ft rolls are 11 lbs each.
How many pallets does a roll wrap?
It depends on pallet height, how many wraps you put on and how much you pre-stretch, but here is a working estimate for a standard 48" × 40" pallet stacked about 5 ft high:
| Method | Film per pallet | Pallets per 3,000 ft roll |
|---|---|---|
| Hand wrap, no pre-stretch, 3 full wraps top and bottom | ~120–150 ft | ~20–25 |
| Hand wrap with a braking dispenser (some stretch) | ~90–110 ft | ~28–33 |
| Mobile wrapper with tension control, film stretched ~150% | ~50–70 ft | ~45–60 |
Two things follow from that table. First, the cheapest film per foot is rarely the cheapest film per pallet. Second, how you apply it matters more than the gauge: stretching the film is what gives it holding force, and a person walking backwards around a pallet cannot stretch it consistently.
When a mobile wrapper pays for itself
Hand wrapping is fine at a few pallets a day. Past about 10–15 pallets a day, three costs start to show:
- Film. A dispenser with a tension knob stretches every wrap the same amount, typically cutting film use by a third or more.
- Backs. Wrapping the bottom of a pallet by hand means bending and circling 10–20 times per pallet. Warehouse staff notice.
- Loads that arrive loose. Inconsistent hand tension is why one pallet in twenty shifts in the truck.
Our RCV7 mobile pallet wrapper is the step between hand wrapping and a powered turntable: no electricity, one person walks it around the pallet upright, the film carriage rides up and down the column to about six feet of load height, and a tension knob sets the stretch. It takes standard 12"–20" rolls on a 3" core and weighs 70 lbs, so it goes wherever the pallets are.
Picking a gauge for your loads
| Load | Gauge |
|---|---|
| Light, uniform cartons, in-house moves | 60–70 |
| Mixed cartons, LTL and parcel freight | 80 |
| Heavy, tall or unstable loads; sharp corners; ocean freight | 90–100, or 80 with extra wraps |
For most warehouses shipping mixed cartons, a true 80 gauge on a wrapper with tension control is the sweet spot: strong enough for freight, light enough that you are not paying for resin you do not need.
Film and strap are not either/or
Film keeps cartons together and dust off; it does not stop a heavy load from shearing across the pallet. For lumber, machinery or anything over a few hundred pounds, strap the load to the pallet first with PET strap and the RCV2, then wrap.
Buying film by the pallet? Request a quote — case pricing drops quickly at volume, and it ships free in the contiguous U.S.