Stand-up pouch with or without a zipper: which should you choose?
Choose a stand-up pouch with a zipper if the pack will be opened and closed several times. If the contents are usually used in one go, a pouch without a zipper is often enough and can simply be heat sealed.
When should you choose a pouch with a zipper?
A zipper is useful when your customer does not use the full contents at once. After opening, the pouch can easily be pressed closed again.
Typical examples include:
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nuts and dried fruit;
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granola and breakfast products;
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sweets and snacks;
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tea or powders;
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pet food.
These products are often used over several occasions. A zipper makes it easier to close the pouch between uses.
However, not every pouch needs or suits a zipper. On smaller pouches, we often leave it out because the zipper takes up space near the top. This makes the filling opening smaller and can make both filling and emptying the pouch less convenient.
The same can apply to narrow pouch formats, such as side gusset bags or flat bottom bags. If you still want a zipper, there is usually another suitable format. Costum made pouches offer even more options.
Heeft een zipper invloed op de houdbaarheid?
Een zipper is vooral bedoeld om de verpakking na opening makkelijk weer te sluiten. De zipper bepaalt op zichzelf niet hoe lang een product houdbaar blijft.
De houdbaarheid hangt ook af van het product, het materiaal van de pouch, de seal en de manier waarop het product wordt bewaard. Kijk daarom niet alleen naar de sluiting, maar naar de complete verpakking.
When is heat sealing only the better choice?
A zipper is not always necessary. If the product is normally consumed in one go, a pouch that is simply sealed can be a practical choice.
For example, a small single-serve snack pack usually does not need to be resealed. Removing the zipper also leaves more space around the opening for filling and use.
A practical example: if you pack 50 grams of snack mix that is likely to be eaten at once, heat sealing may be enough. If the same snack mix is sold in a larger pack that will be opened several times, a zipper offers more convenience.
If your pouch does not have a zipper, tin ties can also provide a simple way to close the pack again.
Should you heat seal a pouch with a zipper?
In most cases, it is advisable to heat seal the pouch above the zipper. This keeps the pack closed until the customer opens it for the first time. After that, the zipper can be used to reseal the pouch.
Heat sealing is not always essential. If the pack does not need to be tamper sealed, the zipper alone may be sufficient.
Not sure which closure works best for your product? Request free samples and test the pouches with your own product and preferred fill weight. That is the easiest way to see which option works best in practice.