Paper Bag Sizes Guide: Which Bag Fits What?

Paper bag size chart

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Strung bag sizes

Bags with handles sizes

What is a strung paper bag?

Strung bags are flat paper bags threaded on a string through one corner. The bundle hangs on a hook by the counter so staff can pull off one bag at a time with one hand. They are the classic bakery, sandwich shop and sweet shop bag.

Because they are flat, with no gusset, they suit flat or slim items. A thick item uses up width as well as length.

What is a gusset?

The gusset is the folded side or base that lets a bag open out into a box shape. On a bag with handles, it is the depth of the base. A wider gusset lets food boxes sit flat, which stops sauces leaking in transit.

How to measure what will fit

1. Measure the item’s width and thickness.
2. For a flat strung bag, the bag’s width must be bigger than the item’s width plus its thickness. A sandwich 12cm wide and 5cm thick needs at least 17cm of bag width, plus room to fold the top: an 8.5 inch (21.6cm) bag.
3. For a bag with handles, compare your container’s base with the bag’s width x gusset, then check the container’s height against the bag’s height.

Rule of thumb: for thick items, add at least 2 to 3cm to the width you need.

What size paper bag for a sandwich?

Usually 8.5 x 8.5 inch for a standard sandwich or filled roll. Use 7 inch for a slim sandwich quarter or a cookie, and 10 inch for a wrap, panini or baguette half.

What fits in each bag with handles?

• Small (23 x 18 x 9cm): one takeaway meal box, a coffee and pastry, or a few deli pots.
• Medium (25.5 x 21.5 x 11.5cm): two meal boxes side by side, a lunch order for two, or a curry with rice and naan.
• Large (30.5 x 25.5 x 14cm): a family order, several boxes stacked flat, or bulky items such as pizza boxes on the small side.

Which bag for which business?

Brown or white?

• Brown kraft strung bags are greaseproof, so they are the safer choice for warm, buttery or oily food such as pastries and sausage rolls.
• White strung bags are 38gsm white paper. They give a clean, bright look for bakery items, sweets and gifts.
• Bags with handles are 80gsm brown kraft, with flat paper handles, strong enough for meal boxes.

Both strung bags can carry a logo sticker or a rubber stamp for simple branding.

How many bags should I order?

1. Count the orders you pack each day.
2. Multiply by the days between orders.
3. Bakeries: add about 20%, as one order often uses two bags.
4. Takeaways: usually one bag with handles per order, plus a few spare for large orders.

Example: a takeaway packing 60 orders a day and ordering every 2 weeks needs about 60 x 14 = 840 bags, plus spares. A mix of medium and large bags covers most orders.

Are paper bags recyclable?

Clean paper bags can usually go in paper and card recycling. Bags that are greasy or have food stuck to them are often rejected, so check your council or waste contractor’s rules.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a strung bag by the item’s length only. Thickness uses up width.
• Putting meal boxes in a bag with a narrow gusset. Boxes tilt and leak.
• Using white bags for oily food. Choose greaseproof brown kraft instead.
• Stocking one bag size for everything. Two or three sizes save money and look tidier.

Products in this guide

Prices include VAT, with free UK mainland delivery and no minimum order.

8.5 x 8.5 Inch Brown Strung Kraft BagsFrom £6.75 inc VATView pack sizes10 x 10 Inch Brown Strung Kraft BagsFrom £6.79 inc VATView pack sizes7 x 7 Inch White Strung Paper BagsFrom £5.99 inc VATView pack sizesSmall Kraft Paper Bags with Handles (9 x 7 x 3.5in)From £7.99 inc VATView pack sizesMedium Kraft Paper Bags with Handles (10 x 8.5 x 4.5in)From £8.29 inc VATView pack sizesLarge Kraft Paper Bags with Handles (12 x 10 x 5.5in)From £8.99 inc VATView pack sizes