Walk through almost any packing operation and you'll see people doing the same thing. They're packing air. Not intentionally, of course. They're filling the empty spaces inside boxes so products stay exactly where they should during transit. Whether it's a small electronics retailer dispatching hundreds of parcels a day or a manufacturer shipping heavy industrial components, the challenge is the same. Stop the product moving and you're far less likely to receive that awkward phone call about damaged goods.
The interesting part is how businesses choose to solve that challenge. For years, air pillows have been a familiar sight on packing benches. They're lightweight, quick to use and easy to store. More recently, paper-based solutions have become increasingly popular as businesses look for packaging that performs well operationally while also supporting wider sustainability goals.
So, which is better? The honest answer is neither.
Like most packaging decisions, it depends on what you're shipping, how quickly you're packing, what your customers expect to see when they open the box, and how your warehouse operates from one day to the next. Rather than looking for a universal winner, it's more useful to understand where each solution excels and where it starts to show its limitations.
Why Void Fill Matters More Than People Think
It's easy to think of void fill as the finishing touch. The products have been picked, the carton has been sealed, and now someone simply fills the remaining gaps before sending the parcel on its way.
In reality, void fill is doing some of the hardest work inside the box. A parcel can experience dozens of impacts before it reaches its destination. It may travel on conveyor systems, be stacked beneath heavier shipments, move between delivery vehicles several times and spend hours vibrating in the back of a lorry. Most products are perfectly capable of surviving that journey. What causes damage is movement.
Every time an item slides, shifts or collides with the side of the carton, the risk of breakage increases. Good protective packaging limits that movement so the product arrives in the same position it left the warehouse.
That is where quality Paper Void Fill Solutions make such a difference.
Rather than simply filling empty space, paper void fill cushions products, braces them against movement and helps distribute forces more evenly throughout the parcel. It can be used to fill gaps, wrap delicate items, separate products or create protective barriers inside larger cartons, making it one of the most versatile packing materials available.
Air pillows achieve the same objective in a different way. Instead of creating a dense paper structure around the product, they use inflated cushions to occupy space and absorb impact. For many lightweight parcels, particularly those containing non-fragile items, that approach works extremely well.
The important point is that void fill should never be viewed as an afterthought. It is one of the key reasons products reach customers in perfect condition.
Packing Speed: Which Is Faster?
Ask ten warehouse managers which system packs faster and you'll probably receive ten different answers.
That might sound like sitting on the fence, but there is a good reason for it. Packing speed isn't determined by the material alone. It depends on how the entire packing station has been designed.
Air pillows have an obvious advantage at first glance. Modern inflation systems produce cushions quickly, operators can pull off exactly the amount they need, and the material is exceptionally lightweight. For businesses shipping thousands of similarly sized parcels every day, that consistency can support a very efficient workflow.
On the other hand, air pillow systems aren't entirely effortless. Film rolls need replacing, inflation equipment requires maintenance, and the packing station depends on machinery being available whenever it's needed. If an airline develops a fault or the machine requires servicing, the entire process can slow unexpectedly.
Paper follows a different philosophy.
There is very little between the operator and the material. Pull, tear, place and pack. The paper naturally moulds around products without waiting for inflation or relying on sealed air pockets to maintain its shape.
Modern dispensing systems have narrowed the speed gap even further.
Solutions such as boxFill™ Paper Void Fill are designed specifically for busy packing environments, dispensing paper consistently and efficiently while allowing operators to create exactly the amount of protective cushioning each parcel requires. Once operators become familiar with the system, the process feels remarkably natural. Instead of wrestling with loose material, they simply build protection around the product as they pack.
For larger fulfilment centres, Fanfold Paper Void Fill offers another practical advantage.
Because the paper is supplied in larger bulk formats, operators spend less time replacing consumables throughout the day. It is one of those small operational improvements that rarely makes the headlines but can save valuable minutes across hundreds or thousands of parcels each week.
Ultimately, the fastest packing bench is usually the one with the best workflow rather than the one using a particular material. A well-designed paper void fill station can comfortably keep pace with an air pillow operation, especially where products vary significantly in size or shape.
Which Protects Fragile Products Better?
Protection is where the conversation becomes more interesting. Although both materials are designed to prevent damage, they achieve that objective in completely different ways.
Air pillows create a buffer around the product. They occupy empty space and absorb impacts by compressing slightly under pressure. For lightweight goods such as clothing, boxed electronics, cosmetics or small consumer products, this often provides more than enough protection.
The challenge appears when products become heavier, more delicate or less predictable. A ceramic vase doesn't behave in the same way as a boxed phone charger. A machined engineering component has very different requirements from a set of drinking glasses. Products with unusual shapes also create awkward gaps that standard air pillows cannot always fill effectively.
Paper has an advantage here because it conforms to whatever is inside the box. Instead of floating around the product, it wraps, braces and supports it from multiple directions. The paper compresses just enough to absorb shocks while still creating a firm structure that restricts movement throughout the journey.
That flexibility is one reason paper has become increasingly popular for businesses shipping mixed orders. Few warehouses pack identical parcels all day long. Most deal with changing product sizes, different box formats and constantly evolving order profiles. A material that adapts naturally to those variations often makes life considerably easier for packing teams.
Wrapping also deserves a mention because void fill is only one part of protective packaging.
Products that are particularly fragile often benefit from being wrapped individually before the remaining void space is filled. This creates two separate layers of protection. The product is cushioned directly, while movement inside the carton is minimised.
Solutions such as grip® PaperFlex work particularly well for this approach. The expandable honeycomb-style paper wraps closely around delicate items, helping protect surfaces while reducing the need for plastic bubble wrap. Once the item has been wrapped, paper void fill can then be added around it to immobilise the entire package.
It is a combination many warehouses are beginning to adopt because each material performs a different role. One protects the product itself. The other protects the parcel as a whole.
That's often the difference between packaging that simply fills space and packaging that has been designed with the journey in mind.
Sustainability: The Gap Is Narrowing, But Paper Still Holds an Advantage
Not long ago, this section would have been very straightforward. Paper good. Plastic bad. Thankfully, the conversation has become a little more nuanced than that.
Modern air pillows are significantly lighter than many traditional protective packaging materials. Because they contain mostly air, they add very little weight to a parcel, which can help reduce transport emissions across large shipping volumes. Many are also recyclable through soft plastic collection schemes, although the availability of those schemes still varies considerably depending on where your customers are based.
The challenge is less about whether the material can be recycled and more about whether it actually will be.
Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the packaging they receive, but they're also looking for convenience. If disposing of protective packaging requires a separate trip to a specialist recycling point, there's a fair chance it won't happen.
Paper has a simpler story. It's familiar, easy to recycle and immediately recognisable to customers. Most businesses don't need to explain what to do with it because people have been recycling paper for decades. That simplicity has become increasingly valuable as organisations work towards their own sustainability targets while also responding to growing customer expectations around plastic reduction.
It isn't just about perception either. Allpack's Paper Void Fill Solutions are manufactured from sustainable, recyclable paper and provide an effective alternative to plastic-based protective packaging without compromising on performance. Whether businesses need to block, brace, cushion or wrap products, paper can often achieve the same level of protection while supporting wider environmental objectives.
That doesn't mean every warehouse should immediately abandon air pillows. There are plenty of operations where they remain an excellent choice.
What it does mean is that sustainability is no longer simply a question of choosing the lightest material. Increasingly, businesses are considering the entire lifecycle of their packaging, from sourcing and shipping through to customer disposal and recycling. Paper fits naturally into that conversation.
Which Fits Your Warehouse Better?
There probably isn't a warehouse in the country that packs exactly like yours. Some dispatch hundreds of almost identical parcels every hour. Others might send ten completely different products before lunchtime.
That is why comparisons between packing materials can sometimes become misleading. The "best" solution is often the one that fits your operation rather than the one with the longest list of features.
Paper void fill tends to perform particularly well where product ranges vary throughout the day. It adapts quickly to different box sizes, conforms around awkward shapes and gives operators the flexibility to build protection as they pack. Businesses shipping heavier products, premium retail goods or fragile items also tend to appreciate the more substantial feel that paper provides, both during packing and when the customer opens the box.
Presentation can be another deciding factor. For many brands, the unboxing experience has become part of the customer journey. Neatly packed recyclable paper often reinforces a premium image while demonstrating a visible commitment to reducing plastic packaging.
Air pillows excel in different circumstances. If your warehouse dispatches very high volumes of lightweight parcels using standardised carton sizes, they can support an extremely efficient packing process. Their low weight also makes them particularly attractive for products where every gram affects shipping costs.
The important thing is not to force one material into situations where another might perform better. In fact, many of the most efficient warehouses don't make that choice at all. They use both.
Paper might be used for fragile products, heavier items or premium orders where cushioning and presentation matter most. Air pillows may then be reserved for lightweight consumer goods where speed and low shipping weights take priority.
Protective packaging doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing decision. The strongest operations build a toolkit of solutions and choose the one that makes the most sense for each order leaving the warehouse.
Final Thoughts
It's tempting to look for a 'clear winner' whenever two packaging materials are compared. Paper or air. This one or that one. The reality is rather less dramatic.
Both materials have earned their place in modern packing operations because both solve genuine problems. Air pillows remain a fast, lightweight solution for many e-commerce businesses, while paper void fill continues to grow in popularity because of its versatility, presentation and sustainability credentials.
The better question isn't "Which material is best?" It's "Which material is best for what we're shipping?" Once that becomes the starting point, the decision usually becomes much clearer.
If your products vary in size, require greater protection or form part of a premium customer experience, paper-based protective packaging often provides greater flexibility and a more natural fit. If your operation revolves around high-volume dispatch of lightweight, uniform products, air pillows may still play an important role.
The most successful warehouses rarely follow trends for the sake of it. They choose packing materials that help operators work efficiently, protect products consistently and give customers confidence that what's inside the box will arrive exactly as intended.
Get in Touch
Whether you're reviewing your current void fill materials, looking to reduce plastic packaging or simply searching for a faster way to protect products in transit, the Allpack team can help you find the right solution for your operation.
From Paper Void Fill Solutions and boxFill™ systems to Fanfold Paper Void Fill and grip® PaperFlex, we can help you select protective packaging that improves efficiency, reduces damage and supports your sustainability goals.
Send us a message, call us on 01543 396 700, or email us on sales@allpack.uk.com.
The best packing materials aren't necessarily the newest or the most popular. They're the ones that suit your products, your people and the way your warehouse works every single day.