Bubble wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material commonly used for packing fragile items. Regularly spaced, protruding air-filled hemispheres (bubbles) provide cushioning for fragile items.
The term is also a brand of Sealed Air Corporation (US). In 1957 two inventors named Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes were attempting to create a 3-dimensional plastic wallpaper. Although the idea was a failure, they found that it did make for great packing material. Sealed Air Corp. was co-founded by Alfred Fielding in 1960.[1]
Some people use the name generically for similar products, often termed air bubble packing or bubble wrapping; Sealed Air denotes its product as a brand of "cushioning material".[2]
The bubbles that provide the cushioning for fragile or sensitive objects are generally available in different sizes, depending on the size of the object being packed, as well as the level of cushioning protection that is needed. Multiple layers might be needed to provide shock and vibration isolation. A single layer might be used as a surface protective layer.
They can be as small as 6 millimeters (1/4 inch) in diameter, to as large as 26 millimeters (1 inch) or more, to provide added levels of shock absorption during transit. In addition to the degree of protection available from the size of the air bubbles in the plastic, the plastic material itself can offer some forms of protection for the object in question. For example, when shipping sensitive electronic parts and components, a type of bubble wrap is used that employs an anti-static plastic that dissipates static charge, thereby protecting the sensitive electronic chips from static which can damage them.
The bubbles can be shaped in any way desired, even heart-shaped, like the Italian company Torninova did in 1997.
Because bubble wrap makes a recognizable popping sound when compressed and ruptured, it can be used as a source of amusement and to alleviate stress. Acknowledging this alternative use, some websites provide a virtual bubble wrap program which displays a sheet of bubble wrap that users may pop by clicking on the bubbles[3], while the Mugen Puchipuchi is a compact electronic toy simulating bubble wrap popping.
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day is celebrated[4] on the last Monday of January.[5]