The 5 Best Air Pillow Makers
Special Honors
Sealed Air Packaging Equipment The four lines of air cushion inflators offered by this packaging-focused company range from compact and reasonably priced, to freestanding, high-volume, and suitable for commercial use. If you plan on using it all day long, one of their industrial models is almost certain to be the highest performer you'll find. sealedair.com
Rocket Industrial Subscriptions This interesting program lets you avoid a massive initial by offering to lend one of three high-quality machines in exchange for a commitment to purchase five rolls, ten rolls, or an entire pallet of bags per month. If at any point you no longer need the machine, you can simply cancel your plan and return it, with no further obligations. rocketindustrial.com
Editor's Notes
March 05, 2021:
There's a distinct price difference between commercial-grade machines with long duty cycles, and slightly less professional options ideal for small business owners. The Mini Air CLASi and IDL Packaging AIRmove2 both promise long-term reliability, high speeds, and reliable seals, although they do require a significant investment.
Alternatively, the Mini Air EA 2 offers impressive dependability at a mid-range price. It's not the absolute fastest, but its good enough that you won't have to sit around waiting for it, a problem its direct predecessor did have somewhat. The PPE Automatic, however, is less expensive and just a bit faster, and includes 1,000 feet of bags to get you started.
If you only need to send a few shipments and don't want to invest in a costly air pillow machine, Sealed Air Instapak Quick bags are a decent alternative. They do require you to buy a bulk box of 104 pieces, but for one-off mailings, they're perfectly suitable.
December 08, 2018:
Beyond size and speed, the main variable for these machines is the type of film they use. There is no industry standard, meaning certain models only use their own proprietary film. Though some models may seem overpriced for their features, if you plan to use this a long time, saving a penny per pouch on film may end up being a good deal in the end.