“Which Parcel Tape is Quieter?”
Written by Lance Grew
Which Parcel Tape is Quieter?
Can you tell the difference? Below are the recordings of both polypropylene and vinyl tapes, can you tell the difference? Find the results at the bottom of the article.
Are you serious?
Absolutely! If you haven't already, listen to the audio differences in the recordings above. You might think twice next time you buy parcel tape after hearing them!
Parcel Tape
Parcel tape is a versatile and essential tool for any business that ships parcels. While you may not think much about parcel tape, there are lots of different types of parcel tape available, and all designed to perform very different, specific tasks. Among all of the different options, the two types of tape that are probably the most common are polypropylene parcel tape and vinyl parcel tape.
Polypropylene Parcel Tape
The most commonly used adhesive tape globally is Polypropylene tape, it’s usually clear or brown, it’s relatively strong, robust and resilient, and is resistant to tearing and water damage. It’s ideal for regular carton sealing and is 20% cheaper than other types of tapes. There are however a some down sides to Poly tape.
Gummed paper tape is an incredible product, but it does have two slight drawbacks. For one, you must use a wet sponge or on the pricer side use a water activated dispenser for application. What's more, the water-activated adhesive can be messy to work with and can leave behind residue on your surfaces.
Poly parcel tapes can be very loud when releasing from the roll, which can be annoying for users in the warehouse at best, and potentially dangerous at worst, by creating a louder environment.
Poly tapes also don’t have the best print quality, so if branded packaging is your thing and you want to have your company logo on your tape, you may want to carry on reading.
Vinyl Parcel Tape
Vinyl tape can be brown or clear too, yes! However vinyl tape is less prone to ripping than Polypropylene tape.
Made from a thicker, more durable plastic than polypropylene tape, it is better able to withstand high tension. It is also more resistant to temperature extremes, making it a good choice for outdoor applications, or for packaging boxes that will be refrigerated or frozen.
Vinyl tape is also able to achieve higher quality print if you want to present your brand on your packing tape, so for high value, heavy weight, or shipments going a long distance, requiring a strong and secure seal, Vinyl adhesive tape is the ideal choice. Its superior tensile strength and tear resistance make it one of the most reliable sealing solutions available. Not to mention the fact that it is much quieter to use!
Tape Noise Comparison
Polypropylene tape is probably the nosiest tape available. The noise it makes when it comes off the role, that high pitched screeeeeching sound can generate well over 100dB, and even low noise polypropylene can hit 90dB.
Compared to polypropylene parcel tape, vinyl tape is a much quieter option, without needing a special 'low noise' variant, vinyl parcel tapes on average only register 72dB, meaning a quieter warehouse, and that ultimately means a safer warehouse. Let’s be honest, getting rid of that annoying screeching sound may just be worth paying that extra 20% for vinyl tape alone!
The Results Tape 1 (Polypropylene)
The Results Tape 2 (Vinyl)
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