Lay-Flat Pouches vs. Stand-Up Pouches What is the Difference

Lay-Flat Pouches vs. Stand-Up Pouches What is the Difference

Postview: 169       Date:December 25, 2024

If you are new to flexible packaging, it’s important to understand the differences between lay-flat pouches and stand-up pouches before deciding which one is right for your product. In essence, stand-up pouches include a gusset at the bottom so your product will stand up on a retailer’s shelf. Lay-flat pouches, on the other hand, do not include the bottom gusset and, as the name suggests, are designed to lay flat. In this blog, we will walk you through the differences and advantages of each one.

What is Lay Flat Pouch

What is Lay Flat Pouch

Lay-Flat pouches, also known as flat bags, are bags that don’t stand up and lie flat on a surface. A lay flat pouch top or bottom is left open for filling, and we finish off this pouch with a tear-away flap. This allows the customer to open the bag easily. After the product is filled, lay-flat pouches can be sealed for single or multiple uses. For the products that do not require expansion packaging, lay-flat pouches are especially perfect.

And because with no gusset at the bottom or the side, they can be placed neatly into a tray or box. It makes them a better option for slim, small and lightweight products, often used with a display box. They are versatile enough and conducive to various products. From liquids to granules, lay-flat pouches are suitable for packaging a wide range of items, not just food. For example, drip coffee packaging bags, plastic fishing soft lures bags, spice seasoning sachets, ect.

Lay Flat Pouch
Distinct Benefits of Lay Flat Pouch Packaging

Distinct Benefits of Lay Flat Pouch Packaging

Efficient Storage

The flat design allows for easy stacking. They can be packed tightly together, promoting to save the space in storage and transportation. That means the shipping costs will be lower and the retail shelf space will be utilized more effectively. So Lay-Flat pouches are practical choices for companies that focus on operational efficiency.

Cost savings

Lay-flat pouch designs are among the most budget-friendly options. They are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce, reducing storage, transport and material waste. If no zipper, a simple cheap packing machine can make them from rollstock. Compared to most other options on the market, this option offers great savings.

Minimalist Feature

With sleek and minimalist appearances, lay-flat pouches are perfect the brands who preferring plain packaging and focus on the product itself. For eco-conscious consumers, they’re also more appealing.

Types of Lay-flat bags

Three-side sealed pouches

Three-side sealed pouches are also called lay-down bags. They are made of one sheet of film, folded and sealed on 3 sides by a pouch making machine. The last side is kept open for filling. They can be formed by ordinary roll-film packaging machine.

The three seals help prevent contaminants while being able to lock in freshness and flavor. Products like ground coffee powder, spices, tea and similar are usually packaged with three-side sealed lay-flat pouches.

Three-side sealed pouches

Fin/Lap/Center sealed pouches

Also called center-sealed pouch or T-seal pouches, fin-sealed pouches are the simplest pouches with a back and bottom seal. They can be made with fin seal on one side or lap seal which is determined by the packaging material. For products like candy, chips, and chocolate, fin-sealed pouches are the popular packaging solutions. And they are also used in packaging chips, hard candies, gummy, instant noodles, and frozen dumplings.

Fin Lap Center sealed pouches

Foldover (2-Side Sealed) Pouches

Foldover or 2-side sealed pouches are similar to 3-side sealed pouches, but slightly different. A 2-side sealed pouch only has two-factory seals and a simple bottom fold. The capacity is maximized without a third bottom seal, therefore, its filling volume is larger than 3-side sealed pouch. It is more ideal for single-use and multi-use products.

Foldover (2-Side Sealed) Pouches

Four-side sealed pouches

4 Side Seal Pockets seal on all four sides that provide excellent protection to products’ integrity. Stylish design plus maximized space utilization, they are very popular for small-sized sample packs and liquids. The products are often further packaged in a carton or box, customers can buy multiple packages in one carton.

Four side sealed pouches

What is Stand-Up Pouch

Stand-up pouches, the name itself aptly describes this packaging format. They can stand up on its own whether there is content inside or not. In the category of flexible packages, stand-up pouches are also known colloquially as doypack. The distinct difference with lay-flat pouch is that it has a gusseted bottom. Because of the bottom design of its gusset, the stand-up pouch can expand and remain stable when filled with products.

Stand-up pouches are commonly used as primary packaging for food, pet food and nutritional supplements. But also they are great for non-food products like clothing, cannabis, and pharmaceuticals. For a number of reasons, they get continuous popularity in packaging industry.

What is Stand-Up Pouch

Distinct Benefits of Stand-Up Pouch Packaging

High Presence & Eye-catching

Stand-up pouches can capture the most attention on shelves. The upright design feature allows the product stand out on display with high visibility. And they are perfect for making transparent viewing windows, so that consumers can directly see the product itself. They quickly catches the eye of consumers and greatly influences the consumer’s purchasing decisions.

High Presence&Eye-catching

Brand Promotion

Stand up pouches are also perfect for grabbing-eyes custom printing. The outer surface offers large space for brand and product information. Even the bottom gusset space can be printed and used to convey more information. For promoting the brand, stand-up pouch is a greater option.

Brand Promotion

Diverse Structures

Stand-up pouches can be produced in different models especially regarding the bottom folds. According to the product weight, there are often three bottom folds to choose. The Doyen bottom (round-bottom) gusset is the most familiar bottom fold. Others include K-seal bottom gusset and Plow-seal bottom gusset. The Doyen style is more suitable for delicate, fragile light-weight(less than one pound) products, K-seal style is great for mid-weight(between 1 to 5 pounds) products, and Plow-seal style is specially designed for heavy bulk products (over 5 pounds).

Diverse Structures

Examples of Products

Often we have regular stand-up pouches and special shaped stand-up pouches. A regular  stand-up pouch is usually rectangular or square, with a bottom gusset to help itself sit well on the shelf. It also can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be customized with any designs, names or logos as you required. Custom shaped stand-up pouches are excellent for a variety of use cases. The common packaging products for them are often snack, protein powder, spices, baby foods, garment and agricultural seeds.

Examples of Products
Similar and Common Aspects

Similar and Common Aspects

Versatility in Use

As previously mentioned, lay-flat pouches are best suitable for smaller and singer-serve products. Whether they contain liquids, powders, or solid goods, the streamlined, simple lay-flat bags accommodate a wide range of product types. Stand-up pouches are also applicable to all kinds industries, used in food packaging, building materials, agricultural products and retail goods. Their good durability and stability make them specially ideal for bulky products.

Flexible Custom Printing

As more and more fields are utilizing flexible packaging, the opportunity for custom printing grows greatly. Both lay-flat and stand-up pouches can add this feature. The use of custom printing can effectively convey multi-element information. Through innovative printing designs, brands can strengthen their visual image and attract consumers.

Multi-element Customization

To satisfy various needs on products or consumer experience, you can add value to your brand with the pouches features. Such as a resealable closure, airtight seals, handles, spouts or zip lock can be added to your pouches. Also, special functional films can be used to provide excellent barrier control on products, such as puncture-resistant, moisture-resistant and UV-resistant films. And stand-up pouches can also be made steamable, so that consumers can heat food directly in the microwave without removing it from the pouch.

Multi-element Customization

Sustainability & Safety

Both Lay-Flat Pouches and Stand-Up Pouches can be made of environmentally friendly materials. To align their packaging choices with sustainable packaging goals, brands can choose recyclable, biodegradable or compostable materials. Moreover, they can provide safety feature by choosing child-resistant packaging, which is very favorable to the emerging cannabis industry.

Sustainability&Safety
Sustainability Safety

For Which Products Are The Options Suitable?

Free-flowing liquid products or powdered products can be stored both in lay-flat pouches and stand-up pouches. In deciding on their use, package type is not the only consideration; much also depends on the choice of materials. In practice, stand-up bags are used in a wide range of applications, for examples:

 

Spices and spice mixtures Powder

 

Granules Nuts / nut mixtures

 

Sauces

 

Fruit mixtures

 

Liquids

 

Dairy and milk products

 

Food containing oil and fat

 

Ready meals

 

Pet food

 

Coffee and tea

Especially when above products are not supposed to be consumed in one time but multiple times, stand up pouches for larger volume and larger weight packaging is more opted.

In fact, lay-flat pouches also can be used to store many of these products. But lay-flat bags are not freely scalable on the packaging quantities, that excludes their use for certain non-food items.

Lay-flat pouches are better suited for slim, small or lightweight items, while stand-up pouches are ideal for bulky or irregularly shaped items. For liquids or products with a lower viscosity, we may find a more suitable packaging in lay-flat pouches, for example, french ketchup, sauces from foods industry or beauty masks, lotions from personal care and cosmetics industries. While solid or granular products may find an ideal fit in stand-up pouches.

Differences and Considerations in Choosing

Now we have a clearer understanding of what lay-flat pouches and stand-up pouches are, also their characteristics and advantages. So, what factors should we consider when deciding whether to use a lay-flat pouch or a stand-up pouch? Here are our suggestions for you.

Considerations Lay-flat pouches Stand-up pouches Remarks
Minimum Order Quantity Digital printing from 1000pcs around to start;
Plate printing from 10000pcs around to start.
Digital printing from 500pcs around to start;
Plate printing from 5000pcs around to start.
Lay-flat bags requires higher MOQ.
Budget More cost-effective because of simpler design. A little bit more expensive because of complex features. Lay-flat pouch is an ideal choice for limited budgets or one-off products.
Shelf Presence and Marketing Take up less shelf space and can be stacked;
more subtle and hidden.
Have better visibility and display on the shelf;
more attractive and eye-catching.
Stand-up pouches is perfect for product/brand presentation.
Efficiency Slim, stackable and easy-packed because with no gusset;
forming machines are normally more efficient.
Have more complicated shapes and production procedures. Lay-flat pouches contribute to improving storage and transportation efficiency.

three side sealed sachets for 1gram cannabis flower

*three side sealed sachets for 1gram cannabis flower

The decision between a lay-flat pouch and a stand-up pouch is not just an aesthetic issue. It requires a comprehensive consideration of the product identity, brand goals and operation strategies. Each style has its own unique benefits.

Whether lay-flat or stand-up pouches, Gozenpackaging can customize a flexible solution that completely tailored to your product and your brand. Our aim is to help you choose the best and most suitable solution for your needs. Welcome to contact us by info@gozenpackaging.com or via Whatsapp +86 18571566509!

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Gozen Packaging