How to Choose the Right Thickness For Your Mylar Storage Bags
Mylar food storage bags are the most effective form of long-term food storage. People love them because they effectively keep out moisture, light, and odors. And although they are light, flexible, and thin, they have a high degree of strength and durability. Moreover, mylar bags are reusable. However, mylar food storage bags come in different thicknesses, and you should be aware of how this quality changes the performance of your bags so you can make the best choice for your food storage needs.
Mylar Bag Thickness Is Measured in Mils
A mil is a unit of thickness equal to one-thousandth of an inch. For perspective, the average human hair is about 2 mils thick. Mylar food storage bags typically come between 3 and 8 mils. Even though mils are such small units, the difference between mylar bags of 3 and 8 mils (1.5 and 4 hair's breadths) can be enormous.
Mylar Bag Thickness Effects Protection and Ease-of-Use
Mylar bags thinner than 4 mils may be slightly transparent. Bags so thin would allow UV light to influence the freshness of food stored in the bag. Furthermore, thinner bags are more prone to puncture damage. However, they still provide an air-tight seal and are an excellent choice for smaller amounts of food that you might want to store for short to medium term.
For the best protection of your food stores over the long term, we recommend mylar food storage bags of 7 mils. They are completely opaque, allowing no UV light to enter and damage your food. Moreover, bags rated at 7 mils are much more rigid and resistant to puncture damage. At 7 mils, a 5-gallon mylar bag will hold about 35lbs of flour and keep it safe from contamination for up to 30 years.
Pick a Thickness to Fit Your Food Type and Storage Length
Any opaque mylar food storage bag can protect stored food for decades. However, thicker bags are more durable but less flexible. Therefore, we recommend two thicknesses: 4 mils and 7 mils.
1-quart or smaller bags of 4 mils are great for temporary to medium-term storage or even as snack containers for travel. They will keep your food fresh but are very flexible and easy to open – even for children. Gallon bags of 4 mils make excellent long-term storage bags for foods without sharp edges like flour, sugar, or salt.
7 mil bags are the ultimate in long-term food storage. They are more rigid and are perfect for food with sharper edges like dried macaroni pasta. In addition, 5-gallon bags benefit significantly from the added thickness and can support the heaviest foodstuffs without any fear of rips or tears.
Remember that the thickness of a mylar bag doesn't affect how well it seals or how many times you can use it again. Provided you choose a minimum thickness of 4 mils, you can use it for long-term storage. However, thicker bags provide extra protection at the expense of flexibility and ease of use.
4 Mils and 7 Mils: The Perfect Pair
For the most satisfaction, choose the thickness that best suits how you use the bag and what you will store in it. If you match the bag thickness to the use, mylar bags will continue to be the best, most secure food storage solution for decades to come. At 4 mils, they are ideal for smaller portions and are easy to use and reuse. Thicker bags of 7 mils are best for long-term storage, particularly for rougher foods like dried pasta.
Which Mils are you using and why ?
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