Vented stretch film
| What it is | Stretch film with holes or slots through it |
|---|---|
| For | Produce, flowers, frozen and damp goods |
| Rolls | Hand rolls by the case, machine rolls by the pallet |
| Rule | Never wrapped over with solid film |
Vented film lets cold pallets breathe. Don't wrap solid film over it. It holds a stack together while air moves through the load, so fresh product keeps cooling and frozen product going out to a warm dock sheds its condensation instead of sitting in it.1
When it helps
Air and water, the two reasons.
Produce that is still giving off field heat, cut flowers, frozen cartons moving to a warmer dock, and damp goods are the loads a cold-chain guide sends to vented film.1 Under solid film, warm moist air is trapped against the cartons; the cardboard softens and the stack loses its strength. With vents, the same air escapes and the cooling keeps working.
When it doesn't
Three things to watch.
Less rigidity
The holes take strength out of the web, so vented film adds little stiffness. Tall loads may need corner boards to stay square.1
Over-tension closes the vents
Stretch it too hard and the holes pull shut. Set the wrapper's pre-stretch lower than for solid film, and check the vents are open on the wrapped load.1
And the rule above all: no solid film over the top. If a load needs to be closed in for transit, it is the wrong load for vented film.
Holes or slots, and how many
Vent patterns differ.
Makers vent film in different ways: round holes punched through the web, narrow slots, or a pattern of openings across the width. More open area lets more air through and takes more strength out of the film. Ask for the open area or the vent pattern on the data sheet, and match it to the product: berries and leafy greens still shedding field heat need more airflow than frozen cartons that only have to lose a little condensation at a warm dock. If you already use netting on some loads and solid film on others, vented film often covers the ground between them.
Wrapping it by hand
Less pull, same pattern.
Hand rolls of vented film go on like ordinary film but need a lighter hand: pulling hard narrows the openings just as a carriage does. Walk the load at steady tension, overlap a little more than usual to make up for the open area, and finish with a firm tuck because perforated film clings less at the tail. On tall produce loads, put corner boards on first so the light wrap doesn't let the stack twist.
Vents can cut through a label's barcode; apply pallet labels after wrapping.
Flowers and plants
Delicate and alive.
Cut flowers in buckets or boxes and potted plants on trolleys or pallets breathe, sweat and bruise. Vented film or netting holds them with little pressure; wrap gently and leave tops open where foliage sticks up.
Questions buyers ask
- How much air does vented film let through?
- Enough to let warm, wet air escape from cartons, far less than netting. If a load needs to breathe hard, netting is the better choice.
- Can I use vented film on dry goods?
- You can, but there is no reason to: it holds less than solid film. Keep it for loads that need air.
- Does it come as hand and machine rolls?
- Yes. Machine rolls need the wrapper set to a lower pre-stretch so the vents stay open.
- What about pallets that cross a hot dock?
- That is exactly the case for it: frozen product meets warm air and sweats. Vented film lets that moisture out instead of trapping it against the cardboard.
- Can vented film be used on bread or bakery loads?
- Yes, for products packed warm that need to finish cooling in transit, provided the load is stable enough for a lighter wrap.
Related rolls
Sources
Facts on this page last reviewed 2026-11-13.
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