Choosing the Right Packaging Format
Both mylar bags and glass jars are excellent packaging options, but they serve different purposes and suit different products. This guide breaks down the key differences to help you make the right choice for your brand.
Mylar Bags: Flexible, Lightweight, Cost-Effective
Best for: Coffee, herbs, edibles, snacks, samples, retail products
Mylar bags are made from food-grade PET and aluminium laminate. They’re completely airtight, light-proof, and smell-proof. The key advantages are their lightweight design (cheaper to ship), flexibility in sizing (3.5g to 28g), and the massive design surface area for branding.
Cost-wise, mylar bags are significantly cheaper per unit than glass jars — starting from around £0.25 per bag versus £4+ for a jar. This makes them ideal for high-volume products where cost-per-unit matters.
Glass Jars: Premium, Reusable, Luxurious
Best for: Premium products, concentrates, small-batch items, luxury brands
Glass jars, particularly UV Miron jars, offer the ultimate in product preservation and premium presentation. Miron glass filters all visible light except violet, which actually helps preserve the freshness and potency of contents. They’re reusable, recyclable, and communicate luxury.
The downsides: they’re heavier (higher shipping costs), more fragile, and significantly more expensive per unit. But for premium products where perceived value matters, the glass jar is unmatched.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Mylar Bags | Glass Jars |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per unit | From £0.25 | From £4.00 |
| Weight | Very light | Heavy |
| UV protection | Good | Excellent (Miron) |
| Reusable | No | Yes |
| Design area | Large | Label only |
| Shipping cost | Low | Higher |
| Shelf impact | High (with finishes) | Very high |
Our Recommendation
For most brands, we recommend starting with mylar bags. They’re cost-effective, offer incredible design flexibility, and the holographic and prism finishes create shelf presence that rivals any premium packaging. Use glass jars for your top-tier product line where the premium presentation justifies the higher unit cost.
Many successful brands use both — mylar bags for their core range and glass jars for their premium or limited edition products.