What "gauge" actually means (and why it's not the same as strength)
Stretch wrap is measured in gauge, sometimes shown as microns or mil (1 mil = 100 gauge). It's a measure of film thickness, not a direct measure of holding strength, modern films are engineered to stretch and cling, so a thinner high-performance film can outperform a thicker older-style film.
In practice, though, for standard hand-wrap film, gauge is still the number GTA warehouses and shipping teams use to compare rolls:
| Gauge | Best for |
| 60–70 gauge | Light, stable loads; short-term in-house transfers |
| 80 gauge | The GTA standard, general pallet shipping and storage, most box loads |
| 90–100+ gauge | Heavy, dense, or sharp-edged loads; long-haul or rough handling |
If you only stock one gauge, 80 is the safe, versatile default, it's what most of our GTA customers run for everyday palletized shipments.
Choosing roll width: 16" vs. 20" hand wrap
Width determines how much film lays down per wrap and how easily one person can handle the roll:
- 16" rolls are easier to handle for one person, wrap tighter on smaller or irregular pallets, and are the better choice if your team is wrapping mixed-size loads by hand all day.
- 20" rolls cover more surface per pass, which speeds up wrapping standard-size pallets and can mean fewer rolls used per shift on high-volume days.
Most GTA operations that wrap by hand keep both widths on hand: 20" for standard full pallets, 16" for odd-shaped or partial loads.
Cling, stretch, and puncture resistance, what to actually check
When comparing stretch wrap beyond gauge, three things matter more than price per roll:
- Cling. The film needs to grip itself layer-to-layer so the wrap doesn't loosen in transit. Weak cling is the #1 reason pallets arrive shifted.
- Stretch. A film with good stretch (elongation) covers more pallet per roll, you're paying for performance, not just thickness. This is why a higher-quality 80-gauge film can out-wrap a cheap 90-gauge film.
- Puncture resistance. For loads with corners, straps, or uneven boxes, look for film rated for higher puncture resistance rather than just going up in gauge.
Packaging Shop's stretch wrap is built for cling and puncture resistance at standard gauge, so most customers don't need to size up just to get a load that holds.
How to wrap a pallet properly (so gauge choice actually matters)
Even the right film fails if it's applied loose. The basics:
1. Anchor the film at the base of the pallet with several wraps before angling upward.
2. Overlap each layer by about 50% as you spiral up, keeping consistent tension.
3. Cover the full height of the load, then reinforce the top and bottom with a few extra wraps, those are the two points most likely to shift.
4. For heavier or taller loads, run a second full pass rather than jumping to a heavier gauge film.
Technique often matters more than gauge: a properly tensioned 80-gauge wrap will outperform a loose 100-gauge wrap.
When to upgrade past standard hand wrap
Move up from standard 80-gauge hand rolls when:
- Loads are consistently over ~1,500 lbs or have sharp/protruding edges that puncture standard film,
- Pallets travel long-haul or are handled multiple times before reaching their destination, or
- You're wrapping high enough volume daily that a machine-wrap setup would pay for itself in labor time.
For most GTA shipping and storage operations, none of those apply, 80-gauge hand wrap covers the job.
Your stretch wrap checklist
Before you order:
1. Gauge, 80-gauge as the default; step up only for heavy, sharp, or long-haul loads
2. Width, 20" for standard pallets, 16" for smaller or irregular loads
3. Cling & puncture resistance, check film quality, not just gauge, before sizing up
4. Technique, anchor, overlap ~50%, reinforce top and bottom
5. Volume, machine wrap only once daily pallet counts justify it