Focus on box material: kraft paper versus testliner

Our customers often contact us with questions related to the difference between kraft and testliner paper for the outer layer of packaging such as paper boxes, parcel boxes, mailing boxes, hazardous goods boxes, moving boxes, etc. So in this article we will discuss this topic in detail, explaining the difference between the quality of kraftliner and testliner and their applications.

Quality/price ratio of kraftliner and testliner

Kraft paper consists of new and long kraft fibers with a minimal amount of secondary fibers. Testliner is made from 100% recycled paper, so it is a lower grade of material, which affects the protective properties of the packaging where it is used as a cover layer.

Testliner is more cost-effective, on the other hand, high quality kraftliner provides more protection in climatic changes such as cold or humidity. Kraft paper guarantees a good environment. its composition of long “fresh fibres” gives it much higher strength. Its stable properties, smooth outer surface and coarse inner side make it an almost ideal covering layer. The same strength can be obtained from testliner, but with a higher surface weight. The disadvantages of testliner include lower resistance to punctures and box punctures, which kraft paper can optimally withstand.

When to use boxes with a krafttop layer and when to use testliner paper

Kraft paper is recommended when shipping or storing under adverse climatic conditions such as increased humidity or cold. This quality of box paper is also optimal for longer transport or shipping of hazardous materials (where the material requirements are higher) and also for long-term storage, which of course increases the possibility of damage, material loading, temperature fluctuations and risk of impact. Our range also includes hazardous goods boxes made of kraft paper. However, the contents of the box also matter. For heavy products, kraft paper is recommended, as in the case of a moving box.

In terms of testliners, we distinguish the following quality types from 1 to 4 (1 is close to kraft paper, 4 is multiply recycled paper). On the one hand, the testliner obviously offers a more favourable price, on the other hand – on the quality side – it is rather recommended for short-distance transport (e.g. transport of bound newspapers, brochures, etc.).

Box quality first and foremost

If savings are made on packaging and products are damaged during transport, the final economic consequences of the damage are usually far greater than the small investment in packaging material. Not to mention emotional factors such as client dissatisfaction and loss of trust in the supplier-customer relationship. That’s why we recommend kraft cardboard boxes that meet the environmental aspect. These boxes are made from wood obtained from sustainable forestry and allow for reuse through recycling.