What Is an Air Sickness Bag?
An air sickness bag is a disposable bag kept in the seat-back pocket of an aircraft, train or ferry, so a passenger who feels unwell has somewhere to be sick without leaving their seat. Airlines also call them motion sickness bags, sick bags or barf bags, and the same product appears in hospital and ambulance settings under the name emesis bag.
Two things separate a real air sickness bag from an ordinary paper bag: a closure that seals after use, and a liner that keeps liquid inside. Get either wrong and the bag fails at the only moment it matters.
This guide covers the types you can buy, the specifications buyers ask for, the compliance rules that apply on aircraft, and what changes when you order custom printed bags rather than stock.
Where Sickness Bags Are Used
Most people meet these bags on a plane, but the buying patterns differ a lot by setting.
| Параметр | What the buyer wants | Typical order |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial airlines | Stock or lightly branded bags, high volume, reliable resupply | 10,000+ per run |
| Rail and long-distance coach | Larger quantities than airlines, printed with operator branding | 10,000–100,000 |
| Ferries and cruise lines | Branded bags, sometimes with a different closure for rougher handling | 5,000–50,000 |
| Hospitals, clinics and EMS | Medical-grade bags with volume markings | 1,000–10,000 |
| Schools, coaches and tour operators | Small runs, often plain | 1,000–5,000 |
| Retail and novelty | Small packs, gag printing, resale | Under 1,000 |
The rail and coach segment is easy to overlook, but operators replace seat-back bags on a fixed cleaning cycle regardless of whether the bags were used, so their consumption is steady rather than demand-driven.
Types of Air Sickness Bag
There are three constructions in common supply, and they are not interchangeable in every setting.
| Шрифт | Конструкция | Лучше всего подходит для | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square-bottom paper | Heat-sealed base that lets the bag stand open | Airlines, rail, ferries | Bulkier to pack than pinch-bottom |
| Pinch-bottom paper | Flat-folded base, collapses flat | High-volume airline stock | Needs a hand to hold it open |
| Plastic / HDPE | Tubular plastic, with either a rigid mouth ring or a twist closure | Medical, EMS, car travel | Not accepted where paper is specified |
Square-bottom bags are the more forgiving option for passenger use because they stay open on their own. Pinch-bottom bags cost less per unit and take up less space in the seat pocket, which is why they remain the default on many short-haul routes.
Plastic bags dominate the medical side of the market. Where a medical buyer wants a bag that can be twisted shut and locked, or that holds its shape around the mouth, paper cannot match it. If you are buying for a mixed operation, treat the paper and plastic lines as separate purchases rather than variations of one order.
Closure Types
The closure is where cheap bags fail. A bag that opens again in a seat pocket is worse than no bag at all.
| Закрывание | Как это работает | Долговечность | Common on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tin tie (horizontal) | Two wire strips inside folded paper flanges, folded together to seal | Good, reusable fold | Square-bottom stock bags |
| Tin tie (vertical) | Wire strips running down the side gussets | Хорошая | Custom square-bottom runs |
| Wire twist | Single wire tie, twisted closed | Fair | Budget paper bags |
| Adhesive tape seal | Peel-and-stick strip along the top | Fair, single use | Plastic bags, some paper |
| Perforated top | Sealed top with a perforation you tear after use | Good, tamper-evident | Custom runs, medical |
| Rigid ring + twist | Plastic mouth ring, bag twisted and locked into a notch | Отлично | Medical emesis bags |
Airlines running paper bags almost always specify tin ties, because the fold holds without the passenger needing both hands free. Adhesive strips work, but they only give you one attempt at sealing.
Specifications Buyers Ask For
Exact figures vary between suppliers, so treat the numbers below as a market reference point rather than a fixed standard. Ask your supplier for a spec sheet on any bag before you commit to a large run.
| Характеристика | Square-bottom | Pinch-bottom |
|---|---|---|
| Размеры | 5″ × 3⅛″ × 9.5″ | 5″ × 3″ × 9″ |
| Outer material | 60 gsm bleached kraft paper | 40 lb bleached kraft paper |
| Внутренняя подкладка | 20 gsm PE film | 1 mil polyethylene |
| Основа | Heat-sealed square | Heat-sealed pinch |
| Закрывание | Horizontal tin tie | Tin ties |
| Packing | 25 per bundle, 1,000 per carton | 1,000 per case |
| Carton weight | About 25 lb | About 20 lb |
Two spec points get missed in first orders. Liner thickness drives leak performance. Carton weight drives freight cost, and on a 1,000-count case a few extra pounds per carton multiplies fast across a pallet.
Capacity and dimensions for medical buyers
Where the bag is going into a clinical setting, capacity matters more than seat-pocket fit.
| Характеристика | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Вместимость | About 1,000 mL (roughly 36 fl oz) |
| Graduated markings | Printed volume lines in mL and oz |
| Материалы | PE, PP or HDPE plastic |
| Закрывание | Rigid ring with twist lock, or drawstring |
| Latex | Latex-free as standard |
| Absorbent option | Gel pad at the base that solidifies liquid |
A gel-pad bag costs more per unit than a plain one, and for airline use it is usually unnecessary. In a clinical setting the pad earns its cost because it controls odour during transport.
Compliance: FAA Flammability and Government NSN Specs
Two compliance references come up repeatedly when airlines and government buyers write specifications.
FAA flammability
Materials used in aircraft interiors fall under flammability requirements, and the reference that shows up on aircraft-grade sickness bag specifications is Federal Aviation Regulation Part 25, Subpart D, Section 25.853(a). If a buyer asks whether your bags comply, that is the section they mean. The claim attaches to the materials themselves, so it has to come from the mill and the converter rather than from a trading company repeating it.
Government NSN specs
In the US federal supply system, motion sickness bags carry National Stock Numbers. NSN 8105-00-835-7212 is one example, describing a white plastic motion sickness bag. A buyer who cites an NSN is looking for a bag that matches that item, which usually comes down to a specific material and dimension rather than a general paper bag.
If you are quoting on a government or flag-carrier tender, ask for the exact FAR section or NSN in the specification before you price it. Bags that look identical can fail a spec check on material or dimension alone.
Printing and Branding Options
Stock bags are usually blank white. Once you add printing, the run becomes a custom order and both the minimum quantity and the lead time change.
| Опция | Примечания |
|---|---|
| Colour printing | Commonly up to six colours |
| Размещение логотипа | Front panel, base, or the flap |
| Полное заполнение | Possible on plastic, harder on uncoated kraft |
| Volume markings | Printed graduation lines for medical use |
| Safety messaging | Instructions for use, printed internally |
| Perforated sealed top | Tamper-evident closure with printed tab |
| Variable dimensions | Non-standard sizes need a new die |
Two practical constraints shape custom orders. Uncoated kraft absorbs ink, so fine detail and bright brand colours print better on a coated or lined stock. And any change to the bag's dimensions means a new cutting die, which is a one-off cost that pays back across the run.
How Airlines and Operators Buy Them
Purchasing in this category looks more like industrial procurement than retail shopping, which is why the search terms buyers use rarely include the word wholesale.
| Этап | What happens | Realistic timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Характеристика | Buyer fixes dimensions, material, closure and printing | 1–2 weeks |
| Выборка | Pre-production samples checked against spec | 1–3 weeks |
| Порядок | Run confirmed, often with a first-article approval | — |
| Производство | Custom runs typically around a month; reorders faster | About 1 month |
| Доставка | Sea freight for large runs, air freight only for shortfalls | Varies by port |
| Order type | Typical minimum | Примечания |
|---|---|---|
| Stock bags | 1,000 (one carton) | Fastest route, no printing |
| С индивидуальной печатью | 10,000 | MOQ is set by the printing setup |
| New dimensions | Higher than custom printed | Requires a new cutting die |
A common first-order mistake is to treat stock availability as evidence that custom pricing will be similar. Stock prices reflect a long run that was amortised years ago. Custom pricing starts from the setup cost of your own run, and the two are not comparable.
Air Sickness Bag FAQ
Do airlines still carry sickness bags?
Yes. They remain standard in seat-back pockets on most scheduled services, and operators replace them as part of the cleaning cycle whether or not they were used.
What is the difference between an air sickness bag and an emesis bag?
The construction is similar and the job is the same. Emesis bags are the clinical version, generally plastic with a rigid mouth ring, graduated volume markings and often a gel absorbent pad. Airline bags are more often paper with a tin tie, because they need to fold flat into a seat pocket.
Can you print our logo on sickness bags?
Yes. The bag surfaces are flat, which makes them easier to print than a gusseted or windowed envelope. The main constraint is the minimum run, since the printing setup has to be amortised across the order.
What is the smallest order you would quote on?
For plain stock the practical floor is one carton, usually 1,000 bags. For printed bags the minimum is driven by the printing setup rather than the bag itself.
How long does a custom run take?
Budget around a month for production on a first custom order, plus shipping. Reorders on an unchanged specification move faster because the die and the artwork are already set up.
Do we need to specify a FAR section?
Only if the bags are going into an aircraft interior. Buyers who do reference it usually cite FAR Part 25, Subpart D, Section 25.853(a). If your specification does not mention it, confirm with the airline before you order.
Заключение
An air sickness bag is a small, unglamorous product where the specification does most of the work. Every choice you make, from the base style to the closure, trades cost against how the bag behaves at the moment a passenger actually needs it.
If you are sourcing for an airline, a rail operator or a healthcare supplier, the useful next step is to write down the four things that decide the price: dimensions, material and liner, closure, and whether you need printing. With those settled, quotes from different suppliers become comparable. You can send us your specification and get a quote, or read more about how custom manufacturing works and the printing and finishing options available for volume orders. For operators buying on a scheduled cycle rather than a one-off, our оптовые и крупные page covers reorder terms.