Flyer Bag Size Guide for Malaysian Sellers: A5, A4, A3 or A2, and What Actually Fits in Each
Short answer: a flyer bag is named after the paper size that lies flat inside it, not after the product it can hold. The moment your item has thickness, it uses up bag width and bag length at the same time. The working rule is: item width plus item thickness must be less than the bag width, and item length plus item thickness must leave about 3 cm for the seal. On that rule an A5 flyer bag suits accessories and small pouches, an A4 suits one or two folded T-shirts, an A3 suits jeans, a hoodie or a small bundle, and a shoebox needs an A2.
The four sizes
These are the four bags in our range. All are white, all have a document pocket on the outside, and all come in packs of 100.
| Bag | Size (width x length) | The paper it is named after |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 180 x 260 mm | A5 paper, 148 x 210 mm |
| A4 | 260 x 330 mm | A4 paper, 210 x 297 mm |
| A3 | 305 x 420 mm | A3 paper, 297 x 420 mm |
| A2 | 430 x 510 mm | A2 paper, 420 x 594 mm |
Two things stand out. Each bag is only slightly larger than its sheet of paper, so the name tells you what fits when the contents are flat. And the names are loose: the A2 bag is shorter than a real A2 sheet. Flyer bag sizes are not standardised between suppliers, so always buy by the millimetres on the listing, not by the letter.
Why a thick item needs a bigger bag than you expect
A flyer bag is two flat sheets joined at the edges. When you put something thick inside, the bag has to wrap round it, and the plastic that goes up and over the sides comes out of the width and the length.
The arithmetic is simple. A bag 26 cm wide has 52 cm of plastic going all the way round. An item 20 cm wide and 3 cm thick needs 46 cm to go round it (20 + 3 + 20 + 3). That fits. An item 20 cm wide and 8 cm thick needs 56 cm. That does not fit, even though 20 cm sounds much smaller than 26 cm.
Halve everything and you get the rule you can use at the packing bench:
- Width check: item width + item thickness must be less than the bag width.
- Length check: item length + item thickness must be less than the bag length minus about 3 cm, because the adhesive flap needs room to fold over and seal flat.
What fits in each bag
Applying that rule to the four sizes, with about 1 cm of slack on the width so the item slides in without a fight:
| Bag | Width + thickness up to | Length + thickness up to | Typical contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| A5 | about 17 cm | about 23 cm | Phone cases, accessories, jewellery pouches, a folded scarf, small cosmetics |
| A4 | about 25 cm | about 30 cm | One or two folded T-shirts, a paperback, a thin stack of A4 documents |
| A3 | about 29 cm | about 39 cm | Jeans, a hoodie, three or four T-shirts, a folded baju kurung set, a towel |
| A2 | about 42 cm | about 48 cm | A shoebox, a jacket, a blanket, a multi-item order |
Three worked examples show how the rule behaves.
A folded T-shirt. Folded to about 25 x 20 cm and 3 cm thick, the width check is 20 + 3 = 23 cm and the length check is 25 + 3 = 28 cm. Both pass on an A4 bag. Add two more shirts and the bundle is 8 or 9 cm thick, the width check becomes 29 cm, and you are in an A3.
A stack of A4 paper. A single contract or a thin catalogue fits an A4 bag, which is what the name promises. A thick stack does not, because the length check is 29.7 cm plus the thickness against a limit of about 30 cm. Documents thicker than a few millimetres go in an A3.
A shoebox. A typical adult shoebox is around 33 x 21 x 12 cm. Put the 33 cm side along the bag: the width check is 21 + 12 = 33 cm, which is over the A3 limit, so an A3 cannot close around it. An A2 passes both checks with room to spare.
Measure your own product once, write the two numbers down, and you never have to guess again.
One size down or one size up
Too small is the worse mistake. A bag that is stretched tight puts the load on the seal and the side seams, and those are the places a flyer bag fails. If you have to pull the flap to make it reach, go up a size.
Too big is the cheaper mistake, but it has a cost. Loose plastic flaps, catches on things during sorting and makes the parcel larger than it needs to be. Fold the excess flat against the parcel and tape it down, so the parcel is a tidy rectangle with the label on a flat face. Couriers charge on size as well as weight, and the volumetric weight guide shows how a soft parcel that is folded down properly stays on its actual weight.
Most shops do not need all four sizes. Look at your last fifty orders. They will usually fall into two groups, a single-item order and a multi-item order, and two neighbouring sizes cover both: A5 and A4 for accessories, A4 and A3 for clothing, A3 and A2 for shoes and bulky items.
What the pocket is for
The pocket is a clear sleeve on the outside of the bag. Paperwork goes into it, so it travels with the parcel without being sealed inside with the goods.
- A consignment note or airway bill, where the courier still uses a paper one.
- An invoice or packing list, which some business customers need to receive goods into their own stock.
- A return form, so the buyer does not have to open the parcel to find it.
If your courier or marketplace prints a thermal sticker label, the label goes directly on the flat face of the bag, not inside the pocket where the film can reflect under a scanner. Keep it away from the folded edges and the seal, so the barcode lies flat.
What a flyer bag does and does not do
A flyer bag does three jobs well. It keeps out rain and dust, which matters on a motorcycle delivery in a monsoon afternoon. The adhesive strip is a permanent seal, so a bag that has been opened shows it. And it adds almost no weight or size to the parcel.
It does not cushion and it does not hold a shape. So:
- Soft goods such as clothing, fabric, towels, bedding and soft toys go straight in.
- Boxed goods can go in a flyer bag as a rain cover and tamper seal, as long as the box is the one doing the protecting.
- Anything fragile needs a carton and cushioning. Our fragile packing guide for online sellers covers the method, and the bubble wrap guide covers which wrap to use.
- Sharp corners cut through the plastic from the inside. Pad the corners of a hard box, or wrap it in a turn of bubble wrap, before it goes in the bag.
- Liquids go in a sealed inner bag first, then a carton.
Large bags can still be refused if the packed parcel is over the courier’s limits. The courier parcel size limits guide lists the figures to check.
Five common mistakes
- Buying by the A-size name. An “A4” bag from one supplier is not the same size as another. Compare millimetres.
- Forgetting thickness. A 20 cm wide item does not fit a 26 cm wide bag if it is 8 cm thick.
- Sealing over a bulge. If the flap does not lie flat, the adhesive holds on a narrow line and peels in transit. Go up a size.
- Leaving the excess loose. Fold it and tape it down.
- Putting the label over a fold or the seal. A creased barcode does not scan, and a hand-sorted parcel is a slower parcel.
Storing the bags
Keep the pack closed, flat and out of direct sun. Heat and dust are what age an adhesive strip, and a store room under a hot roof is the worst place for it. Take out what you need for the day and leave the rest in the pack. Do not peel the liner off the strip until the item is inside and the air has been pressed out.
Checklist
- Measure the packed item: width, length and thickness
- Width + thickness is under the bag width
- Length + thickness leaves about 3 cm for the seal
- Flap closes flat without being pulled
- Air pressed out before sealing
- Excess plastic folded and taped down
- Label on a flat face, clear of folds and the seal
- Paperwork in the pocket, not loose inside
- Fragile, sharp or liquid items in a carton instead
FAQ
What size is an A4 flyer bag in cm?
In our range an A4 flyer bag is 26 x 33 cm, an A5 is 18 x 26 cm, an A3 is 30.5 x 42 cm and an A2 is 43 x 51 cm. Each is a little larger than the paper size it is named after, so that sheet of paper slides in flat. Sizes vary slightly between suppliers, so check the millimetres on the listing instead of relying on the A-size name.
What size flyer bag do I need for a T-shirt?
One or two T-shirts folded to about 25 x 20 cm fit an A4 flyer bag. Three or four T-shirts, a pair of jeans or a hoodie need an A3. The check is simple. Add the thickness of the folded bundle to its width and to its length. The width figure must be under the bag width, and the length figure must leave about 3 cm free for the seal.
Will a shoebox fit in an A3 flyer bag?
Usually not. A typical adult shoebox is around 33 x 21 x 12 cm. Its width plus its height comes to 33 cm, which is more than the 30.5 cm width of an A3 bag, so the bag cannot close around it. An A2 bag at 43 x 51 cm takes it with room to fold the excess down.
What is the pocket on a flyer bag for?
The pocket is a clear sleeve on the outside of the bag that holds paperwork without it going inside with the goods. Sellers use it for a consignment note, an invoice, a packing list or a return form. If your courier prints a thermal sticker label, stick the label on the flat face of the bag and use the pocket for the invoice or leave it empty.
Can I send fragile items in a flyer bag?
Not on its own. A flyer bag keeps out water and dust and shows if it has been opened, but it has no cushioning and no rigid walls, so anything that can crack, dent or bend needs a carton. Soft goods such as clothing, fabric, towels and soft toys are what flyer bags are for. A boxed product can go inside a flyer bag as a rain cover and tamper seal, provided the box itself is doing the protecting.
Where to get them
All four flyer bag sizes are on the shop with current prices, alongside bubble wrap, tape and packing tools and once-used Grade A cartons from RM1.10 for the orders that need a box. Delivery is free on orders above RM300 across KL and Selangor.
Not sure which size suits your product? WhatsApp +60 16-891 6381 or contact us with the packed dimensions of your best seller and we will suggest one. We are open Monday to Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 9am–1pm.