Medical cool bag: insulated shipping bag for medicines
An insulated shipping bag for medicines is a compact, insulating bag in which you ship medicines, samples or other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products inside a cardboard box, together with a coolant. The bag slows down heat from outside, so the temperature in your package changes more gradually. Below you will find what the bag does and does not do. We do not promise compliance with any guideline.
What does a medical cool bag do?
A medical cool bag is an insulated shipping bag or thermal bag for pharmaceutical and medical shipments. The bag is passive and does not cool by itself. It holds on to the cold your gel ice packs or ice packs give off and keeps heat from outside at bay. With the 4-layer and 6-layer bags, a reflective layer of metalized PET or silver foil does the latter, together with air-filled bubble film as an insulating buffer.
The product goes in the bag, the coolant goes with it and everything goes in a cardboard box. Place the gel ice pack on top of the product, because cold air sinks. Fill the bag as well as you can, so that little air remains.
Cool bag for medicines: which size fits?
For a cool bag for medicines, the product data for the smaller bags list these uses: lab samples, medicines, cosmetics and smaller shipments that are sensitive to heat.
| Size | Layers | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 25 x 35 cm | 2 layer | Foam with reflective outer film, white inside, closing strip, opening on the short side |
| 25 x 35 cm | 4 layer | Silver foil, opening on the short side, bag stays upright while filling |
| 25 x 35 cm | 6 layer | Extra insulating layers in the same size |
| 50 x 30 cm | 4 layer and 6 layer | Silver foil, opening on the long side, for wider shipments |
The 2-layer bag is the lightest and thinnest. If you face longer transit times or higher outside temperatures, choose the same size in 4 layer or 6 layer. We do not give a number of hours, because performance depends on the fill, the number of gel ice packs and the outside temperature. You can request a sample.
Thermal bag for medicines or EPS box?
A thermal bag for medicines is a flexible alternative to an EPS box. The bag takes up little storage space, is light and leaves no large crumbly waste stream. In insulation, the 6-layer bag compares well with a thick-walled EPS box. If you are looking for a more rigid solution, there are EPS boxes. Our article insulated bag or EPS box compares both options.
Insulated shipping bag for medicines and GDP
A bag does not come with a certificate. You can read more about the requirements for pharmaceutical transport in what are GDP guidelines. The practice for shipping abroad is in shipping medicines safely chilled abroad.
Choosing the coolant and shipping box
The bag works best with a coolant. Choose ice packs or gel packs for the cooling, or hard cooling elements if you do not want to use gel. The difference between the two is in hard cooling element or gel pack. If you send small, flat shipments by mail, our insulated mailers are the compact alternative.
You can read more about vaccines and biological medicines in shipping vaccines and biological medicines cool.
Which medical shipments is the bag meant for?
The product data list lab samples, medicines and temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products as uses. For the bag, the routine is: product in, coolant added, bag closed and everything in a cardboard box.
The opening decides how practical the packing is. With the 25 x 35 cm bag, the opening is on the short side, so you slide narrow, upright packages into the bag from above. With the 50 x 30 cm bag, the opening is on the long side, so you can place wider shipments or several small packages side by side and spread the gel ice packs across the full width. The 6-layer bags are listed in the product data for medical shipments with stricter temperature requirements.
Would you like to see how an insulated bag behaves before you order a series? Request a sample and compare it with your current packaging.
Frequently asked questions about an insulated shipping bag for medicines
Is a medical cool bag GDP compliant?
We do not promise that. The bag insulates passively. GDP is about your whole chain, your procedures and your measurements.
Does the bag have a closing strip?
All six sizes of the 2-layer bags have a self-adhesive closing strip. Close other versions carefully with tape.
Is a cool bag the same as an insulated bag or thermal bag?
Yes. Cool bag, insulated bag, thermal bag and insulated shipping bag are names for the same product.
Ordering an insulated shipping bag for medicines
View our insulated shipping bags for medicines in 2 layer, 4 layer and 6 layer. Cooled Solutions makes cold chain packaging in its own production since 1972, and the bags are available directly from stock. If you do not know which version fits your shipment, ask for advice or request a sample.
You will find all names in our glossary.
