PET Strap vs PP Strap: Which Load Needs Which

Published 20 October 2026 · By Ranjeet Kumar, Proprietor, Solution Enterprises

Short answer: use PP (polypropylene) strap for light cartons and bundles that travel short distances indoors. Use PET (polyester) strap for heavy or rigid pallets, long journeys, export containers and anything stored outdoors. PET is stronger and keeps its tension as a load settles; PP stretches more and slackens. Price per kilogram favours PP, but the cost that matters is the cost of a load that arrives loose.

We make PET strap and not PP, so weigh our view accordingly. There are plenty of loads where PP is the right answer, and we say so below.

The one property that decides most cases

Every strapped load moves after it is strapped. Cartons compress, bags settle, vibration on the road beds the load down a few millimetres. A strap that was tight at the dock either follows that movement and stays tight, or it goes slack.

PET is stiff and has low elongation. Once tensioned, it holds that tension over days and weeks, which is why it has replaced steel on most heavy industrial loads. PP stretches much more on application and relaxes afterwards; it keeps some residual tension on a load that compresses, but loses a large share of its applied tension over time. On a short local run that loss rarely matters. Inside a container for three weeks, it does.

Side by side

Question	PP strap	PET strap
Strength	Light to medium	Medium to very high
Stretch on tensioning	High	Low
Holds tension over a long journey	Poorly	Well
Sun, heat, moisture	Weakens with UV and heat	Tolerates them far better
Weight per metre (same size)	About a third lighter	Heavier (density ~1.38 vs ~0.91)
Price per kg	Lower	Higher
Typical tools	Hand, battery and full-automatic machines	The same range, set up for PET

When PP is the right choice

• Bundling cartons, books, printed matter or folded corrugated on a line that runs all day.
• Light parcels and retail goods moving within a city or a day’s drive.
• Loads that stay indoors and are unstrapped within a few days.
• Soft goods that would be marked by a stiff strap tensioned hard.

When PET is the right choice

• Palletised loads of tiles, stone, glass, metal sections, auto components or bagged material.
• Any export container, where the load sits tensioned for weeks with nobody to re-tighten it.
• Loads stored in an open yard before despatch.
• Anywhere steel strap is used today — PET does the job without sharp ends or rust stains, and is far safer to cut on the receiving dock (see PET strap vs steel strap).

The price comparison people usually get wrong

PP is cheaper per kilogram and, being lighter, gives more metres per kilogram as well — roughly one and a half times as many at the same width and thickness (the arithmetic is in PET strap roll length per kg). So per pallet it can look much cheaper.

That comparison only holds if both straps finish the journey doing their job. If a PP strap has slackened by the time the container is opened, the saving is gone in one damaged pallet. The useful comparison is cost per pallet that arrives intact, which is why many factories keep both: PP for inner bundles, PET for the final pallet.

Do not mix them on one tool without checking

PP and PET need different tension settings and sealing parameters. A friction-weld head set for PP will make weak joints on PET, and the reverse. Before switching material on a machine or a battery tool, confirm with the tool maker that it is rated for the strap and width you plan to use. A joint is usually the weakest point of the strap, whatever the material.

Strap and corner protection go together

PET’s higher tension is also more likely to cut into carton edges. Paper edge protectors under the strap spread that tension along the whole edge and turn the corners into load-bearing columns — see pallet stacking strength and edge protectors. If you are moving to PET, specify the two together.

For widths and how we specify PET for a given load, start with the PET strap size chart or send your pallet details from the PET strap page.

Sources

• Elongation, tension retention and typical uses of PP, PET and steel: Industrial Packaging, The Top 3 Types of Strapping Material and Their Uses; APG, PP Strapping vs PET Strapping.
• Density of PET (~1.38 g/cm³) and PP (~0.90–0.91 g/cm³): Standard Polymer; Polymer Facts.
• Tool and sealing compatibility between PP and PET: APG and Industrial Packaging, as above.

General guidance. Break strength and the number of straps must be specified against your actual load weight and transport conditions.