Vacuum sealer bags vary more than they look. The texture of the plastic, the width of the roll and whether the bag has a valve all decide which machine it works with. If you own a vacuum sealer or are about to buy one, read on to work out which bags your sealer needs, when a roll makes more sense than pre-cut bags, and where reusable bags and jar sealers come in.
What to look for
01Do you need embossed or smooth vacuum sealer bags?
If your sealer has you lay the open end of the bag in a slot and close the lid over it, it needs embossed bags. That slot design is an external, or edge, sealer, the usual type for home kitchens, and its pump pulls air out through the mouth of the bag. The raised pattern on one side of an embossed bag leaves channels for the air to escape; a smooth bag can press flat against itself and trap air inside. Smooth bags are made for chamber sealers, larger machines that take the air out of a whole chamber with the bag sitting inside it. The Anysea rolls are sold as heavy duty embossed, which is what an external sealer needs. If a bag listing doesn't say embossed, textured or suitable for external sealers, check before you buy a box of them.
02What width of vacuum sealer roll fits your machine?
A roll or bag must be no wider than your machine's seal bar, or the heat seal won't reach across it. Measure the seal strip inside the lid, or check the maker's figure, and buy rolls at or below that width. The Anysea set, for example, has 6 rolls in 3 widths, one 15cm, two 20cm and three 28cm, each 300cm long, so check your seal bar before relying on the widest. Narrow rolls suit a wedge of cheese or 2 chicken breasts with less plastic wasted, and wide rolls take a joint of meat or a flat pack of mince for the freezer. The Inkbird's pre-cut bags are 8 x 11.8 inches, roughly 20 x 30cm. Leave a few centimetres of empty bag above the food so the machine has room to grip and seal.
03Rolls or pre-cut bags: which should you buy?
Buy rolls if you seal foods of different sizes, and pre-cut bags if you want speed and seal similar portions each time. With a roll you pull out the length you need, cut it, seal one end to make a bag, then fill it and seal the other end. That makes a cutter useful, and the OidoZac, AutoBaBa, FunceTends, AUTOFU and YASHE sealers all have one built in. The YASHE also has built-in roll storage, and the FoodSaver FFS005X has integrated roll storage with a bag cutter, so the roll sits in the machine ready to pull out. Pre-cut bags come sealed on 3 sides, so you fill them and seal once. Many machines come with a starter supply: the Mesliese has 2 bag rolls and 5 pre-cut bags, the OidoZac 1 roll and 10 bags, and the CJBIN and FunceTends 50 bags each.
04Which bags work with a handheld vacuum sealer?
A handheld vacuum sealer needs zip bags with a built-in one-way valve, because it has no heat bar to seal a plain embossed bag. You close the zip, hold the pump over the valve and it draws the air out. These bags can be washed and used again, which suits cheese, cured meat, sandwiches and marinating in the fridge. The GIRAFFYCO set comes with 30 reusable bags, the RUNQIN mini sealer is USB rechargeable with 10 reusable bags, and the Geliking comes with 10 reusable sous vide bags. The FoodSaver VS3190 covers both kinds of sealing: it is a vacuum sealer machine with a handheld sealer, and it comes with 1 roll, 4 vacuum sealer bags and 4 zipper bags. Valve sizes and positions can differ between brands, so buy replacement valve bags that match your pump.
05When is a jar sealer better than a bag?
A jar sealer is better for food that a bag would crush, or that you open every few days, such as biscuits, crackers, coffee beans and salad. It draws the air out of a mason jar through the lid, and you can open and reseal the jar as often as you like with no plastic to throw away. The Wothfav Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer Kit is electric, works with wide and regular mouth mason jars, and is sold for pickles, jam, salad, overnight oats, dry food and meal prep. The MEGAWISE jar sealer connects to a vacuum sealer through the accessory hose that comes with it, and fits regular and wide mouth mason jars. Check that your machine has an accessory port for the hose before you buy it. Jars take up more cupboard space than flat bags, so bags are still the better fit for the freezer.
Our top picks
Best for stocking up on rolls in 3 widthsAnysea Vacuum Sealer Rolls Vacuum Sealer
Six heavy duty embossed rolls, one 15cm, two 20cm and three 28cm, each 300cm long and BPA-free. The mix of widths lets you cut a small bag for a portion of cheese and a wide one for a joint. Before relying on the 28cm rolls, check your seal bar is at least that long.
Best for sealing from a rollYASHE Vacuum Sealer Machine
YASHE keeps the roll inside the machine and adds a built-in cutter, so making a bag to length is quick. It is an 80KPA sealer with a 130W double pump, a double heat seal, moist and dry modes and a one-touch magnetic lid. Choose it if you mostly buy rolls.
Best for pre-cut bags and wet foodINKBIRD 110W Vacuum Sealer Machine
Inkbird's 110W sealer has liquid, moist and dry settings across 6 food modes, plus a cutter, and it comes with 10 pre-cut bags of 8 x 11.8 inches. The liquid and moist settings are the ones to use for marinated meat and fish. It suits someone who wants to start sealing straight out of the box.
Best for heat-seal and zip bags in one kitFoodSaver Multi-Use Food Preservation System |
![FoodSaver Multi-Use Food Preservation System | Food Vacuum Sealer Machine | with Handheld Sealer, 1 Roll, 4 Vacuum Sealer Bags & 4 Zipper Bags | Silver with Black Accents [VS3190] — Vacuum Sealers deal](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F81iWRraBQJL._SL200_.jpg&w=256&q=75)
This FoodSaver pairs a vacuum sealer machine with a handheld sealer, and comes with 1 roll, 4 vacuum sealer bags and 4 zipper bags. You can heat-seal mince for the freezer and vacuum a zip bag of cheese you'll open again this week. The finish is silver with black accents.
Best for jars instead of bagsMason Jar Vacuum Sealer Kit
An electric mason jar sealer for wide and regular mouth jars, sold for pickles, jam, salad, overnight oats, dry food and meal prep. Jars can be opened and resealed again and again, and nothing gets crushed. Pick it if most of what you want to keep fresh lives in the cupboard rather than the freezer.
Frequently asked
Can I use another brand's bags in my vacuum sealer?
Usually, yes. Machine makers sell their own bags, but generic rolls like the Anysea set are sold as rolls for vacuum sealers generally, with no brand named. Thickness is worth checking too, as thin bags can puncture on bones or sharp edges, so look for heavy duty bags for meat. If a machine's manual names a bag type, start with that.
Can you reuse vacuum sealer bags?
Yes, if the bag held dry or cooked food and is long enough to cut off the old seal and seal it again. Wash it and let it dry fully first. Don't reuse bags that held raw meat or fish, as they are hard to clean well, and throw away any bag with a hole or a thin patch.
Can I use vacuum sealer bags for clothes?
Food sealer bags are too small for most clothes, and the space-saving bags sold for clothes, bedding and travel are a different product. Those have a large valve that you empty with a household vacuum cleaner or a hand pump. Check the valve type and which pump they need before you buy.
How do you vacuum seal soup or other liquids?
Freeze the soup or stock flat in a container or an open bag first, then vacuum seal the frozen block, so no liquid is pulled into the machine. For wet foods that can't be frozen first, such as marinated meat, use a moist or liquid mode if your sealer has one; the Inkbird, OidoZac and Mesliese all list a moist setting. Leave more space than usual above anything wet.
Are vacuum sealer bags safe for sous vide cooking?
Only if the bag is sold as suitable for sous vide or for cooking. The Geliking bags are sold as reusable sous vide bags, and the RUNQIN handheld set lists sous vide cooking among its uses. For any other bag, look for a stated maximum temperature or sous vide use in the listing before it goes into hot water.