Contains Amazon affiliate links. See Disclosure.
Packing tape holds three spots in the Amazon UK DIY and Tools top 30 this morning: Merrimen brown packaging tape at #8, a 6 pack of clear tape rolls at #16 and Packatape brown 6 rolls at #28. With Christmas parcels, online returns and the last posting dates coming up, which tape should you keep in the drawer?
The short answer: for parcels and boxes, buy 48 mm wide parcel tape in a multipack, brown or clear. Add a tape gun if you pack more than a few boxes, choose low noise tape if you pack in a shared house or office, and pick paper tape if you want the whole parcel to go in the recycling.
Last updated: 3 November 2026
On the Amazon UK DIY and Tools chart today: Merrimen brown packaging tape at #8, 6 Pack Cellotape clear rolls at #16 and Packatape brown 6 rolls at #28. This is a practical UK shopping shortlist on amazon.co.uk. It does not invent prices, ratings or claims beyond what the listings state.
Parcel tape rolls
- Merrimen heavy duty brown packaging tape, listed at 45 microns thick and as acrylic based, in 3, 6 and 12 roll packs
- Packatape brown packaging tape, 6 rolls, listed as 48 mm by 66 m rolls, 45 microns thick
- Packatape clear packing tape, 6 rolls, the same 48 mm by 66 m size in clear, useful for sealing over address labels
- tesa low noise parcel tape, brown, 6 rolls, listed as 50 mm by 66 m and unrolling without the usual screech
Paper tape and narrow rolls
- Kraft paper packing tape, 48 mm by 50 m, listed as tearing by hand, taking pen or pencil and going in the recycling bin with the box
- 6 Pack clear tape rolls, 24 mm by 40 m, narrower rolls listed for light parcels, gift wrapping and small repairs
Tape guns and kits
- brackit tape gun with 6 brown rolls, listed with a steel frame, a soft grip handle and a blade cover
- brackit packing tape set with dispenser, listed with 4 brown rolls, 2 Fragile printed rolls and a pistol grip dispenser
- Packing tape dispensers on amazon.co.uk for desktop and bench dispensers
Open the live listing on the day you buy, as roll counts, widths and colours sit under separate listings.
Which tape for which job?
- A few Christmas parcels: one multipack of 48 mm brown or clear rolls
- Selling online or posting most days: a tape gun kit, so you can seal a box one handed
- Heavy boxes or moving house: thicker tape, and run a strip along every seam, not just the middle
- Plastic free parcels: paper tape on a cardboard box with paper padding
- Wrapping presents: the narrow clear rolls, not parcel tape
Packing tips for the post
- Use the H method: one strip along the centre seam and one across each edge, top and bottom
- Cover old labels and barcodes on reused boxes so the parcel is not misrouted
- Stick the address label on flat and only tape over it with clear tape, never brown
- Check your courier or Royal Mail rules on box sizes and weights before you tape up
- Keep the blade cover down on the tape gun when children are helping
Fixing something rather than posting it? See our super glue and repair tape guide.
Use the Amazon product and search links above to compare options on amazon.co.uk. This is a UK shopping shortlist for packing tape, not postal or courier advice.
Timings and Trends is a participant in the Amazon Associates Programme. We may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See Disclosure.