How Bubble Wrap Accidentally Became a Shipping Necessity After Failing as Wallpaper

Lori Dorn
April 3, 2025

Lance Geiger of The History Guy talked about the origins of bubble wrap, noting that it was originally invented in the 1950s to be a tactile wallpaper. This design failed as wallpaper, but it did turn out to be the perfect lightweight protective material for shipping goods around the world.

Would the world of e-commerce today even be possible were it not for humble inventions from our past? Before the world could embrace online ordering, products needed protective packaging.

Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.