Amazon FBA Suffocation Warning Bag Requirements (2026 Seller Guide)
Key takeaways
- Amazon prep bags, also called suffocation warning bags, need the warning when the opening is 5 in or more, measured flat.
- The warning can be printed on the bag or on an attached label; its font size scales with the bag, from 10 to 24 pt.
- FBA bags must also be transparent, fully sealed and 1.5 mil thick.
If you sell on Amazon, few things are more frustrating than a shipment getting held at the fulfillment center over something as small as a plastic bag. Yet suffocation-warning violations are one of the most common — and most avoidable — reasons FBA inventory gets flagged. Here's exactly what Amazon expects in 2026, and how to make sure every bag you ship passes.
The 5-inch rule, in plain English
Amazon requires a suffocation warning on any poly bag, shrink wrap, or plastic film with an opening of 5 inches or greater, measured flat across the opening. If a bag seals your product and its opening meets or exceeds that size, the warning has to be on the bag itself: printed on the film or on a securely attached label. An insert card inside the bag does not count.
What the warning has to say
The warning has to be clearly legible on the outside of the bag as packed. The standard compliance wording most sellers use is:
Warning: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep this bag away from babies and children. Do not use this bag in cribs, beds, carriages, or playpens. This bag is not a toy.
The required text size scales with the bag — the larger the opening, the larger the warning has to be. A small #000 mailer needs a smaller minimum than a 19×24 bag, so “one size of print for everything” is a common way to fail.
| Bag length + width | Minimum warning font |
|---|---|
| Under 30 in | 10 pt |
| 30–39 in | 14 pt |
| 40–59 in | 18 pt |
| 60 in or more | 24 pt |
Sizes as Amazon's poly bag policy is commonly quoted by sellers; confirm the current table in Seller Central.
Which of your bags actually need it
- Poly mailers with a 5″+ opening — which is almost all of them above the smallest sizes.
- Poly bubble mailers (the plastic-skinned kind) at or above 5″.
- Shrink wrap and poly bags used to seal or bundle a unit.
Paper and kraft mailers are not poly film, so the suffocation rule doesn't apply to them the same way — but if you're bagging the product in poly inside a box, that inner bag still needs the warning.
What else the bag must be
- Transparent, so the product and barcode scan through
- Fully sealed: a self-seal adhesive strip is the standard
- Thick enough to survive handling: 1.5 mil is the common spec for FBA prep
Sizing for FBA prep
| Bag size | Typical FBA use |
|---|---|
| 6x8" – 6x9" | Small accessories, cosmetics, cables |
| 8x10" – 10x13" | Folded apparel, books, boxed small goods |
| 10x15" – 12x17" | Hoodies, multi-packs, bundled sets |
| 14x20" – 19x24" | Oversize apparel, bedding, plush |
Most prep operations standardize on two or three sizes and bag everything. It's cheaper than sorting which SKUs technically need the warning.
The mistakes that get shipments flagged
- Relying on an insert card. The warning has to be on the bag, printed or on an attached label, not on a card inside it.
- Stickering by hand at volume. Labels are allowed, but one missed bag can hold up a shipment. Pre-printed bags remove that risk.
- Warning text too small for the bag size.
- The warning covered by a shipping label or product label.
- Assuming small bags are exempt — check the 5″ opening, not the product size.
The easy fix: buy bags that are already compliant
The simplest way to never think about this again is to buy poly mailers and bags that come pre-printed with the suffocation warning to spec. Our FBA Suffocation Warning Bags (also called Amazon prep bags) are printed 1.5 mil self-seal bags in every FNSKU size from 4×6 up to 19×24, in case packs from 250 to 2,500 — compliant out of the box, factory-direct, and shipped from U.S. inventory in 24–48 hours.
If you ship on Amazon regularly, it's worth stocking the sizes you use most and reordering in one click. See the full seller lineup — bags, poly mailers, bubble mailers, tape, and prep supplies — on our For Amazon Sellers page. New customers can take 10% off a first order with code PRONTO10.
Amazon's packaging and prep policies can change — always confirm the current suffocation-warning requirements in Seller Central before committing to a large run.
FAQ
Which poly bags need a suffocation warning for Amazon FBA? Any poly bag, shrink wrap or plastic film with an opening of 5 inches or more, measured flat — which covers almost every poly mailer.
Does the warning text size matter? Yes. Required print size scales with the bag, so a single small print size on every bag is a common way to fail inspection.
What happens if my FBA bags lack the warning? The shipment can be flagged or refused at the fulfillment center and relabeled at your expense — far more costly than buying pre-printed bags.
What are Amazon prep bags? Amazon prep bags are the clear, self-sealing poly bags sellers use to prep units for FBA. They are also called suffocation warning bags, because any bag with an opening of 5 in or more must carry the warning.
Can I use a sticker for the suffocation warning? Yes. Amazon accepts the warning printed on the bag or on a securely attached label, as long as it is legible on the outside of the bag as packed. At prep volume, pre-printed bags cost less than stickering every unit.
Buying at volume?
Our wholesale line sheet publishes per-unit pricing by pallet tier — no quote request needed to see numbers. Want to touch the product first? The $29 sample kit covers six product lines and is credited in full against your first wholesale order.
See the line sheetOrder the $29 sample kit
Questions? Call (619) 703-0245 — we manufacture our poly & bubble mailers in Tijuana and ship from U.S. inventory.