The best packaging tape dispensers

We reviewed the most popular water activated packaging tape dispensers on the market. Here is what we thought of each one.

For most customers, all you need to apply packaging tape is a wet sponge. Simply cut the tape to your desired length. Then wet your sponge and apply moisture to the non-printed side of the tape to activate the adhesive. Once the adhesive is activated you can apply the tape to your desired surface. We include a free sponge with every order to help you get started using your packaging tape.

As your business grows, you may find it helpful to use a packaging tape dispenser to automate your shipping process. We reviewed 4 options that vary in price from $110 to $1,300.

Packer 3S

The Packers 3S is a manual tape dispenser.

It’s compact, which makes it easy to move from one location to another.

The water reservoir in the front is easy to fill and is the only setup required to start using the dispenser.

With the tape loaded and fed through the dispenser, pull the tape over the water brush to activate the adhesive and then lift up to cut it with the blade.

We noticed that feeding the tape through the dispenser can be difficult, and grabbing the tape so close to the water brush will usually leave you with adhesive on your fingers. And if you don’t manually run the tape over the brush, you’ll likely end up with some weak spots when you apply it.

The process of cutting the tape isn’t very smooth either and doesn’t always give the cleanest cut.

At $110, the Packer 3S is the least expensive tape dispenser on the market.

It’s a small upgrade from using a sponge, but only if you’re consistently doing 10 - 20 packages per day.

BP 333

The BP 333 is another manual tape dispenser.

While it’s not as compact as the Packer 3S, it can still be easily moved.

The machine itself was a little tricky to set up, but easy to use once we got it going.

It features a large water tank which means you’ll be able to dispense plenty of tape before refilling.

The water brushes and the pressure plate work together to ensure each strip of tape is fully coated with water - giving your tape maximum sticking power.

The tape is easily loaded through the back of the dispenser.

The mechanism on the left of the machine, allows you to set a determined length for the tape.

To dispense the tape, simply pull down on the lever... and then release to cut it.

There is an optional heater attachment you can buy to ensure optimal tape performance - even in cold environments.

At $430, the BP 333 is on the higher end of manual tape dispensers. While it isn’t cheap, it is a huge upgrade from both the Packer 3S and the sponge method. And for less than half the cost of an electronic dispenser, the BP 333 gives you great efficiency for a great value.

We recommend the BP 333 for anyone doing up to 100 packages per day.

BP 555

The BP 555 is an electronic tape dispenser.

The machine itself is fairly easy to set up and easy to use.

There is a wide opening that makes loading and unloading the tape easy. The water tank is large and has a sealed cap designed to avoid spills. It also features a built-in water heater.

The BP 555 dispenses tape at an incredible speed. Each piece is fully coated with water to create a strong bond.

The numbers on the left side tell the machine how many inches to cut the tape. There are additional controls which allow you to adjust the length if you need something other than the standard options. There’s also a manual feed button which will dispense the tape until you let go. And with the repeat button, you can simply repeat the last length that was selected.

The automatic version of this model can automatically dispense a new piece of tape at the same length once the previous piece is removed. You can also program it to repeat 2 or 3 lengths, if you have something that requires a variety of tape lengths.

All automatic versions of the BP 555 are compatible with two optional attachments:

The AMD 1 is an automatic measuring device. Using high frequency sound waves, it measures the length of a package, then dispenses the appropriate length of tape, including the flaps - which you can easily program.

There’s also an optional foot pedal which works alongside the AMD, to free up your hands when dispensing the tape.

At around $1,000, the BP 555 is in the mid-range of electronic tape dispensers.

The optional automatic measuring device costs around $260, and the foot pedal costs around $60.

The programmable features and the optional attachments make the BP 555 one of the most powerful dispensers on the market. While you might not need every feature it has to offer, it would be hard to find a more efficient dispenser. The high price tag is worth it, if you are doing more than 50 packages per day, and especially worth it if you are working with packages of varying sizes. If the BP 555 is within your price range, we recommend going with one of the automatic versions to take full advantage of this machine’s efficiency.

BP 755

The BP 755 is another electronic tape dispenser.

The machine features a low profile design and a large top hatch for easy loading. The water tank is large, but it has a small opening and no sealed cap - this made it difficult to fill up and disassemble without spilling a lot of water.

There is a built-in water heater, which can be controlled by lifting up the front hatch.

This machine is very easy to set up and use. With the tape loaded and the water tank filled, simply choose your desired length, in inches, and the machine will dispense, wet, and cut a strip of tape.

There are automatic versions of the BP 755 available to make things more efficient.

At around $1,300, the BP 755 is in the high-range of electronic tape dispensers.

Unless the low profile design is an important feature for you, we don’t recommend this dispenser. Despite the higher price tag, the BP 755 is actually less efficient than the BP 555 and doesn’t offer nearly the same amount of features.

Conclusion

In summary, many people will find a wet sponge sufficient until they’re processing more than 20 packages per day. At that point, you may want to try the BP 333. If your volume grows beyond 100 packages per day then the BP 555 is worth the investment.

With easy ordering and fast delivery, Sticker Mule is the internet’s favorite place to get custom packaging tape.