What Is a Stabilo® (Quad Seal) Bag, and Is It Right for Your Product?

A Stabilo^® or quad seal bag is a block bottom stand up pouch with four vertical corner seals that give it a square, carton-like shape and a stable base on the shelf. Rovema invented the forming process for this bag style so brands could get the look of a folding carton with the cost and flexibility of a film pouch. It is the most common premium format for retail coffee.

If you are a regular reader and already up to date on this series, skip the next two paragraphs. Otherwise, here is the quick context.

This is part 5 of our Brown Bag Blog Series. Across the series, we walk through the bag style options available on your Rovema VFFS machine. Each post is short and to the point, the way a brown bag webinar or a quick in-person meeting would be.

We see it often: teams choose VFFS bag styles by default, without weighing the options. It looks like a small detail. Over the life of a line, it is not. Matching the right bag style to your product protects appearance, material cost, and throughput, so we built this series to make that decision easier.

Here is what we have covered so far:

1. Block Bottom Bags
2. Gusseted Pillow Bags
3. Flex Can Stand Up Pouches
4. Sachet Style Packages

Want the Full Picture? Our Bag Style Guide Is a Free Resource to Help You Decide

These posts are a good starting point for finding the right bag style for your Rovema VFFS machine. If you want more detail, our bag style guide is a free resource with charts that compare the strengths and trade-offs of each style side by side.

Download the Rovema VFFS Bag Style Guide here.

Stabilo® and Quad Seal Bags: Carton-Style Shelf Presence on a VFFS Bagger

What Is a Stabilo® or Quad Seal Package?

A Stabilo^® or quad seal package is a block bottom stand up pouch with four seals, one running up each vertical corner. That is where the name quad seal comes from. Rovema invented the forming process to give the bag the stability and squared shape of a paperboard carton in a flexible film format.

The format is common for premium retail coffee. Like any stand up pouch, it has strong shelf presence, and marketing teams choose it for the full front and back panels available for graphics.

How Is a Stabilo® or Quad Seal Bag Designed and Formed?

The Stabilo^® bag gets its shape from four seals, one at each vertical corner, formed through Rovema's patented process. The result is a squared, carton-like profile with the stability of a folding carton and the cost and flexibility of film.

To get a clean premium finish on these stand up pouches, Rovema recommends a film with an outer sealant layer. This lets the VFFS machine tack the top and bottom gussets during sealing, so the gusset ears stay flat instead of flaring at the sides. The gable top holds its form and the block bottom stays square once the bag reaches the shelf.

Other design features of the Stabilo^® bag include:

• An optional offset vertical seal, which allows for full front and back panel exposure for graphics.
• Easy open and reclosable options, such as tin tie or tape.
• The option to fit a one-way degassing valve during the bagging process, which prevents pressure build-up in packages of whole coffee beans as the beans continue to de-gas.

What Are the Advantages of a Stabilo® or Quad Seal Package?

The main advantages of a Stabilo^® or quad seal package are premium shelf presence and a stable stand-up base. The four corner seals create defined edges and full front and back display panels, and Rovema's patented sealing process is what holds that squared, carton-like shape on the shelf.

The format is also flexible to customize for your product. You can add easy-open and reclosable features, tack the top and bottom gussets for a cleaner finish, or fit a one-way degassing valve so fresh-roasted coffee beans can continue to de-gas, all without losing the bag's shape.

What Are the Trade-Offs and Considerations of a Quad Seal Package?

The main trade-offs of a Stabilo^® or quad seal bag are higher material use, higher film cost, slower speeds than pillow bags, and reduced recyclability from the outer sealant layer that holds the bag's shape. These are worth weighing against the premium look the format delivers.

When you are deciding whether this style fits your product, these are the questions we ask customers to think through:

1. Am I willing to accept a higher package-material-to-product ratio? The premium look and stable base require more packaging material.
2. How important is recyclability? The outer sealant layer that aids package stability may prevent recyclability.
3. How critical is high speed? For high-speed runs, look at the Gusseted Pillow Bag or another pillow bag variation.
4. Am I willing to spend more on the premium film that produces this bag's appearance?

What Products Are Best Suited for a Stabilo® or Quad Seal Package?

Stabilo^® or quad seal packages work best for products that benefit from a premium retail look and a stable shelf presence. In our experience, customers running Rovema VFFS machines most often choose this style for:

• Coffee Packaging (the most common use, since the format accepts a one-way degassing valve during bagging)
• Snack Packaging
• Baked Good Packaging
• Short Cut Pasta Packaging
• Infant and Baby Formula Packaging

Think a Stabilo® Bag Might Fit Your Product? Let's Talk It Through

Choosing a bag style can feel like a lot to weigh, and we are glad to help. If a quad seal package looks like a fit for your product, or if you are leaning toward one of the other bag style options available, we will help you compare them for your VFFS bagger.

To learn more about running Stabilo^® or quad seal bags, or about the Rovema VFFS machines that produce them, get in touch.