While stackable pallets are quite self-explanatory, it's not always clear what makes a nested pallet different. In essence, it's very simple – nestable pallets sit tightly together when empty, with the 'feet' sitting inside the pallet beneath. The stackable alternative sit on top of each other – and while they may not be as space efficient when empty, they do come into their own when loaded.
As to which plastic pallet is best, well that depends on what you're moving or storing, and where you're doing it.
Here we weigh up the benefits of nestable and stackable pallets and help you decide what's best for your business.
Benefits of a nestable pallet:
Space saving
Reduced freight costs
Cheaper to make and therefore to buy
Sitting closely together, nested pallets save space when stored empty.
Nested pallets sit closely together, saving you space when storing them empty.
Nested pallets can reduce your storage space by as much as four times, since they're designed to fit together much more closely when not loaded. This allows you to stack a higher number of empty pallets without taking up more room, or enables you to reduce storage costs by using a smaller facility.
Your cost savings don't end with storage. Freight costs can be significantly reduced on the return leg, as your shipment requires less space. This is extremely helpful in closed-loop supply chains, where the pallet or crate is recovered by the same organisation without a return load.
Nested crates are also cheaper to make, and this saving is passed on to consumers.
Benefits of stackable pallets:
Save floor space by stacking vertically
Lightweight
Solid platform
Suitable for racking
Storing when loaded or in vertical shelving is possible with stackable pallets.
Stackable pallets are designed for shelving and storage when loaded.
If you want to stack while loaded or store them in racking, stackable pallets are what you need. Popular with warehouse supply chains, their solid base means they can be stored in a variety of shelving configurations and some can be stacked on top of other loaded pallets. They are designed to be strong to enough to manage heavy loads and to remain stable when stacked.
Vertical stacking allows much more of the available storage space to be used, crucial when dealing with large amounts of stock or big items. The base can be designed differently according to its intended use, such as with runners, and stackable pallets also sit closely on top of each other when empty.
Remember that stackable pallets need to be fully supported when loaded and in racking.