Two gel ice packs of the same weight can differ several times in price; the sticker does not show how many uses a pack survives, what freight costs or what refreezing takes. That is why price is compared as cost per use.

What sets the price

  • Film: thin film is cheap but punctures easily; thick film with sound seams costs more and is used again and again. A punctured pack becomes single-use, and its gel can reach the goods in the box.
  • Fill: the composition of the gel decides at what temperature the pack freezes and melts; different mixes serve chilled and frozen goods.
  • Format: a soft pack follows the shape of the goods and fills voids, while a hard-shell plate keeps its shape.
  • Order quantity and delivery location: packs are heavy, and a cheap pack from a distant supplier becomes expensive with freight.

Cost per use

Cost per use = (purchase + freight) / accepted uses + freezing energy and labour. Hypothetical example: a 10-unit pack that punctures after ten uses costs 1.00 per use; a 45-unit pack that survives sixty uses costs 0.75. Ask in writing for the number of uses together with the conditions it was measured under, and track a group of your own packs, recording leaks and deformation after each trip.

Freezing capacity is the hidden line: packs must refreeze after every round, and where the freezer falls short, more packs are not the thing to add. For GEBHARDT eutectic plates freezing time ranges from 8 to 24 hours depending on the cooling technology, and capacity is calculated with that time. Four figures are enough for the decision: shipments per year, packs per shipment, uses each pack survives and freezing capacity.