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Parafilm versus PVC grafting tape

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have typed parafilm into amazon.co.uk and the first row is a PVC roll. Parafilm versus PVC grafting tape is that mismatch: the maker’s sheet describes a wax and polyolefin film, and several titles here print the word on PVC or polyethylene. The eleven listings cost £4.69 to £7.39. Named Parafilm from the Agroforestry Research Trust is £13 and is not one of them. The rows stay on the [grafting tape comparison](/hub/garden-tree-and-hedge-shears/grafting-tape). Peter F. compared the material lines on 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Buy the wax wording when you want that wording, and buy PVC or polyethylene when you will cut the film off.

You have typed parafilm into amazon.co.uk and the first row is a PVC roll.

Our top picks

Bailinks Bailinks (2 polyethylene rolls)

Best overall

Bailinks Bailinks (2 polyethylene rolls)
7.3/10about £5.89
View offer
SKYPRO SKYPRO (PVC 100 m)

Best value

SKYPRO SKYPRO (PVC 100 m)
7.1/10about £4.99
View offer
Detetap Detetap (polyolefin roll)

Rank 3

Detetap Detetap (polyolefin roll)
7.5/10about £5.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What the wax film is
  2. 2.PVC that still says parafilm
  3. 3.Polyethylene is a third line
  4. 4.What you do with each after the union swells

What the wax film is

Amcor’s sheet describes a blend of waxes and polyolefins, about 127 µm, that seals when stretched. That thickness is not a measurement of any ASIN here. The Agroforestry Research Trust sells Parafilm at £13 for 1 inch by 90 feet and says it falls away in summer. None of that is a result for the PVC bullets below. Detetap, B08SWC1NJ6, is the only listing whose bullets say polyolefin and a little wax: 3 cm by 100 m, £5.99, 4.2 from 201 reviews. The material field says polyethylene. The title does not say parafilm. A UK review says it will not stick together or tie tightly.

PVC that still says parafilm

SKYPRO, B09XB1989X, is the long stated PVC roll: 2 cm by 100 m, £4.99, 4.3 from 209 reviews. The title says bio-degradable and the material line says PVC. UK texts mention an apple graft, no adhesive, and a branch that wind pulled free. You cannot buy the title as a film that falls away. kcrnw at £6.89 is 10 g, with parafilm in the title and PVC in the bullets. SwiftCartSZH is 20 g. Both METERXITY packs share one 4.2 from 30. None of those bullets says wax and polyolefin.
Bailinks Bailinks (2 polyethylene rolls)

Testsieger

Bailinks Bailinks (2 polyethylene rolls)
7.3/10about £5.89
View offer

Polyethylene is a third line

Bailinks prints polyethylene: two rolls, about 100 m by 3 cm, £5.89, 4.5 from 100 reviews. A UK note of about 50 apple grafts says the first turn slips, and another roll had fused. There is no decay test behind the biodegradable bullet. University of Florida’s general note says polyethylene tape needs wax, while Parafilm is described as water tight. That note is not a test of this ASIN. Wufaa prints polyethylene too, with parafilm in the title and 5.0 from one review and no paragraph. Yurifaz prints PVC and PE and says not water resistant. ACKKOR’s sleeves are neither film.

What you do with each after the union swells

The Trust’s summer fall-away is not evidence for the PVC or ordinary polythene here. Those listings have no decay test. Slit a wrap that bites into bark. The Royal Horticultural Society allows polythene strips on a chip bud. They are an allowed tie, and they are not named Parafilm. You still remove them when the bud swells, or when a callus is clearly visible at about eight weeks. The first turn is on how to use grafting tape. Choose Detetap’s bullets when you want polyolefin and a little wax on the page. Choose SKYPRO or Bailinks when you will cut the film off.

Common questions

What is Parafilm made of, on the maker’s sheet?
Amcor’s sheet describes a proprietary blend of waxes and polyolefins, about 127 µm, that stretches and seals to itself, with a moisture barrier, and storage at about 4–21°C. That thickness is not a measurement of any listing here. The Agroforestry Research Trust sells a Parafilm roll at £13 for 1 inch by 90 feet and says it falls away in summer on their account. That roll is outside this set.
Which listing prints polyolefin and wax?
Detetap’s bullets say polyolefin and a little wax, on one roll stated as 3 cm by 100 m at £5.99. The material field on the same listing says polyethylene. The title does not say parafilm. A UK review says it will not stick together or tie tightly. Those three facts stay together. The bullets do not make the ASIN into Amcor Parafilm.
Which listings print PVC and still say parafilm or biodegradable?
kcrnw and SwiftCartSZH put parafilm and biodegradable in the title and PVC in the bullets, at 10 g and 20 g. SKYPRO’s title says bio-degradable and the material line says PVC, on a stated 2 cm by 100 m roll. Both METERXITY packs and shweehon print PVC without a wax line. The two METERXITY star lines are one shared 4.2 from 30.
How is polyethylene different on the page from PVC?
Bailinks and Wufaa print polyethylene. Bailinks is about 100 m by 3 cm on two rolls, with a biodegradable bullet and no decay test. Wufaa’s title still says parafilm. Yurifaz prints PVC and PE together and the table says not water resistant. Plastic is not one bucket. A polyethylene tie may still need wax on cuts the film does not close.
Will a biodegradable claim on PVC mean the film falls away?
No. There is no decay test in these files for SKYPRO, kcrnw or SwiftCartSZH. The word is part of the description. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9, the description is part of satisfactory quality. It is not a composting standard, and it is not the Trust’s account of their own Parafilm.
Does electrical tape or ordinary polythene have to be cut off?
Yes, once the graft has taken, if it is biting or if it will not decay. Orchard Link says electrical tape must come off. The PVC and polyethylene listings here have no decay test. Cut a wrap that girdles swelling bark. The Royal Horticultural Society’s removal cues still apply: a visible callus at about eight weeks, or a swelling bud on a chip.
Does the wax film need grafting wax as well?
Amcor’s sheet describes a moisture barrier that seals when stretched, and the Trust describes their roll as water resistant. If the film you actually bought does not close the top cut, wax that cut. University of Florida’s general note says polyethylene tape needs wax and Parafilm does not. That note is not a test of Bailinks or of Detetap. Look at the union, not at the title.

Related pages

Grafting tape buying guide

Best grafting tape

Grafting tape

Grafting tape for fruit trees: March apples and pears

How to use grafting tape: stretch, overlap, bud out

Sources

Public sources used for graft timing, removal, the Parafilm description, plant health and the Consumer Rights Act. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 21 October 2026. Named Parafilm at £13 is outside this set.

  1. RHS — grafting ornamental plants and fruit trees (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  2. RHS — chip budding (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  3. RHS — T-budding (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  4. Orchard Link — bench-grafting notes (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  5. Agroforestry Research Trust — Parafilm grafting tape (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  6. Amcor — Parafilm grafting tape technical sheet (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  8. UK Plant Health Information Portal (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  9. GOV.UK — plant health controls (retrieved 21.10.2026)