New Product Review: Scotch Box Lock Packaging Tape
by Diana L. Martin
Back in 2018, I wrote a product review on a new line of tape products from a company called T-Rex Tapes. They advertised that their items were ferociously strong - the strongest tapes on the market. You can read that review here: New Product Review: T-Rex Tapes. Fast forward to 2021 and 3M has come out with a new tape to give T-Rex a run for its money. Let’s take a look at the new Scotch Box Lock tape and see how it stacks up.
3M’s main advertising points for this product is that it sticks instantly to any box and is guaranteed to stay sealed. They even go so far as to say that if it doesn’t stay sealed, they will refund the purchase price (proof of purchase required). Other claims are: 1) Easy to find the start of the roll (this is always a biggie for me) 2) Smooth unwind and release 3) Only one strip needed to seal a box 4) Delivers a clean-cut and fall-back tabs help ensure that the tape doesn’t fall back on the roll.
THE TEST....
Our warehouse manager, Tony, was more than willing to test the new product. I gave him two of the smaller rolls (22.20 yds each) to try and asked him to pay particular attention to the main marketing points.
After using the two rolls, he delivered his verdict. He found the tape to be very sticky and had no issues with it not staying stuck to the packages. It worked well on seams and over box edges. True to the advertisement, one strip did indeed seal the boxes. He said that although he didn’t have any trouble finding the start of the roll, it was no different than the normal tape we use in the warehouse. The biggest noticeable difference for Tony between this tape and other tapes we use was the smooth unwind and quiet release. The Scotch Box Lock was easier to use in this respect. His biggest complaint was that the dispenser needs to be larger and that it feels more fragile than the larger ones. In fairness, I did give him the small rolls to test - the product comes in multiple sizes and there are larger rolls with larger dispensers available. You can see the various option on our website here.
I tested it myself and compared it to the T-Rex tapes. The first thing I noticed was that the Scotch Box Lock tape is not as thick as the T-Rex tape. It’s close, but T-Rex is thicker. The question then becomes - does it need to be as thick as the T-Rex? I used it to seal one side of a small box and used the T-Rex tape to seal the other side. Both tapes sealed the box securely with only one strip. Then I tried to remove the tape and open the box. The T-Rex tape was easy to get my fingernail under and pull off the strip. This is both good and bad - it’s good because it’s easy to open the box, but it’s bad for the same reason. I think the thickness of the tape makes the edge pull up easier, which means it could snag on something and potentially pull the strip off during shipping. The Scotch Box Lock tape adhered smoothly and tightly to the box - I had to work at it more to pull a corner of the tape strip off the box in order to open it and I think that’s due to the fact that it isn’t as thick. Even though I say I had to work to pull the strip off, it isn’t difficult to open the box. It’s like Goldilocks - it was just right. I give the edge to the Scotch Box Lock here.
Both tapes are equally sticky - no issues there. Tony was right - the Scotch Box Lock tape does come off the roll very smoothly and quietly. It doesn’t start to unroll and then stick and stutter like other tapes. And, unlike other tapes I’ve used, the fall-back tabs really did work well on this dispenser. My biggest complaint was that, unlike Tony, I had a very difficult time getting the roll started. I tried several rolls out of the pack I got and they were all the same. Maybe it’s just me, but I think I’m a pretty intelligent person and it shouldn’t take that long to get it started. That was the only real flaw I found, and since Tony had no issues and uses packaging tape all day long, I guess I won’t hold it against 3M too much.
THE BOTTOM LINE....
Price-wise, the Scotch Box Lock and T-Rex tapes are about the same. Yes, they cost more than other tapes, but they are both premium tapes, not economy tapes. The extra features and extra price may be worth it to you if you ship a lot of packages daily. If you’re just using it off and on in your office you probably don’t need a premium tape.
Both tapes performed well, but I like the Scotch Box Lock better overall because I found it easier to use and I don’t think the extra thickness of the T-Rex tape is necessary.
I give the Scotch Box Lock tapes a big thumbs up and…………… a 5 paperclip rating!
