FIBC bags fall into three groups: construction types (U-panel, circular, four-panel and baffle), lifting configurations(four-loop, one-loop, two-loop and combination designs)
If you are working out which combination your product needs, our companion guide How to Choose the Right FIBC for Your Product and Industry [internal link] walks through the selection process
FIBC types by construction
The body construction determines how the bag behaves when filled: its shape, pallet fit, container utilisation and print options.
U-panel FIBC bags
One main piece of fabric forms the base and two opposite sides, with two added panels completing the body. The U-panel is the industry’s general-purpose Bag: strong, versatile and compatible with liners, coating and virtually every top and bottom combination.
Best for: powders and granules across food, feed, chemicals, mining and plastics.
Consider it when you need a dependable all-round construction and strict square-shape retention is not essential.
Circular (tubular) FIBC bags
Woven as a continuous tube, so the body has no vertical seams. This suits free-flowing products and removes seam-related leakage points, though a seamless body alone does not make a bag dust-proof; containment still depends on coating, closures and the liner.
Best for: fertiliser, resins, plastic granules, grains and other free-flowing materials.
Consider it when the product flows freely and a standard industrial or export bag is required.
Four-panel FIBC bags
Four separate side panels stitched to a base create a defined square footprint with clean, flat faces. The construction holds its filled shape well and gives the best print positioning of the standard designs.
Best for: products where filled presentation, branding or a precise footprint matters.
Consider it when the bag is customer-facing, or the end customer specifies a square profile.
Baffle (Q) FIBC bags
Internal fabric panels across the corners stop the bag bulging outwards during filling, so the filled bag stays rectangular. Better pallet fit, tighter container stuffing and lower freight cost per tonne. Baffle openings must suit the product’s flow behaviour; badly designed baffles slow filling or trap material during discharge.
Best for: food ingredients, fine powders and high-volume exports where container economics matter.
Consider it when pallet overhang, warehouse space or shipping cost per tonne is under pressure.
Twin FIBC bags
Two bag bodies joined and handled as a single unit, so one lifting operation moves two smaller filled volumes. This keeps bulk-handling efficiency while delivering the product in smaller unit weights.
Best for: products supplied in part-tonne quantities where full-size bags exceed the end user’s batch or handling limits.
Consider it when the receiving operation needs smaller unit weights but the supply chain still runs on bulk handling.
Ventilated FIBC bags
Woven with ventilation strips or breathable fabric so air circulates through the packed product, preventing trapped heat and moisture during storage and transit.
Best for: potatoes, onions, other breathable produce and firewood.
Consider it when the product needs airflow; avoid it wherever contents need protection from humidity or dust.
Asbestos sheet FIBC bags
Elongated, oversized bags dimensioned to take corrugated asbestos-cement sheets and similar hazardous waste, typically liner-fitted, printed with the required warnings and supplied UN-certified where transport regulations demand it. Containment and correct marking are the whole point of the design.
Best for: asbestos removal, demolition and regulated hazardous-waste disposal.
Consider it when sheets or hazardous waste must be packed, sealed and transported under asbestos-handling regulations.
FIBC types by lifting and handling
Loop design matters because the filler and the final customer often run different equipment, and the lifting arrangement is part of the tested design.
Four-loop bags: corner loops and cross-corner loops
The standard arrangement is a loop at each corner, lifted by forklift, crane or frame using all four loops — but the loops themselves come in two styles.
Corner loops are sewn into the corner seams and lie relatively flat.
Cross-corner loops are stitched diagonally across each corner so the loops stand open on the filled bag, letting a forklift driver spear all four without leaving the cab.
Best for: general industrial use across almost every sector.
Consider cross-corner loops when single-operator forklift handling speed matters; corner loops when crane or frame lifting dominates.
One-loop FIBC bags
A single lifting point formed from the bag’s own fabric, allowing one operator with a hook or single-tine lift to move bags quickly. The simplified construction also makes one-loop bags economical at high volumes.
Best for: fertiliser, seed, grain and other agricultural products handled at speed.
Consider it when filling and field handling are built around single-point lifting.
Two-loop FIBC bags
Two lifting points on opposite sides, suited to tine or twin-hook handling common in agricultural and fertiliser supply chains.
Best for: fertiliser and agricultural distribution systems designed for two-point handling.
Consider it when the receiving operation runs two-point equipment as standard.
4+1 and 4+2 loop bags
Combination designs: four corner loops for one part of the supply chain, plus an additional single or double lifting arrangement for the other. They exist for the practical reason that during the transportation the handling equipment might change.
Best for: export supply chains where handling methods change en route.
Consider it when the bag must work with two different lifting systems between filling and final discharge.
Tunnel lift FIBC bags
Fabric sleeves on opposite sides of the bag take the forklift tines directly, with no loops to thread. Handling is fast, needs less headroom than loop lifting, and keeps the tines away from the bag body.
Best for: high-throughput warehouse and factory operations built around forklift movement.
Consider it when every bag movement is by forklift and cycle time per lift matters.
Stevedore straps
Additional straps threaded through the four main loops so the bag can be picked up by a single crane hook. They convert a standard four-loop bag to one-point lifting without redesigning the bag.
Best for: ship loading, port handling and any crane operation working by single hook.
Consider it when bags move through stevedore or breakbulk handling at any point in the journey.