I’m a big fan of using thermal printers to help prep my FBA shipments. They’re fast, and since waiting around for labels to print can grind the whole shipping process to a crawl, speed is important.
They also don’t use toner, which is fantastic, because toner is a huge cost of printing with a laser printer.
In terms of both speed and price, thermal label printers are the best option.
However, a good thermal printer is nothing without the right labels for the job. In this post, we’ll explore some of the best label options out there today.
What Size are Amazon FBA Labels?
The first question is, which label size should you be using? The best label size for Amazon FBA will depend on the purpose of the label and the sizes of products you are selling.
Shipping Labels
In my business, and most others, 4” x 6” adhesive thermal labels are the preferred shipping label.
For Amazon FBA sellers, 4″ x 6″ labels can be used for both the UPS shipping label for the outside of the box you’re shipping to a fulfillment center, AND the FBA label that also goes on the outside of the box when sending to a fulfillment center.
4″ x 6″ is also the industry standard size for shipping labels. This size offers plenty of room for barcodes and other necessary information, and are also easy to source online.
Product Labels
For product labels, I prefer to use 2.25” x 1.25” thermal labels, as they’re plenty big enough for most UPC barcodes, yet small enough to fit on the products I sell.
Another decent choice for product labels is the 2” x 1” size. These are obviously a bit smaller, so they’re a better choice if you’re selling very small products.
There are many other size options available, so it really comes down to the size of the specific products you’re selling.
Fan-Fold vs Rolls
No matter which size labels you choose, one choice you need to make is whether you want fan-fold labels or a roll. I briefly outline the pros and cons of each below.
Fan-Fold Pros
- Often more labels in each pack
- Less waste (no cardboard core)
- Labels don’t curl when printing
- Often don’t need to ‘restack’ when printing
Fan-Fold Cons
- A wider storage area is needed (but less vertical)
- You have to feed them into your machine from outside
- Can jam up and stick together sometimes
- You’ll need space outside your printer
Roll Pros
- Less likely to stick together
- Can often be installed in or on your printer rather than outside it
- Require less horizontal storage space (but more vertical)
Roll Cons:
- Fewer stickers per box
- Labels can curl after printing
- Labels need to be manually restocked
There are plenty of great options for labels that come in both roll and fan-fold formats. The choice you make will come down to the products you sell, the space you ship them from, and personal preference.
Best Labels for Amazon FBA – 4” x 6” Labels
Below are some of the best 4” x 6” options available right now. Also, be sure to check out my recommendation for the best shipping label printer for Amazon FBA further down this page.
MUNBYN Thermal Direct Shipping Label (Pack of 500)
These durable, affordable thermal shipping labels have everything you need to get your shipments out the door. They’re oil-proof, waterproof, and designed to stay legible no matter where you ship them. Your barcodes and important info won’t fade at all. This is a very versatile pack of labels that works well with thermal printers from a wide variety of brands.
Current price: $21.98
Current star rating – 4.8 (4000+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Water and oil-proof
- Fade-resistant design
- Compatible with many different printers
- BPA/BPS free
- Ultra-strong adhesive
Buhbo Shipping Label (220 Roll)
Once you’ve stuck your labels to your boxes, you need them to stay put. Fortunately, the premium adhesive on these Buhbo shipping labels won’t budge an inch. They’re available in packs that range from 1 to 20 rolls, and are individually perforated to help speed up your shipping process. This is a great value option for anyone shipping products to Amazon FBA.
Current price: $10.95
Current star rating – 4.7 (2500+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Fully compatible with the DYMO LabelWriter 4XL (a great Amazon FBA label printer)
- Individually perforated
- Super tough adhesive
- Affordable
Buhbo Direct Thermal Shipping Label (500 Fan-Fold)
Another option from Buho here, this time in a fan-fold format. Just like the labels above, each label is individually perforated, and uses a super tough adhesive that will stay firmly in place no matter how far your packages travel.
Current price: $15.95
Current star rating – 4.7 (2500+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Compatible with most thermal printers
- Very easy to use (perforated design)
- High-quality adhesive
- Fast loading design
Best Labels for Amazon FBA – 2.25” x 1.25” Labels
In my eyes, this is the best label size for Amazon FBA – at least for my products!
Kenco Direct Thermal Roll
These shipping labels are made in the USA, using high-quality, locally sourced materials. The paper, adhesives, and topcoat are all a cut above in terms of performance. A great set of labels for sure.
Current price: $10.69
Current star rating – 4.7 (1400+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Premium materials
- Made in the USA
- Usable with Zebra and Rollo thermal printers (not Dymo unfortunately)
- Available in a wide range of colors
Aegis Adhesives (12, 1000-Sticker Rolls)
Another great label for those who use a high volume of labels for their business. Aegis Adhesives have a strong track record in the world of shipping labels and this option is no exception.
Current price: $43.89
Current star rating – 4.7 (500+ ratings)
Feature List:
- No smudging or fading
- Perforated edges for speedy application
- Works with both Rollo and Zebra printers
- Great choice for high volume applications
BETCKEY (2, 2000-Sticker Rolls)
Last, but certainly not least, are these versatile labels from Betckey. They work with most commercially available thermal printers, and offer a great level of quality and value.
Current price: $12.99
Current star rating – 4.7 (260+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Tough adhesive
- Bright, smudge and fade-free design
- BPA free
- Super legible prints
Best Labels for Amazon FBA – 2” x 1” Labels
Below are my favorite 2” x 1” labels.
Spartan Industrial Direct Thermal Labels (10, 1300-Sticker Rolls)
If you own a Rollo or Zebra desktop printer, these labels will be perfect for you. They’re designed to be jam free and super easy to tear. Both the paper and adhesive used here are very high quality; you shouldn’t have to worry about your labels slipping or tearing in transit.
Current price: $38.39
Current star rating – 4.6 (600+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Anti-jam / anti-sticking design
- Individually perforated
- Premium paper and adhesives
- Great compatibility with Rollo & Zebra thermal printers
Aegis Adhesives Direct Thermal Rolls (12, 1300-Sticker Rolls)
This is a great choice if you know you need a ton of labels. You can pick up 12 rolls of 1300 labels for less than $50, which is a great value. As with the other options, the quality and reliability are great.
Current price: $47.88
Current star rating – 4.7 (470+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Smudge-free, fade-resistant design
- A great choice for high volume printing
- Super easy to separate and peel
- Perfect for Zebra thermal printers
ROLLO Direct Thermal Roll (1, 1000-Sticker Roll)
Another great value option that comes with everything you need in an Amazon FBA product label. A great adhesive, perforated design, and compatibility with a ton of Rollo printers. Ideal for barcodes and smaller printing applications.
Current price: $9.99
Current star rating – 4.8 (470+ ratings)
Feature List:
- Affordable
- Easy tear-off design
- Made in the USA
- Works great with Rollo printers
Best Label Printer for Amazon FBA
Before we wrap up, here are a couple of quick recommendations for the best shipping label and product label printers for Amazon FBA. While there are many printer options out there, the two below will serve you very well for years to come. They’re both relatively affordable, and come with everything you need to get started.
If you’re interested in an in-depth review of thermal label printers, I covered this topic in a previous post here.
Rollo Shipping Label Printer
Price: $199.99
- Compatible with UPS, USPS, FedEx, and all major selling platforms/shipping couriers
- Super easy to set up and use
- Compatible with MacOS and Windows
Dymo LabelWriter 450 Printer
Price: $400.00
- Prints at a speed of 51 pages per minute
- Compatible with Windows (Windows 7 onwards) and Mac (Mac OS X v10.8 onwards)
- DYMO Label software helps you create customized labels directly from your computer
Final Thoughts
The key point is that thermal labels are the best option for either shipping or product labels because they let you label your products quickly and cheaply. As long as you understand this, you’ll be in good shape when it comes time to label your shipments, your products, or both.
Want to read about how my Amazon business has evolved since I started selling in 2015? See this post.
Are you interested in other time-saving tools for your business beyond thermal labels? See the list of tools I use in my business everyday here.