Single vs Double Wall Paper Cups: Which Should You Order?

The short answer

Single wall cups are one layer of board. Double wall cups add a second smooth layer with a pocket of air between, and ripple wall cups add a fluted outer wrap.

For drinks handed over and finished quickly, single wall is usually enough. For very hot drinks that customers carry down the street, double or ripple wall saves fingers and saves you buying sleeves.

The rest of this guide explains the trade-offs, so you can pick a wall for each size rather than one wall for everything.

If you only remember one rule, make it this one. Hot and carried means double or ripple, while cold or quick means single.

How each wall is built

A single wall cup is a sheet of lined board rolled into a cone, with a base fitted at the bottom and a rolled rim at the top. It is light, nests tightly and takes up little space in a stock room.

A double wall cup starts with that same inner cup. A second sheet of board is wrapped around it and fixed at the top and bottom, leaving an air gap that slows heat reaching the hand.

Ripple wall replaces the smooth outer sheet with a fluted one. The ridges hold even more air and give a textured grip.

All three use the same lined inner cup, so the drink touches the same surface whichever you choose. The difference is entirely in what wraps around the outside.

Capacities stay the same across walls, so an 8oz cup holds about 227ml whether it is single, double or ripple. Our guide to UK paper cup sizes lists every size in millilitres.

• Single wall: one layer, smooth surface
• Double wall: two layers, smooth outer, air gap
• Ripple wall: inner cup plus fluted outer wrap

Side by side comparison

The table puts the three walls next to each other on the points buyers ask about most. Sizes listed are the ones we see ordered most often for each wall, not the only options.

All three walls are available across most of our 2oz to 20oz range.

Cost is shown as relative rather than in pounds, because the real figure depends on size, print coverage and quantity. Your quote gives the exact number.

When single wall is the right choice

Single wall is the default for cold drinks, because there is no heat to protect against. It is also fine for tea or coffee served to a seated customer who holds the cup by the rim.

Offices, events and water coolers get through single wall in large numbers. A smooth single wall paper cup keeps the cost per cup down and still carries a crisp logo.

The weak spot is a very hot drink carried any distance. A full 12oz americano in a single wall cup can feel uncomfortable within a few steps.

When double wall earns its cost

Double wall makes sense when drinks leave the shop hot and stay in a hand for a while. Commuters, school-run parents and office workers carrying coffee back to a desk all fall into that group.

The smooth outer wall also gives a slightly more premium feel. Our double wall paper cups for takeaway coffee take a full wrap print with no seam showing through a sleeve.

Because no sleeve is needed, you save the time of fitting one to every drink at the till. In a busy morning rush that adds up.

Double wall is also the safer choice for hot chocolate with cream, which tends to be held for longer while people eat the topping.

Where ripple wall fits in

Ripple wall offers the most heat comfort and the best grip of the three. The ridges also make the cup instantly recognisable, even from across a road.

It is a favourite for coffee vans, markets and seaside kiosks, where customers walk a long way and may be wearing gloves. A ripple wall coffee cup with a ridged grip also suits bold, simple artwork, because fine detail can break up over the ridges.

The trade-off is bulk and price. Ripple cups take up more storage space and cost more per cup than double wall.

Kraft ripple cups with a one-colour logo are a common look for roasters. White ripple cups with a bright full colour wrap suit brands that want to stand out.

The sleeve question

A single wall cup plus a sleeve does a similar job to a double wall cup. Which works out better depends on how many of your drinks need it.

If only your largest size goes out piping hot, single wall across the range with printed sleeves for single wall cups on the large can be the cheaper mix. If most of your hot drinks are carried away, double wall is usually simpler.

Sleeves also give you a second print space that can change more often than the cup. That suits seasonal designs for Easter or Halloween.

Do the maths on staff time as well as cups. Fitting a sleeve takes only a moment, but across a few hundred drinks a day it becomes real minutes at the till.

How to choose a wall for each size

You do not have to choose one wall for your whole range. Many cafés mix walls by size, and all three can carry the same artwork.

Work through these steps for each cup size you sell.

If your menu covers tea, chai and hot water as well as coffee, our paper cups for every hot drink page shows how other venues match walls to drinks.

1. Note whether the drink in this size is hot or cold.
2. Ask how far customers usually carry it, and for how long.
3. Pick single wall for cold drinks and quick hot drinks served at a table.
4. Pick double wall for hot takeaway drinks.
5. Pick ripple wall if grip and outdoor use matter most.
6. Compare the quote for single wall with sleeves against double wall.

Lids and rims across walls

The outer wall on double and ripple cups can change the size of the rim slightly compared with single wall. Even a millimetre or two matters when it comes to lids.

Typical rims sit around 80mm for 8oz and 90mm for 12oz and 16oz, but the exact width depends on the build. Always match lids to the wall you order, not just the ounce size.

When you order lids matched to each cup rim alongside your cups, we size them to the exact wall and capacity in your order.

If you mix walls by size, list the wall next to each size on your lid order. It is the easiest way to avoid a box of lids that will not fit.

Price, proof and timing

Cups in every wall start from £0.25 each, with single wall the lowest and ripple the highest. Your written quote shows each wall and size on its own line.

Every order includes free design help and a free digital proof, revised until you are happy. Printing takes 4 to 6 working days after approval, and tracked delivery takes 2 to 3 working days, free anywhere in the UK.

Not sure yet? Ask for a quote on two walls and compare them side by side.