Top Tubes manufactures custom extruded plastic tubes for brands that need cost effective, flexible packaging without the barrier requirements of ABL or PBL laminate tubes. Extruded tubes are the workhorse of the tube packaging world, used across cosmetics, personal care, hair care, and food.
What Are Extruded Tubes?
Extruded tubes are made by forcing melted plastic resin through a die to form a continuous tube wall, which is then cut, shouldered, and fitted with a cap. Unlike laminate tubes, extruded tubes are built from a single material family, giving them a soft, flexible squeeze and a lower cost per unit.
Materials Available
Top Tubes produces extruded tubes in LDPE (low-density polyethylene), MDPE (medium-density polyethylene), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), and LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene). Each resin offers a different balance of softness, rigidity, and chemical resistance, and our team can help you choose the right material for your formula and desired squeeze feel.
Single Layer vs Multi-Layer Coextrusion
Extruded tubes can be produced as a single layer of resin or as a coextruded wall with up to 5 layers. Coextrusion lets us combine multiple resins, and add barrier or color layers, in a single tube wall, giving you added protection or a specific look without switching to a laminate tube.
Extruded vs Laminate Tubes
If your formula is not highly sensitive to oxygen, light, or moisture, an extruded tube is usually the more economical choice. If your product needs a strong barrier, such as an active pharmaceutical ingredient or a fragrance-heavy formula, an ABL or PBL laminate tube is typically the better fit. Our team can review your formula and recommend the right construction.
Key Advantages
Extruded tubes are cost effective compared to laminate tubes, flexible for a comfortable squeeze, and available in a wide range of colors since color can be compounded directly into the resin. They are compatible with every major decoration method, making them one of the most versatile tube formats we offer.
Industries We Serve
We supply extruded tubes to cosmetics, personal care, hair care, and food brands, covering everything from lotions and gels to condiments and specialty pastes.
Decoration Options
Extruded tubes can be decorated with offset printing, silk screen printing, hot stamping, digital printing, and flexographic printing. We will help you choose the decoration method that best matches your artwork complexity and budget.
MOQ, Lead Time and Shipping
MOQ for extruded tube packaging starts at 5,000 units per SKU. Standard lead time is 10 to 12 weeks from art approval to completed production, and orders ship FOB Los Angeles.
Quality and Compliance
All extruded tubes are manufactured in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility and are BPA free.
See our tube construction overview for how extruded compares to laminate tubes, our tube packaging glossary for material definitions, or our FAQ for common ordering questions.
Need a cost effective tube that still looks and performs great? Request a quote and our team will help you spec the right extruded tube for your product.