In most factories and warehouses, pallets are almost invisible.
They don’t make noise, they don’t move by themselves, but they quietly carry almost every product in and out of your facility.

For many years, wooden pallets were the default option.
In recent years, more and more companies are asking:

Should we upgrade to plastic pallets?
Are they really worth the extra money?
How do we choose the right type without making expensive mistakes?

This article has four simple goals:

Stay neutral and walk through the facts and cost logic;
Explain the real differences between wooden and plastic pallets;
Use five key factors to show how to select plastic pallets;
Share typical application scenarios based on Baoheng Plastics’ experience.

If you’re in charge of logistics, warehousing or purchasing, and you’re struggling with pallet choices, this is written for you.

1. Big Picture First: How Do Wooden and Plastic Pallets Really Differ?

1.1 Wooden pallets: low unit cost, high “trouble cost”

Advantages:

Low purchase price and easy to buy anywhere;
Good for short-term use and one-way shipments;
Easy to source from many local suppliers.

Main issues:

Short life and frequent damage
Easily affected by moisture, cracking, nail loosening and overall deformation.
Safety risks
- Exposed nails and splinters can injure workers;
- Warping and broken boards can cause unstable loads, especially on racking.
Hygiene concerns
Susceptible to mold, moisture and dirt. This is a major drawback for food, beverage, water and pharma industries.
Inconsistent dimensions
Different batches may vary in size, which affects stacking and racking compatibility.

If you often see piles of broken pallets in a corner, and your staff spend time repairing or sorting them, that’s usually a signal: the “hidden cost” of wooden pallets is already eating into your profit.

1.2 Plastic pallets: higher unit cost, lower long-term hassle

Advantages:

Long service life
They don’t absorb water, don’t rust and don’t rot. One pallet can be used reliably for years.
Stable dimensions
Manufactured by molds with tight tolerances. Ideal for high-bay racking and automated warehouses.
Easy to clean
Can be washed and disinfected. Suitable for food, beverage, pharmaceutical and e-commerce warehouses.
Better appearance
Uniform color and neat stacks improve overall factory image.
Recyclable
At end of life, plastic pallets can be recycled and reprocessed.

Points to keep in mind:

Unit price is higher than wooden pallets;
Poor or incorrect pallet selection (wrong load rating, design, or missing steel reinforcement) can still lead to failures;
Quality varies a lot between different materials, processes and manufacturers.

In one sentence:
Wooden pallets fit a “good enough for now” mindset.
Plastic pallets are a better fit if you want a cleaner, safer and more standardized logistics system.

1.3 What about steel or stainless steel pallets?

They exist, but are mostly used in extreme conditions: very heavy loads, very high temperatures or highly corrosive environments. They are much more expensive and used in niche applications, so this article focuses on the mainstream choice: wood vs plastic.

2. Five Key Factors for Selecting Plastic Pallets

The most common mistake when choosing plastic pallets is to look only at size and price.

In reality, performance and safety are defined by five key factors:

Load ratings
Pallet design (bottom structure)
Steel reinforcement
Material and manufacturing process
Size and system compatibility

2.1 Load ratings: static / dynamic / racking

These three numbers are the foundation of pallet selection.

Static load
Maximum weight a pallet can handle when resting on a flat, solid surface without movement.

Example: Static load 4,000 kg — suitable for floor stacking of up to 4 tons on a single pallet.
Dynamic load
Maximum weight allowed when the pallet is being lifted and moved by a forklift or pallet truck.

Example: Dynamic load 1,000 kg — you should not move more than 1 ton at a time on this pallet.
Racking load
Maximum weight the pallet can handle when supported only on the racking beams, with the middle section suspended.

This is the most often ignored rating, yet failures here cause the most serious accidents.

Simple rules of thumb:

If you have high-bay racking or AS/RS systems, racking load becomes the most critical parameter.
For floor-stacking and short-distance handling, dynamic and static load are more important.
The heavier and higher you store, the more you should rely on professional engineering and supplier guidance, not guesswork.

2.2 Pallet design: stringer (川字), perimeter (田字), nine-leg, double-deck, spill-control

Different bottom designs create different load paths and application ranges.

Stringer pallets (often called “three-runner” or “川字”)
- Three longitudinal runners underneath;
- Best for: racking, especially when combined with steel reinforcement;
- Common in: high-bay warehouses, beverage plants, water bottling plants.
Perimeter-base pallets (often called “田字”)
- Runners around the perimeter plus a center support;
- Best for: floor stacking and heavy-duty operations;
- Common in: floor-storage warehouses, heavy goods and aggressive forklift environments.
Nine-leg pallets
- Nine feet, sometimes nestable;
- Best for: light loads, one-way export and internal light-duty circulation;
- Advantages: lower weight, lower cost, better empty pallet cube utilization.
Double-deck pallets
- Both top and bottom are full deck surfaces;
- Best for: heavy loads and multi-layer stacking.
Spill-control pallets / spill containment platforms
- Integrated sump to capture leaked oils or chemicals;
- Best for: chemical plants, labs, oil storage and any site with strict environmental or safety requirements.

Core principle:

Start from how your products move and how they are stored,
then choose the pallet design — not the other way around.

2.3 Steel reinforcement: the safety “fuse” for racking

Many pallet failures on racking are caused by one issue:
steel reinforcement was missing or badly designed.

Why add steel tubes?
On racking, pallet centers are suspended between beams.
If the pallet structure is not strong enough, you may see:
- Excessive deflection in the middle;
- Long-term deformation;
- In extreme cases, pallet breakage and load collapse.
Common reinforcement configurations:
- Deck steel tubes (“4 in the deck”): placed under the top deck, either lengthwise or crosswise;
- Bottom/foot reinforcement (“4 in the base”): tubes located in the bottom structure;
- Custom combinations: based on racking beam spacing, loading pattern and safety requirements.

Practical advice:

As soon as you combine high racking + heavy loads, don’t decide by intuition whether steel is needed.
Share your load weight, pallet size, racking type and beam span with your supplier, and ask for a reinforcement proposal.
The extra cost of steel tubes is usually tiny compared with a single serious load-drop incident.

2.4 Material and process: HDPE / PP, injection-molded / blow-molded

Typical materials:

HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
- Excellent impact resistance and toughness;
- Good performance at low temperatures;
- Widely used for general purpose and cold-store pallets.
PP (Polypropylene)
- Higher stiffness and hardness;
- More stable in certain higher-temperature environments;
- Used when applications require higher rigidity or heat resistance.

Virgin vs recycled vs blended resins:

Virgin resins: best and most consistent performance, ideal for food and pharma environments;
Recycled or blended materials: lower cost but require tight quality control.

Injection vs blow molding:

Injection-molded pallets
- More complex structures with controlled details;
- Good flatness and surface quality;
- Common for standard racking pallets, spill-control pallets, and most industrial pallets.
Blow-molded pallets
- Hollow structure and very good impact resistance;
- Often used for very heavy-duty or special environments;
- Higher tooling cost and generally higher unit price.

Simple guidance:

Food, beverage, water and pharma:
prefer virgin HDPE injection-molded pallets for hygiene and consistency.
Special heavy-duty or cold-store applications:
discuss your exact conditions with the supplier to choose the right material and process.

2.5 Size and system compatibility: a pallet is never alone

Pallet size is like a “base protocol” of your logistics system.

You need to match pallets with:

Racking: beam spacing and safe working loads;
Forklifts and pallet jacks: fork length and width;
Crates and cartons: footprint and stacking pattern;
Containers and trucks: how many pallets per container or per truckload.

Typical mistakes:

Building the warehouse and buying racking first, thinking about pallets last;
Mixing pallets from different suppliers and sizes, causing unstable stacks and poor racking fit.

A better approach:

First define your warehouse layout, racking concept and main handling unit
(cartons, crates, or pallet loads),
then select pallet sizes that harmonize with that system.

3. Scenario-Based Selection: Real-World Patterns from Baoheng Plastics

Below are some typical scenarios Baoheng Plastics encounters with customers, and the corresponding selection logic.

3.1 High-bay warehouses and racking systems

Characteristics:

Pallets stay on racks at height for long periods;
Standardized handling units;
Any failure can lead to serious load damage or safety incidents.

Recommended approach:

Design: stringer (three-runner) or perimeter-base pallets;
Load ratings: prioritize racking load, then dynamic load;
Steel reinforcement: recommended in most racking applications;
Material: virgin HDPE, injection-molded, with a focus on dimensional stability.

3.2 Floor-storage warehouses and in-plant circulation

Characteristics:

Pallets used for internal circulation and short-term stacking;
Limited stacking height;
Frequent forklift operations.

Recommended approach:

Design: perimeter-base pallets or suitable nine-leg pallets;
Load ratings: dynamic load is the main reference;
Steel reinforcement: usually not needed if there is no racking;
Material: can flexibly choose between virgin and blended materials, depending on budget.

3.3 One-way export and light-duty applications

Characteristics:

Pallets often shipped out with the goods and not returned;
Focus on cost, weight and customs/quarantine requirements.

Recommended approach:

Design: light-duty nine-leg pallets;
Load ratings: check dynamic and static load to avoid overloading;
Advantages vs wooden pallets:
- No fumigation required, simplifying export procedures;
- Nestable pallets save storage and transport space when empty.

3.4 Food, beverage and water plants

Characteristics:

High hygiene standards and frequent cleaning;
Pallets are visible to customers and affect brand image;
Some operations require racking.

Recommended approach:

Design:
- Stringer/racking pallets with steel tubes where needed;
- Perimeter-base pallets for floor storage.
Color: clean and unified colors such as blue or gray;
Material: virgin HDPE injection-molded pallets that can be washed and disinfected;
Additional control: color can be used to separate zones (raw material, finished goods, quarantine area, etc.).

3.5 Chemical storage and spill-control

Characteristics:

Oils, chemicals and hazardous liquids with leakage risks;
Strict environmental and safety requirements.

Recommended approach:

Products: spill-control pallets, spill containment platforms plus standard pallets;
Key design points: sump capacity, load bearing and chemical resistance;
Benefits:
- Protect floors and drainage systems from contamination;
- Make it easier to pass environmental and safety audits.

4. A Simple Cost Model: Are Plastic Pallets Really Cheaper in the Long Run?

Many managers’ first reaction is: “Plastic pallets are too expensive.”
The more relevant question is: “Over 5 years, which pallet choice costs less and causes fewer problems?”

Let’s use a simplified example:

A factory needs 500 pallets in steady circulation.

Wooden pallets: unit price 100 RMB, average life 1 year;

Plastic pallets: unit price 250 RMB, average life 5 years.

Over 5 years:

Wooden pallets:
- Roughly one full replacement per year to maintain 500 usable pallets;
- Total pallets purchased ≈ 5 × 500 = 2,500;
- Total pallet cost = 2,500 × 100 = 250,000 RMB.
Plastic pallets:
- One-time purchase of 500 pallets;
- Total pallet cost = 500 × 250 = 125,000 RMB.

So in this simplified scenario, plastic pallets cost about half as much as wooden pallets over a 5-year period, just considering pallet purchase cost.

This model does not yet include:

Product damage, rework and customer complaints caused by pallet failures;
Labor time spent on repairing, moving and sorting damaged pallets;
Safety incidents and related risks;
The impression your facility gives to customers during audits and visits.

That’s why we often say:

You’re not just buying the cheapest pallet —
you’re choosing the lowest total cost and lowest total headache over 3–5 years.

5. Think Beyond Pallets: Map Your Logistics First

Before focusing on pallet types, it’s helpful to step back and map your logistics flow:

What is your basic handling unit — carton, crate, pallet load or a mix?
Is your warehouse mainly floor storage, selective racking, or moving toward automation?
What path does a product take from the production line to finished-goods storage and then to shipping?
Where do problems most often occur: congestion, product damage, errors or delays?

Once you answer these questions, pallet selection becomes clearer:

Sizes start to make sense instead of being random;
Design choices (stringer vs perimeter vs nine-leg) each have a clear reason;
Steel reinforcement becomes a deliberate safety decision, not an afterthought.

A pallet is a humble component in your logistics system,
but choosing the right one makes the whole system smoother and safer.

6. How Baoheng Plastics Can Help

Baoheng Plastics focuses on plastic pallets and material handling containers, serving customers in:

Bottled water and beverage plants;
Food processing;
Cold chain and refrigerated warehouses;
E-commerce distribution centers;
Chemical and industrial manufacturing.

Our offering covers three main areas:

A complete range of plastic pallets
- Stringer (three-runner) pallets, perimeter-base pallets and nine-leg pallets;
- Racking pallets with optional steel reinforcement and double-deck pallets;
- Spill-control pallets and spill platforms as complementary products.
Application-driven pallet selection
- Matching static/dynamic/racking load ratings to your products, weights, racking systems and stacking height;
- Designing steel reinforcement and pallet sizes to work smoothly with your racks, forklifts and crates.
Customization and delivery capability
- Color and logo customization for easier visual management and branding;
- Mass-production capacity for long-term programs and phased deliveries;
- Export experience, including sea-freight packaging and understanding overseas buyer expectations.

7. Final Thoughts: If You’re Planning a Pallet Upgrade

If you’re thinking about upgrading from wooden to plastic pallets, or planning a new warehouse project, here are three simple steps:

Draw a logistics map
Track how goods move from production line to finished-goods storage and then to outbound shipping.
Run a 3–5 year cost comparison
For the same throughput, estimate how many pallets you will consume and how many issues each option might create.
Share your situation with a specialist supplier
Provide key information like load weight, pallet footprint, racking type, beam span, stacking height and forklift type, and ask for a tailored pallet recommendation.

A pallet may look like just a piece of plastic,
but it is directly connected to product safety, worker safety and your company’s image.

If you’d like, you can collect some basic information about your current pallets — photos, dimensions, load types, whether you use racking, and so on — and share it with us.
Based on that, Baoheng Plastics can prepare a simple pallet selection proposal as a reference for your next step in upgrading your warehouse system.