Folders Price Comparison

Folders are one of those purchases that offices tend to make on autopilot — grabbing whatever's cheapest in bulk and moving on. But spend a little time comparing the options and the differences become significant. Polypropylene cut flush folders from Rexel hold up to daily handling far better than basic card alternatives, while Exacompta's manila hemp range offers a more sustainable, tactile option that still looks professional on a desk. Prices across our catalogue run from 18 £ for a single entry-level folder up to 51 £ for premium bulk packs, so there's genuine scope to optimise your spend.

Rexel dominates the top of our most-compared list, and it's easy to see why — their Nyrex™ cut flush range is a staple in UK offices, stocked by Currys Business, Amazon and Staples alike. The cut flush design means no overlapping flap to catch on filing drawers, and the anti-slip variants are worth the small premium if documents tend to migrate around inside. For those who need a secure closure, the Rexel Popper Wallet range is a solid choice: the snap fastener keeps contents in place whether you're commuting or just moving between meeting rooms.

It's worth knowing that buying in bulk changes the maths considerably. A pack of 100 Rexel cut flush folders sits around the 23 £ mark, which works out to well under a pound per folder — a meaningful saving over buying in packs of 25. Brands like Liderpapel and Esselte offer competitive pricing at the budget end, while Pendaflex and Oxford tend to sit higher up the range, targeting professional archiving and transfer filing rather than everyday desk use. If your needs lean towards hanging systems, our hanging folders category covers that ground separately.

One thing our data makes clear: the average price across this category is 31 £, but the median is noticeably lower at 23 £, which tells you that a handful of premium bulk packs are pulling the average up. Most buyers will find everything they need well below that average. For client-facing document presentation, it's also worth browsing our presentation display books — a step up in polish from a standard folder. And if you're equipping a larger filing system, document display carousels pair well with bulk folder purchases.

How to Choose the Right Folders for Your Needs

With 303 products ranging from single-sheet wallets to bulk packs of 100, the folders market is broader than it looks. The right choice depends less on brand loyalty and more on three things: what you're filing, how often you'll handle it, and whether the folder needs to travel. Here's what actually matters.

Material: Manila/Kraft vs. Polypropylene

This is the most consequential decision. Manila or kraft card (typically 120–220 g/m²) is cheaper, biodegradable, and perfectly adequate for archiving documents that won't be handled repeatedly. Exacompta's hemp manila range is a good example — sturdy enough for office use, and the FSC credentials matter if your organisation has sustainability targets.

Polypropylene (PP) is the right call for anything that moves around. It's moisture-resistant, won't tear at the spine after a week of use, and wipes clean. Rexel's Nyrex™ and anti-slip ranges are PP — they cost more per unit but last significantly longer under daily handling. Don't buy PP in bulk if you're just archiving; don't buy manila if the folder is going in a bag every day.

Closure Type: Open, Popper, or Flap

Cut flush folders (no closure) are the office standard for a reason — they slide in and out of filing drawers cleanly, stack flat, and cost less. Fine for desk use and fixed filing systems.

Popper wallets add a snap fastener that keeps contents secure. Worth it for anything that travels — commuting, client meetings, site visits. The Rexel Ice Popper Wallet range is well-regarded and available in both A4 and A5 landscape formats.

Elastic or flap closures suit thicker document sets. If you're regularly carrying 50+ sheets together, a popper can stress and fail; a full flap with elastic is more reliable for heavier loads.

Pack Size and Cost Per Unit

The unit economics shift dramatically with pack size. A pack of 5 popper wallets is convenient for a one-off need; a box of 100 cut flush folders drops the per-unit cost to a fraction of the price. Our data shows bulk packs of 50–100 units typically sit in the 23 £ to 42 £ range — which sounds like more outlay, but is almost always the right call for any office buying more than a dozen folders at a time.

Check whether you're comparing like-for-like: some listings show a price for 25 units, others for 100. It's an easy mistake that leads to overpaying.

Colour Coding and Assortments

Colour coding is underused in most offices and genuinely speeds up retrieval. Rexel's Nyrex™ range comes in yellow, clear, and assorted packs — buying an assorted set and assigning colours to departments or project types takes minutes to set up and saves time daily.

Clear or translucent folders let you read the top sheet without opening the folder, which is useful for frequently referenced documents. Opaque folders are better for confidential content or anything where a clean, uniform appearance matters.

Format: A4, A5, Landscape, and Foolscap

A4 portrait is the default for most UK offices and the format with the widest product selection. A5 is useful for smaller reference documents, receipts, or field notes. Landscape A4 and A5 formats — like the Rexel Ice Popper Wallet Landscape — are specifically designed for spreadsheets, architectural drawings, or presentations printed in landscape orientation; don't try to force these into a portrait folder.

Foolscap (used in the Rexel Jiffex Transfer File range) is a legacy format still common in legal and financial archiving. If you're working with older filing systems, check the format before ordering — foolscap and A4 are not interchangeable.

Anti-Slip Treatment for Mobile Use

A niche feature, but one that earns its keep. Rexel's anti-slip A4 folders have a textured surface that prevents documents from sliding around inside — particularly useful if you're working on the move, presenting from a folder, or storing folders vertically without a spine label. Standard smooth PP folders can turn into a document shuffle if tilted. If your folders stay in a drawer, skip it. If they travel, it's worth the marginal extra cost.

• Budget picks (From 18 £ to 21 £) : Single folders and small packs from Rapesco, Liderpapel, and Exacompta. Rapesco's polypropylene single folders sit at the very bottom of the range — fine for occasional use but not built for daily handling. Exacompta's manila options offer better quality at this level. Suitable for light archiving or one-off projects.
• The everyday sweet spot (From 21 £ to 23 £) : Where most individual buyers and small offices should shop. Rexel Nyrex™ packs of 25, Exacompta manila assortments, and Leitz options all sit here. You get reliable PP construction, colour choice, and enough quantity to set up a proper filing system without overspending.
• Bulk office buys (From 23 £ to 42 £) : Packs of 50–100 folders from Rexel, Esselte, and Oxford. The cost per unit drops significantly at this level. Rexel's 100-pack cut flush folders are a staple for office managers restocking quarterly. Also where you'll find Rexel Jiffex transfer files for archiving.
• Professional and specialist (Over 42 £) : Premium bulk packs, Pendaflex hanging and transfer systems, and Oxford professional ranges. Pendaflex averages notably higher than the rest of the market — their products target structured archiving and legal filing rather than general office use. Only worth it if you have specific system requirements.

Top products

• Rexel Nyrex™ A4 Cut Flush Folders Assorted (25) (Rexel) : The UK office standard for good reason — durable PP construction, clean cut flush edges, and colour assortment in one pack. Not the cheapest per unit, but reliable enough to justify the price for daily use.
• Rexel Anti-Slip A4 Folders Clear (25) (Rexel) : The anti-slip texture makes a real difference if folders travel with you. Clear finish lets you read the top sheet at a glance. Worth the small premium over standard cut flush if you're regularly on the move; overkill for static filing.
• Rexel Popper Wallet A4 Assorted (6) (Rexel) : Best option for securing documents on the go. The snap closure is more reliable than elastic for lighter loads, and the assorted colours make colour coding straightforward. Six per pack is a sensible quantity for most buyers.
• Exacompta 211/5001Z folder Manila hemp Assorted colours, Blue A4 (Exacompta) : The sustainable choice — hemp manila construction, good weight, and a professional look that PP folders can't match. Ideal for archiving or client-facing use. Not suited to heavy daily handling or damp environments.
• Rapesco 1039 folder Polypropylene (PP) Assorted colours A4+ (Rapesco) : The most affordable PP folder in our top products — useful for one-off needs or topping up a colour-coded system on a tight budget. Don't expect the same build quality as Rexel, but for occasional use it does the job.

Related categories

• Hanging Folders
• Document Display Carousels
• Presentation Display Books