Globe Weis Plastic File Pockets Medium Weight By Joan Young on May 18, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

These Globe-Weis file pockets are medium weight, colorful and expandable to one inch. They have a couple of annoying factors.

I recently decided to make a hot file section near my desk with folders that would slide upright into slots. I wanted file pockets so that the papers would not fall out the ends. I wanted various colors because I can quickly grab the correct file by noting its color. They needed to be plastic because I had determined that manila folders were just a little too soft and would bend in the slots.

I purchased one package (5) of these pockets, and one similar style from Pendaflex. I have reviewed those pockets separately. I can't decide which I like better.

This package of five Globe-Weis folders came from Staples. The colors are bright purple, orange, lime green, deep blue and red. They hold 8.5 x 11" papers, and are very lightly textured so they don't slip out of your hands too easily. They expand to 1" thick, and will supposedly hold 150 sheets of paper, although if you put this many sheets in, it would be packed very solidly and might be fine for storage, but not for everyday use.

The outside dimensions of the folder are 10.5 inches by 12 inches. The 10.5 inch dimension includes the height of the tab, which is located on the left end of the folder. (The picture on the product package shows the tabs on the right, but in reality they are on the left.) The 12 inch dimension includes the expansion fold. They each have a low back tab which extends across the length of the folder (and the taller tab on the left), and a center cut, rounded rectangular notch to allow you to grab papers easily.

The folder is expandable because there is an outward fold in each side and the bottom. The inside dimension of this pocket is slightly smaller than that of the Pendaflex pockets, but since the expansion fold does not stick into the pocket I don't think this reduces the effective size of the folder.

The plastic is slightly softer than that of the Pendaflex pockets, but is stiff enough to stand up straight in its slot without curling. Since it's softer it might be less likely to crack with use, but I haven't had them long enough to know this for sure.

The inner side of the file tab is smooth, so labels will stick to it better than the rest of the textured pocket surface. They come with 5 stick-on labels which I don't care for because they have a shiny surface which doesn't take all kinds of ink nicely.

These are just about perfect, but the corners annoy me. This design has eliminated the problems caused by the accordion fold of the Pendaflex pockets, but it means that the corners of the file are open. Although I don't make a habit of putting tiny items in the pockets, if I did, there is a cut-out space in each corner where something could fall out. Also, if you would happen to spill something on a folder that was on your desk it is less liquid proof than the Pendaflex design.