One of our guides on perfume bottles wholesale; start there for the overview.
Quick answer
How do you convert bottle sizes from ml to fluid ounces?
One US fluid ounce equals 29.57 ml, so divide the millilitres by 29.57. A 750 ml bottle holds 25.36 fl oz, a 375 ml bottle 12.68 fl oz and a 1000 ml bottle 33.81 fl oz. When a label figure has to be rounded, round up rather than down: underfilling is a compliance problem, overfilling only a cost.
| Millilitres | US fluid ounces |
|---|---|
| 30 ml | 1.01 fl oz |
| 50 ml | 1.69 fl oz |
| 100 ml | 3.38 fl oz |
| 375 ml | 12.68 fl oz |
| 750 ml | 25.36 fl oz |
| 1000 ml | 33.81 fl oz |
One US fluid ounce equals 29.57ml, so a 750ml wine or spirits bottle holds 25.36 fl oz, a 375ml half bottle 12.68 fl oz, and a 100ml perfume bottle 3.38 fl oz. Catalogs usually state capacity in milliliters while labels and distributors in some markets work in ounces, and a wrong conversion ends in misprinted labels or a bottle that looks under-filled. Put both units on your spec sheet, and round up when you are unsure.
Conversion chart for common glass bottle sizes
The figures below are rounded to two decimals, which is how most suppliers quote them.
| Milliliters | US fluid ounces | Where the size is used |
|---|---|---|
| 5ml | 0.17 fl oz | Sample vials, travel perfume |
| 10ml | 0.34 fl oz | Roll-ons, sample sprays |
| 15ml | 0.51 fl oz | Perfume minis |
| 30ml | 1.01 fl oz | Perfume, essential oils |
| 50ml | 1.69 fl oz | Perfume, whiskey minis |
| 100ml | 3.38 fl oz | Perfume, lotion pumps |
| 200ml | 6.76 fl oz | Lotions, spirits |
| 375ml | 12.68 fl oz | Half wine bottles, spirits |
| 500ml | 16.91 fl oz | Wine splits, large spirits |
| 750ml | 25.36 fl oz | Standard wine and spirits |
| 1000ml | 33.81 fl oz | Whiskey liters, bulk refills |
The awkward ounce values for 375ml and 750ml are no accident: these standards are defined in metric. On rounding, the safer direction is up. An underfilled bottle is a compliance problem, whereas a slightly overfilled one only costs you product.
Sizes by category
| Category | Usual range | Sizes that carry the volume |
|---|---|---|
| Perfume | 5ml to 100ml | 30ml, 50ml and 100ml at retail; 5ml and 10ml for samples, gifts and travel sets |
| Whiskey and spirits | 50ml airline bottles to 1L and beyond | 375ml and 750ml for craft spirits |
| Wine | 375ml to 1.5L | 750ml standard, 375ml half bottle, 1.5L magnum for special releases |
Because the smallest perfume sizes are mostly samples, roll-on and dropper closures are common on them. For spirits, check the fill your target market expects before you commit, since some export markets use 700ml.
Minis
The 5ml, 10ml and 15ml sizes serve perfume and oil trials, and 50ml covers airline spirits and whiskey minis. A mini is not cheap in proportion to its size, because the closure and the label make up much of its cost. Use minis for giveaways and discovery sets that earn their place, not as a margin line.
Square bottles
Square capacities commonly run from 50ml up to 750ml. Compared with a round bottle of equal volume, a square 100ml or 250ml gets more units into each carton, and its flat panels are easy to label. When you compare shapes, ask for the carton count of each. At equal capacity the count per carton can vary by 20 percent or more between shapes, and that difference feeds straight into freight per unit.
What capacity changes in the bottle design
Capacity is the first figure to fix because the mold follows from it. Shrinking or enlarging a silhouette does not work, because volume changes the wall thickness, where the neck sits and where the center of gravity falls. Taking a 100ml design down to 50ml nearly always needs a mold of its own to look right.
The neck finish depends on capacity as well. Crimp and screw finishes are the norm on small bottles. From 50ml upward you will mostly see spray pumps, droppers, ROPP caps or cork. The closure you choose affects filling speed and unit cost.
Capacity also shapes how the product is judged on the shelf. Put a 30ml perfume in a 50ml bottle and it looks a third full; shoppers take that empty space as a sign of a cheap product. The identical formula in a 30ml bottle with good proportions sells better.
How to choose a capacity
- Work back from the retail price. A high price point suits a capacity that lets the bottle itself dominate; a value product should give the most fill for the money. Either is sound, but they lead to different molds and closures.
- Check the channel. Travel and gifting lines point to 5ml to 30ml. A main retail line sits at 50ml to 100ml for fragrance and 375ml to 750ml for spirits.
- Measure the shelf. Where distributors already have fixtures, take the depth and height. A bottle that does not fit will not be reordered.
- Verify the fill standard. Some categories and export markets define declared fill and labeling rules that exclude certain sizes. The quickest shortlist is the set of sizes already selling in your category.
If two sizes remain, get samples of both and fill them with your actual product before deciding.
What to send when you ask about sizes and molds
A size enquiry needs four things: target capacity, fill weight, closure type and retail market. With those we can tell whether an existing stock bottle will do or whether a custom mold is justified. The quickest route to market is usually a stock bottle, and the common stock sizes are 30ml, 50ml, 100ml, 375ml and 750ml.
Ask for dimensional drawings, not capacity alone. Height, diameter and neck finish all vary between one plant's 100ml bottle and another's, and each of the three has consequences for label artwork and for whoever supplies your caps. Many plants use the same finish systems across their catalog, so caps and pumps can often be standardized even when the shapes vary.
You can browse formats in the wine bottle range and the wider glass bottle and jar collections, then send us your target capacities and we will point you to matching stock bottles or outline a custom mold plan.