Selecting the wrong packaging material for a product type costs money in two ways: over-packaging wastes material and adds dimensional weight charges, while under-packaging leads to damage claims and replacement shipments. The right packaging material for each product type is determined by the product's physical characteristics — size, weight, fragility, and shape. Here's how to match packaging to product.
Flat, Rigid Products: Mailer Boxes
Books, documents, flat electronics, and other flat rigid products ship best in mailer boxes that match their dimensions. The 50-pack 7x7x1 inch mailer boxes and 50-pack 7x5x1.5 inch boxes eliminate void fill requirements by matching box depth to product depth. A flat product in a correctly sized mailer box arrives undamaged without any additional protective material — the box itself provides the protection.
Small, Durable Products: Standard Corrugated Boxes
Small, durable products that don't require special protection ship well in standard corrugated boxes with minimal void fill. The 32-pack assorted size shipping boxes provides four sizes to match a range of small product dimensions. Select the smallest box that fits the product with 1-2 inches of clearance on all sides — enough for a thin layer of void fill to prevent movement without adding significant dimensional weight.
Fragile Products: Double-Wall Corrugated with Adequate Void Fill
Fragile products — glass, ceramics, electronics, precision instruments — require more protection than standard corrugated provides. Use double-wall corrugated boxes for fragile items. Wrap the product in protective material before boxing. Fill all void space completely — the product should not move when the sealed box is shaken. For extremely fragile items, double-box: inner box with product and void fill, outer box with additional void fill between the two boxes.
Multi-Item Orders: Right-Size the Box
Multi-item orders require a box large enough to hold all items without compression, but not so large that items shift during transit. Lay out all items before selecting a box size. The assorted size box set gives you four sizes to choose from — select the smallest size that holds all items with adequate void fill clearance. Seal with the H-tape pattern using the tape dispenser gun and heavy-duty packing tape.
The Packaging Selection Decision Tree
For every product you ship, answer these questions in order: Is it flat and rigid? → Use a mailer box. Is it small and durable? → Use a standard corrugated box with minimal void fill. Is it fragile? → Use double-wall corrugated with full void fill. Is it a multi-item order? → Right-size the box to the combined dimensions. Following this decision tree consistently eliminates both over-packaging and under-packaging across your entire product catalog.