Selecting the wrong shipping material for a product type costs money in two ways: damaged products that require replacement and refund, and excess packaging costs from over-engineering the protection. The right material selection matches the protection level to the product's actual fragility and the shipping conditions it will encounter. Here's your guide to selecting the right shipping material for each product type.
Product Type #1: Flat, Rigid Items
Books, documents, flat electronics, framed prints, and similar flat rigid items don't need corrugated boxes with void fill — they need mailer boxes that hold them snugly without movement. The 50-pack 7x7x1 inch mailer boxes and 50-pack 7x5x1.5 inch mailer boxes are the right material for flat rigid items. No void fill required, no oversized box, no dimensional weight surcharge. The mailer box is the packaging; the product fits snugly inside.
Product Type #2: Fragile Items
Fragile items — glassware, ceramics, electronics with screens — require two layers of protection: cushioning around the item and a box that prevents the cushioning from compressing under shipping pressure. Wrap fragile items in bubble wrap with at least 2 inches of coverage on all sides, then place in a corrugated box from the 32-pack assorted shipping boxes with 2 inches of void fill between the wrapped item and every box wall. The box size should be chosen so the wrapped item fits with exactly 2 inches of clearance — not more, not less.
Product Type #3: Heavy, Dense Items
Heavy items — tools, hardware, dense equipment — require boxes rated for their weight. Standard corrugated boxes have weight limits; exceeding them causes box failure during transit. Use double-wall corrugated boxes for items over 20 pounds. Seal every seam with the heavy-duty packing tape in the H-pattern plus additional strips on all four bottom seams — heavy items put more stress on box seams than light ones.
Product Type #4: Multiple Small Items
Orders with multiple small items require internal organization to prevent items from shifting and damaging each other during transit. Separate items with dividers or individual wrapping before placing in the shipping box. The right box size for multi-item orders is the smallest box that fits all items with their separators and 1 inch of void fill on all sides — not the largest box that fits everything loosely.
Product Type #5: Irregular Shapes
Irregularly shaped items that don't fit standard box dimensions require custom-sized boxes or creative use of standard sizes. The assorted size box set provides four sizes — select the size where the item fits with the least wasted space, then fill voids with appropriate cushioning. For items that are significantly longer than they are wide, consider whether the item can be disassembled or whether a tube mailer is more appropriate than a box.