How To Choose The Best Size For Your Shipping Boxes

Image by @juiceceramics

Choosing the right shipping box sizes for your product absolutely matters! Just think, if the box is too small, the product won’t fit. If it’s too big, you defeat the purpose of the box. Sadly, many retailers still opt to send products in boxes far too big, requiring massive amounts of filling and ruining the unboxing experience.

The right box should be based on careful measurements. Try to find boxes with good-quality cardboard and corrugation. Consider sustainable options, and ensure that your retail brand carries through to the box’s design. For businesses that also manage complex logistics—like coordinating a garage automation controller or integrating a wireless farm controller into their shipping workflow—getting the box size right is just as critical as ensuring your tech gear arrives intact.

tendlyn’s Custom Mailer Box is home-compostable or curb-side recyclable!

Measuring The Shipping Box Size

Having the right shipping box size has many benefits and is thus the first step in the process.

A shipping box in the right size better protects the products because a box that’s too small or too large will lean more heavily on the protective powers of filling. It’s also more likely to result in the box being damaged, which could cause the product to be damaged. Think about shipping something like an rv power control panel or a water pump smart controller—a poorly sized box could mean a costly return.

Having the right shipping box size will also save you money since shipments are charged by size and weight. A box that’s too big for the product will not only be larger but also weigh more because of the extra cardboard and filling. For high-value items like a Radar Level Gauge Integration kit or a Boiler Feedwater Control system, every ounce of savings adds up.

When ordering a new box, whether online or in-store, it’s best to measure the inside dimensions of the box to get the best sense of whether your item will fit. The measurements to gather are length, width, and height (noted as LxWxH).

Calculate the Dimensions of the Boxes for Shipping

Choosing the correct box size for shipping is important. For a regular package, calculating the dimensions is as easy as measuring the length (the long side), the width (the short side), and the height. Measurements can be rounded up to the nearest inch.

Your measurements have an allowable margin of error because they don’t have to be 100% precise. In fact, if they’re too precise, the box would be a perfect fit and actually be too small. But in reality, the box size options you will find will not be precise either unless you opt for custom boxes for shipping. This is especially true when shipping specialized gear like a High Rise Residential Water Booster or a District Heating Circulation Pump, where even a slight miscalculation can cause damage.

If the package is irregular in size, then take the measurements from the most extreme points, meaning the longest length, the widest width, and the highest height points.

To get the overall dimension of the package, you need to multiply your measurements to get a cubic size. Some shippers will also refer to this figure as the volume.

tendlyn’s compostable Kraft Boxes by @coaxedbythesiren

Always Use New and Good Quality Custom Shipping Boxes

Ideal shipping boxes should be new and made of good-quality corrugated cardboard. This will decrease the chances of the shipping box being damaged or broken.

Corrugated cardboard is made with two or more sheets of paper sandwiching a waved double-ply piece of cardboard. Corrugation can be single, double, or triple-walled to provide different levels of durability. Larger, heavier objects like a television set or furniture will call for stronger materials. For industrial items such as a Coferdam Dewatering Control unit or a Landfill Gas Condensate Pump, you’ll want triple-wall corrugation and a box that can handle the weight.

Use Eco-Friendly Boxes for Shipping

There are many advantages to going the extra distance and opting for sustainable, eco-friendly boxes for shipping. Most customers are looking to support eco-friendly options when available, so sustainable shipping options are a major boon. This aligns well with trends like Energy saving for vacation rentals, where every sustainable choice—from packaging to the Garden Lawn Sprinkler Control system you ship—matters to eco-conscious buyers.

Customers appreciate sustainability for the same reason that everyone does and for the same benefits that will be reaped by choosing eco-friendly products. Sustainable box options reduce both carbon emissions and waste. Even a small component like an irrigation relay module or an mhz rf switch can be shipped in a smaller, greener box, reducing your overall footprint.

tendlyn’s Custom Mailer Box is 100% FSC-Certified and printed using compostable inks.

Opt for Truly Custom Boxes for Shipping

The customer journey doesn’t end at checkout. The perception of value carries through to the unboxing experience. The last thing retailers want is for the customer to receive their package and suddenly feel that the product wasn’t worth what they spent.

This can happen when the perception of value is interrupted by low-quality, generic, or poorly thought-out packaging. For example, if you’re shipping a garage relay controller or a garage remote receiver, a custom box with your branding tells the customer you care about every detail—from the product to the packaging.

Custom boxes for shipping are available and can build continuity on the company logo, branding, and design. This can and should include the outside of the box and the custom tissue paper and wrapping within. Even a small item like an mhz latched relay or a relay receiver kit deserves a box that reflects the quality of your brand.

🎁 That’s a Wrap!

Picking the proper shipping box size means getting the most accurate measurements and considering the kind of impression your company wants to leave on customers. For sustainable, custom mailer boxes, tendlyn’s got you for various sizes, materials, and design options. Whether you’re shipping an Aeration Basin Blower & Pump or a simple mhz self lock relay, the right box makes all the difference.