If you’re new to the e-commerce field or if you just want a quick refresher – we’ve got it handled. Here we’ve made a guide on e-commerce packaging supplies for a smooth and efficient shipping process. You’ll learn about cushioning basics and box know-how, and the importance of labeling. Check it out!
Cushioning Basics: How To Wrap Your Fragile Items Safely
When you’re wrapping breakable or precious items – think about safety. You want to minimize damage to your product as much as possible. To do this, you should provide support on all sides for multiple impacts on a single item. For delicate products, consider a cushion that will create at least two inches of space between the product and the exterior of the box.
Wrap each of your items with material flexible enough to get into any tight spaces, but durable enough to cushion and protect. A few popular packaging materials for e-commerce include paper wrap, crinkle cushioning, bubble wrap, and foam sheets.
Cushioning Materials For Shipping
Paper Wrap
Consider heavyweight shipping paper to wrap your items. It is easy to fold and manipulate as well as recyclable.
Popular Paper Wrap
- 75# Extra-Heavyweight Brown Kraft
- White Wrapping Papers
- Flexible Cross-Scored “B” Flute Corrugated Paper Rolls
Bubble Wrap
Bubble wrap is constructed of pockets of air locked between a top and bottom layer of polyethylene film. It is designed to protect items from shock, vibration, and abrasion.
Bubble Wrap We Love
- 3/16″ X 3/8″ Air Bubble Wrapping
- 3/16″ Anti-Static Air Bubble Wrapping (Great for electronics)
- Self-Sealing Air Bubble-Out Anti-Static Bags
Foam Sheets
Foam sheets are protective foam cushioning composed of tiny air cells in a blanket. They are virtually crushproof, lint free, and non-abrasive.
Foam Sheets That Work
Void Fill
Loose fill like industrial crinkle papers or packing peanuts have the ability to provide a protective layer against shock, vibration, and abrasion that can occur during transit.
Fill Designed To Cushion & Protect
- Monster Crinkle™
- Anti-Static White Biodegradable Loose Fill
A Note About Empty Space: When you’re cushioning your products, fill any empty space between your item and your box with cushioning material. Empty space lowers the chances that your product will arrive at its destination safely.
Box Know-How: Everyone Loves A 6-Sided Box
To test the durability of your overall package, there are some sellers who recommend a basic drop test. In terms of shipping and packaging, a drop test simulates a shipping environment where packaged goods are subject to damage.
To put it simply, a drop test is a test of how safe and durable your cartons are when jostled or dropped. It ensures your packaging quality and process is excellent.
A drop test can be performed simply by taking a sealed and wrapped package and dropping it onto a flat surface from various heights. When performing a drop test, test various areas of your box concentrating on your box sides and corners. Here are a few popular shipping and mailing boxes that perform well during a box test.
Boxes That Will Survive A Drop Test
The Importance Of Labeling
To make sure your items arrive safely and quickly, clearly label the container you are using to ship. Here are a few tips –
- Your label should be written or typed in neat and easy to read type.
- If your package has a barcode, make sure that your barcode is positioned on a clear surface so scanning will be quick and easy.
- If your package contains fragile or delicate materials, use warning labels on the exterior to make the carrier aware.
Very good guidlines. I work in the shipping industry for a carrier. Everything was good info except for one word in the last bullet point. The word shipper should be changed to carrier (i.e. Fedex, UPS, USPS). The person packaging the product and shipping it out is the shipper.