Essential tips for shipping fragile items

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Ensure that your fragile item is appropriately packed to protect it from shipping mishandling. Choose a box slightly larger than your product, and ensure it is sturdy enough to hold it.

Shipping fragile items

Nothing hurts an eCommerce business more than damaged products. If customers open their packages to find broken items, they will likely not shop with you again.

Choose the right box.

Customers want to unbox their new product and find it undamaged, but in reality, bumps in the road during transit are all too common. The right high-quality custom shipping boxes, like size, material, and padding, can offer protection that helps your products survive the journey to their destination.

Boxes get tossed, dropped, tipped, and flipped everywhere as they’re moved between carriers and handled by shipping companies and warehouse employees. You can’t control those conditions, but you can choose the best box for fragile items to help them safely reach their destination.

A sturdy box is essential for shipping fragile items, and a good choice includes a heavy-duty corrugated cardboard box with thick flutes. The fluting has a ruffled, wave-like pattern that absorbs impact for better durability. Look for the correct size packages to accommodate your item and leave enough space for cushioning materials, such as bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

These cushioning materials serve two purposes: they protect the item from damage and fill empty spaces in the box to prevent movement of the items inside. You can choose from many cushioning materials, including foam-in-bag, polystyrene peanuts (or packing peanuts), and crumpled paper. If you’re shipping multiple items, consider using cardboard dividers to keep them from damaging each other as they move around in the box.

Use the right materials.

When shipping fragile items, it’s essential to use suitable packaging materials to keep them safe. For example, using bubble wrap or similar soft material to cover the article and fill any gaps is ideal. This will restrict movement during transit and reduce the chance of breakage. Other suitable packing materials include air pillows, packing peanuts, or foam inserts.

Preventing all damage during shipping is difficult, but extra care can go a long way. By following these tips, you can help ensure your fragile products arrive at their destination in one piece and make your customers happy.

Fragile items like glassware, ceramics, and technology devices are prone to breaking during transit. Carriers toss them into gaylords and onto trucks, and they’re often dropped and bumped while in transit. Keeping your breakables in pristine condition will protect them from damage, increase customer satisfaction, and build trust for your business.

Label your boxes.

Fragile items often go through rough transit. They get dropped, tossed, bumped, tipped, and flipped as they make their way to customers. While it’s impossible to control how carriers handle your package, you can take steps to ensure that your product arrives intact.

One of the best things you can do is label your boxes as fragile. This will help your shipment stand out and let carriers know they must be extra careful. Another good option is to add shipping insurance. This can provide you and your customers peace of mind, especially if your item is expensive or valuable.

It would help to use sturdy, high-quality tape to seal your box. This is a best practice for any shipment, but it’s essential when shipping fragile items. A poor tape job could allow your products to fall out of the box, damaging them. Finally, you should wrap your item in bubble wrap or another sturdy infill material. This will restrict movement and keep your product from banging into each other during transit.

You can find various void fill for your shipping boxes, including packaging paper, GreenWrap or 100% Recycled Packaging Paper, and ornament paper shred. You can even recycle old newspapers or magazines around your office into packing material. Just crumple multiple sheets of paper into a ball-like shape and then use them to fill gaps or line your boxes.

Secure your boxes.

When shipping fragile items, a secure package is essential. It is crucial that the box can withstand weight and that there is room inside for cushioning materials. It is also important to close and secure all box seams, particularly on the top. This will ensure that there is as little movement of the item in transit as possible.

To do this, make sure you use plenty of packing tape. This will make it much more difficult for the carrier or handler to open and damage your shipment. It is also important to label your box as fragile. This will help warn the carrier or handler to be careful with your product and may prevent them from dropping or damaging it in the first place.

The last thing you want is for your customer to unbox their new product and find it damaged. This can result in a bad experience for the customer and loss of business for your ecommerce company. It is also essential to test your packaging before shipping. This can be done by putting your product in its box and trying it in various ways. For example, you can drop it from a height or stack it with other packages.

If you are still looking for a good quality box to ship your products in, consider using a 3PL with its fulfillment center. They will have the equipment and expertise to ship your fragile items safely and securely.

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