Shipping box sizes
The shipping box is the brown carton everyone knows: four walls, one glued seam and four flaps at each end that you tape shut. Here are the sizes box makers keep in stock, so you can start from one that fits.
Size chart by what ships
| For | Length × width × height | |
|---|---|---|
| Small parcel Cosmetics, a phone case, a paperback |
203 × 152 × 102 mm 8.0 × 6.0 × 4.0 |
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| Small cube A mug, a candle, a small gift |
152 × 152 × 152 mm 6.0 × 6.0 × 6.0 |
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| Books and shoes A stack of books or one pair of shoes |
305 × 229 × 152 mm 12.0 × 9.0 × 6.0 |
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| Medium cube Kitchenware, toys, a mixed order |
305 × 305 × 305 mm 12.0 × 12.0 × 12.0 |
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| Small moving box Books and tools — small and heavy |
416 × 321 × 321 mm 16.4 × 12.6 × 12.6 |
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| Medium moving box Kitchen things, toys, clothes |
460 × 457 × 406 mm 18.1 × 18.0 × 16.0 |
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| Large cube Bedding and pillows — big and light |
457 × 457 × 457 mm 18.0 × 18.0 × 18.0 |
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| Pallet box Four to a layer on a 1200 × 800 pallet |
600 × 400 × 300 mm 23.6 × 15.7 × 11.8 |
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Typical stock sizes, not a standard: every supplier's list is a little different. They are the sizes of the space inside, so the finished box is a few millimetres bigger outside. Your printer will adapt them to your product.
How to measure
- Length — the longer side of the opening. The two long flaps hinge here and meet in the middle.
- Width — the shorter side of the opening. Every flap is half the width deep, so the width can never be more than the length.
- Height — from the bottom flaps to the top flaps. Leave room for padding around the product.
Our sizes are crease to crease, so the walls are exactly the length, width and height you type. The space inside is about one board thickness smaller.
Which board?
The default is B flute, 2.8 mm — the usual single-wall board for shipping. E flute, 1.5 mm, prints better and suits small boxes; for heavy loads or big boxes, pick a double wall such as B+C, 6.8 mm. The board doesn't move any fold: it only makes the slots between the flaps wider, so thick board still closes flat.
Want a box that closes without tape and looks good when it's opened? Have a look at the mailer box sizes.