13 Packing Essentials Every Business Needs to Ship Products Safely

A damaged package can cost a company a lot —from lost clients to negative internet reviews, and the list goes on. Investing in high-quality packing essentials can help ensure that your items reach their destinations securely. Knowing what types of shipping boxes and other shipping supplies you’ll need to secure your products is also critical to the safety of your shipment.

We have compiled a list of packing essentials that every business must invest in to ensure that their packing boxes remain secure during transit and the entire delivery process and arrive at the customer’s doorstep in pristine condition.

Packing Essentials Every Business Need To Ship Products Safely

Here is a list of packing essentials you must get your hands on to ensure the safety of your boxes.

1. Corrugated Boxes

Sometimes many business owners stick to using only one type of packing box without realizing that there are an array of boxes for shipping different types of items. For example, if you use a standard strength packing box to ship a heavy item, it is doomed to get damaged during the shipping process.

So you must have a few variations of large to small shipping boxes to ensure a proper box for shipping items of different shapes, weights and sizes. Here are a few different types of corrugated boxes you can purchase:

• Standard strength boxes:Standard strength boxes come in many sizes and shapes to transport various items. For example, wardrobe boxes can be utilized by moving companies to move clothing items efficiently, and mirror boxes can be used to ship fragile mirrors
• Heavy-duty boxes:Heavy-duty boxes are a must-have if you own a business that requires you to ship heavy items like furniture. These boxes are designed with optimal strength in mind to ensure they protect the heavy item inside
• Retail boxes:The retail box category includes jewelry boxes, gift boxes, apparel boxes, and much more. These boxes are intended to transport specific items such as fragile jewels, so if you run a jewelry store, purchasing these can help ensure your items arrive to clients in the best condition possible
• Corrugated mailers: The corrugated mailer boxcategory has mailers made of corrugated cardboard. Some of the mailers in this category are side-loading mailers or one-piece book folds, which make the best shipping boxes for literature, frames, artwork or prints, etc

2. Mailers

Mailers are a great way to ship small and fragile items. They come in a few different forms, like boxes and envelopes. Here are a few different types of mailers you can use to ship your products safely:

 

• Kraft bubble mailers:Bubble mailers come in various varieties, such as ecolite bubble mailers or jiffy padded envelopes. These mailers are great for shipping items like books or stationary that may not be too fragile or susceptible to breaking
• Poly bubble mailers:Poly bubble mailers also come in a few different types, like cool sheet bubble mailers for shipping items like medicine or cosmetics that need to be kept at a cool temperature. These bubble mailers are excellent for shipping small, fragile items since they have a bubble lining within for extra protection
• Poly mailers:You can purchase a few varieties of poly mailers, such as long poly mailers for shipping long items and LUX poly bags. They are water resistant, can go through significant wear and tear, and keep your items damage-free. These are great for shipping documents, clothing items or books
• Flat mailer:These flat shipping envelopes are ideal for shipping flat items like books or DVDs

 

3. Packing Tape

How will you secure your packages to ensure they don’t open during shipping? This is where packing tape comes in. Here are a few varieties of packaging tapes you can purchase:

• Pressure sensitive tape: In the packing tape category, you will find a subcategory of pressure sensitive packing tapes, which come in several variants such as hot melt packing tape for package sealing and preprinted tape with instructions printed on them that you can use to communicate with the people involved in the shipping process to ensure the package’s safety
• Kraft tape:If you are using corrugated boxes or any other shipping box with a corrugated exterior, kraft tape is the ideal packaging tape to use since it adheres exceptionally well to such surfaces. It is also available in various styles, including preprinted and flatback paper tape

4. Mailing Tubes

Mailing tubes will make it easy for you to ship unusually shaped items that may not fit into a conventional shipping box. These tube-shaped boxes help you safely ship items like curtain rods or umbrellas. Here are a few different types of shipping tubes you will come across online:

• Kraft mailing tubes:Kraft mailing tubes can be used to ship items like prints. They come with a plastic enclosure, saving you from the hassle of securing them with tapes
• Colored mailing tubes:Appealing packaging can help you attract potential customers and impress existing ones. You can get creative with colored mailing tubes and customize them according to the color of your brands logo
• White mailing tubes:White mailing tubes are a great pick if you like to keep your packaging looking clean and aesthetically pleasing
• Crimped-end mailing tubes: Crimped-end mailing tubes can help you save a lot of time since they crimp at the end to close, and you don’t have to worry about securing them with shipping tape

5. Kraft Paper

Your products may shift around in a shipping box if there is room left during transportation, resulting in damage like scratches, dents, or even breaking in the worst cases. This is where kraft paper rolls come in handy. They create an excellent protective barrier for cushioning or packing objects for transportation.

They are also composed of 100% recyclable material, which your customers will appreciate. So when packing items, you can cover them in kraft paper. It will offer an additional protective layer and guard your products against scratches. You can also use kraft paper for void fill and fill up any empty spaces in your shipping box by rolling up the paper into a ball shape—giving your products that extra layer of stability and protection.

6. Bubble Rolls

Like kraft paper, bubble rolls are another handy protective item every business owner must have. You can use bubble rolls to like the sides of a shipping box or cover fragile products like ceramic dishes or vases with the bubble roll to ensure they do not break or get damaged during shipping.

7. Shipping Foams

When you think of shipping foams, you probably picture basic foam sheets for protective layers. However, the shipping foam category has evolved, with different types of shipping foams serving diverse protective purposes. Here are some types of shipping foams that you can use to protect your packages:

• Soft foam:Soft foam covers and protects extra fragile items like glass frames. Before you pack a frame, you can cut up soft foam according to the size of the frame and place one sheet under and one above the frame before securing it with packaging tape
• Foam corner guards:The corners of frames can easily get chipped or damaged during shipping if they are shipped without any protection. Frame corner guards will help you add that layer of protection to frames and ensure they suffer no damage during shipping
• Air form sheets:Protective layering between fragile items is essential to ensure they don’t suffer any scratches or cracks due to friction during shipping. Air foam sheets are pre-cut polyethene sheets that you can layer between fragile products
• Foam edge protectors:You can like your package boxes with foam edge protectors, made out of polystyrene material. They help prevent scratches on fragile surfaces
• Foam pouches:An effective way to shield your items from stress and abrasion incurred during transportation, for example, when a delivery vehicle hits bumps, is to use foam pouches. Since they are self-sealable, packaging products like glass plates becomes more convenient
• Anti-static foam pouches:Protecting your products from vibration, stress, abrasion, and static is essential if you sell fragile items like glassware. Anti-static foam pouches can help you offer optimal protection to your fragile items and protect them from sustaining any damages during the shipping process
• Foam rolls:Foam rolls are excellent for all-around protection; you can use them to line boxes, create padding between products, and much more

8. Shrink Film

Shrink film keeps products safe and clean while maintaining an appealing look. You can buy polyolefin film rolls to keep your package wrinkle-free, spotless, and protected. Quality shrink films can also sustain high temperatures, so the shrink film on your package won’t crack or puncture if exposed to harsh temperatures.

9. Peanuts

Peanuts refer to a loose fill that is created to provide protection and cushion within the packaging. Peanuts keep your products from getting damaged due to friction or vibration during shipping. If you run a large-scale business, you can even invest in peanut dispensers to make your employee’s jobs easier and make packaging convenient.

10. Stretch Wrap

Stretch wrap is a thin, flexible plastic sheet to fasten and hold cased items. It is commonly constructed of polyethene. It is recyclable and provides enhanced product protection, which is essential if you want to do your best to reduce the likelihood of customers receiving damaged items.

If you order stretch wrap, don’t forget to order a stretch wrap cutter to make it easier to cut the stretch wrap according to your need. Moreover, if you own a large-scale business using stretch wrap occasionally, you can order a hand film dispenser to make your employee’s jobs easier and speed up the packing process.

11. Gloves, Knives, and Markers

Let’s take a brief break from discussing how to ship products securely to discuss your or your workers’ safety. When buying packing supplies, don’t forget to purchase gloves, markers, and knives to help your employees properly wrap the products without hurting themselves.

Proper gear will also motivate the employees to perform a good job at packaging, which will help you assure the safety of your products during delivery. Markers are necessary since you can use them to communicate with delivery personnel and inform them about the shipment’s contents so they may exercise greater caution while handling your shipping boxes.

12. Packing Slips and Labels

Packing slips and labels will help you communicate with delivery personnel involved in the shipment of your shipping boxes. It may be impossible for you to track every person who handles your shipping boxes and tell them that the items inside are fragile.

You can easily accomplish this by ordering fragile labels and sticking them on your cardboard boxes to ensure all delivery personnel exercise caution when handling them. Doing so will also impress your customers since they will know that you put effort into ensuring they receive their order in pristine condition.

13. Weather Protection

Investing in weather protection becomes necessary if you sell items like food, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetic products that need to be kept at a specific temperature.

Weather protection will help you ensure the item inside your package stays at a particular temperature, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. You will come across a multitude of weather protection items in the market. Here are some of them:

• Insulated shipping boxes:Insulated shipping boxes come in two parts which are a lid and a foam interior box. These boxes are typically marked “perishable” or “rush,” which aids in communicating with the delivery staff that the shipment of these boxes must be prioritized. These boxes can be used to ship both food and medication.
• Cold packs:Cold packs are handy since you can throw them in your shipping boxes to ensure the contents stay cold
• Cool shield bubble mailers: Cool shield bubble mailers are great for short-term shipping like medication, makeup products or skincare items that need to be kept at a certain temperature. These make the packaging process fast and convenient since they have a peel-off adhesive, so you don’t have to risk securing the package with tape
• Cool shield box liner: Cool shield box liners make great weather protection packaging items on hand. You can line your shipping boxes with these box liners to ensure the contents within the box stay cold regardless of the temperature outside

Things to Remember When Ordering Packing Essentials Online

Before searching online for ‘box store near me,’ here are a few important things you must remember to ensure you don’t have any regrets once your online order arrives.

• Focus on research:Carrying out proper research on all the packaging stores that ship to your area is essential to ensure you receive quality packaging essentials. Focus on online customer reviews and ask around your circle to find out what other people think about the packaging stores products before you make a purchase
• Make a small order at first:Online reviews can be fake. Therefore, to ensure the packaging store supplies premium quality packaging essentials, make a small order first to test out their products. Once you receive your packaging supplies and they pass the quality test, you can then go ahead and place bulk orders
• Don’t forget to inquire about discounts:Many online packaging stores offer great discounts on bulk orders which can help you significantly lower the cost of your packaging supplies. So always inquire about discounts on bulk purchases to lower your expenses
• Go with your gut:If you find a packaging store that ships to your area and have all the packaging essentials you wish to order, but some of you feel like you will regret ordering from them, we suggest going with your gut and keep looking for better options
• Inquire about the size of the shipping boxes:You don’t want to end up with the wrong size of shipping boxes since most stores will not accommodate a refund if you make a mistake and order the wrong size. So always inquire about the sizes of the shipping boxes you are ordering. Most shipping supplies stores let you customize your boxes according to the shape and size of your product

If you don’t have time to research a trusted and reliable packaging store, we recommend checking out The Boxery. We are pioneers in the industry and have been supplying eco-friendly and high-quality packaging supplies to large-scale businesses. You will find all the packaging essentials discussed above on our website.

At the moment, we are offering free shipping on stretch wrap. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and take advantage of this offer while it lasts. If you have any further queries about our products or want to discuss bulk orders, feel free to call us at 877-826-9379 to talk to our representatives.

Key Takeaway:

• Corrugated boxes, packaging tape, mailers, mailing tubes, kraft paper, bubble rolls, shipping foam, shrink film, peanuts stretch wrap, gloves, knives and markers, packing slips and labels, and weather protection are 13 packing essentials that every business needs to ship products safely
• You must always purchase high-quality packing essentials from a reputed packaging supply storelike ‘The Boxery’