Shippers and Inserts

Perishable and fragile goods often require additional protection from temperature extremes and rough handling during shipping. Specialty shippers guard against a variety of hazards and come in sizes that accommodate a broad range of products. Find the right container for your delicate or temperature-sensitive goods when you explore the shipping supplies available at Staples®.

Shippers Provide Practical, Cost-Effective Protection
All padded and insulated boxes share some common features. They have a cardboard shell that secures the package's contents and guards against minor impacts, punctures, and rough handling. Cardboard also offers a consistent gripping surface for tape and shipping labels. Most specialty shipping boxes have warning marks that indicate the contents are fragile or perishable. They also show proper package orientation during shipment and provide reuse/recycling information.

Enjoy Added Protection With Padded and Insulated Shippers
The most significant differences between standard and specialty packaging are inside the boxes. Padded boxes have slabs of high-density, convoluted foam fitted to the tops and bottoms of the containers. This foam sandwiches shipped goods between two protective layers. Many padded boxes use anti-static materials that guard against minor electrical mishaps.

Insulated boxes have rigid polystyrene containers inside that create a thermal barrier. Tight-fitting lids form a snug seal and reduce the risk of leaks during shipping. When packed with refrigerants like gel packs or dry ice, insulated containers can keep contents cold for up to 96 hours.

How Do You Choose the Right Shipper?
Insulated boxes and padded containers provide very different safeguards, so it's easy to determine which is right for shipping a specific product. Package size is the next consideration. Allow two to three inches of space inside padded boxes to prevent impact damage. Contoured foam padding should grip the item firmly, but it shouldn't be over-compressed, as this reduces its effectiveness. They should be large enough to hold your goods plus sufficient gel packs or dry ice to maintain the proper temperature for the duration of the trip.

How Strong Are Specialty Shippers?
Most of a package's strength comes from the outer cardboard box. Edge crush test (ECT) and burst test ratings measure the force required to crush a box's edge or rupture the face of a box. Most standard boxes have 32 ECT and 200-pound burst ratings and can hold items weighing up to 40 pounds. For loads up to 65 pounds, consider using heavy-duty boxes, which have 44 ECT and 275-pound burst ratings. Double-wall boxes with ratings of up to 48 ECT handle loads of up to 80 pounds.

What Are the Purchasing Options for Padded and Insulated Boxes?
Most boxes are available individually or in bulk packages. Use a single insulated or padded box to handle a one-off shipping job, or prepare for a large shipment with a cost-effective bundle.

Can You Reuse Shippers?
Most insulated and padded boxes are durable enough to withstand repeated use. Bagging goods before packing protects padding and insulation from contamination. If a container is too damaged to reuse, consider recycling the cardboard box and any padding marked with a recycling symbol to help reduce office waste.