So was I. Every time I would have to ship something, I’d worry that it was either going to get damaged during transit or I was going to overpay in shipping. It got to the point where I would insist on buying gifts for my family and friends online so that the VENDOR would have to ship the items. Ridiculous, I know, but I bet a few of you feel the same way. What if YOU’RE that vendor or another online retailer and don’t have the luxury of placing that responsibility on someone else? You need to make sure your customers receive their purchased items in great condition and prevent shipping costs from cutting into your profit margin. Lucky for you, I now work in the packaging industry and can help answer this question! 😉

Hard Cover Book or something in a Protective Box

We get tons of inquiries asking what the best packaging is for a hardcover book. While a poly bubble mailer would suffice, the larger ½” bubble found in our Jumbojackets will better protect the edges. The same rule applies to shipping something small in a protective box, such as jewelry. All of our poly bubble mailers are water resistant to keep contents dry and 100% recyclable.

Clothing or a Soft Toy

Lightweight, durable items such as apparel or soft toys don’t need the added protection of bubble. They ship great in either our regular or recycled flat poly mailers. Flat poly mailers are lightweight, water resistant and 100% recyclable.  

A large, Heavy Item

Large, heavy items such as cookware and gallon jugs of liquid laundry detergent should not be shipped in a mailer. Plastic mailers are not large enough and do not provide adequate support or protection. These items should instead be shipped in a corrugated box. If you’d like to use a more sustainable packaging option, consider utilizing recycled corrugated boxes such as those available from Eco Enclose.

 

Shoebox

Some may believe that a shoebox must be shipped inside of an outer box because that’s historically how it’s been done, but this isn’t true! Our Xpandojacket mailers are bubble lined to protect the box edges and are gusseted to fit a large item like a shoebox. They are also water resistant and 100% recyclable.  

Photos, Documents or Calendar

You definitely don’t want your pictures and documents getting bent during transit, so adequately protect them in a rigid paperboard mailer. PAC’s Mailjackets are rigid to protect against bending, recyclable, and made from 100% recycled paperboard.

Hardware, Tools, Electronics

While hardware, tools, and electronics vary wildly in size and weight, the smaller, more lightweight items can easily be shipped in any of our poly bubble mailers. Think pliers, wrenches, headphones, flash drives – you get the picture. My only warning is that you’ll likely want to stay away from Kraft bubble mailers when shipping electronics as they are not water resistant. Electronics + Water = Nothing Good. For more information on the differences between the two, be sure to check out my previous post on Making a Smarter Choice: Poly Bubble Mailers vs. Kraft Bubble Mailers

 

Now you’re all set to mail out your next shipment, right!? If not, or if you still have questions, do not fret. Give us a call at 1.800.535.0039 or send us an email at [email protected] and we’d be happy to help! Pack it right. Pack it light.