Light boxes for boxed toys and beauty sets.
Typical price
£8 to £14
Why we pick it
- Typical price
- £8 to £14
- Works with
Use these for boxed toys and beauty sets that a padded bag would crush, when double-wall board costs more than you need.
Good for
- Boxed toys and gift sets
- Items under a kilo
Not for
- Heavy or fragile items
Our approved alternative for the same job: Double-wall boxes, 18 x 12 x 8 in, 15 pack
The guide
Each step in the order you'll need it.
Who small single-wall boxes suit
Single-wall boxes suit light items such as small homeware and handmade gifts. Choose them over a padded bag when the item needs a rigid shell.
A 25 pack covers a beginner posting a few boxes a week. At dozens of boxes a week, bundles of 100 or more from a packaging supplier make more sense.
Internal size, flute and box style
Start with the internal dimensions and match them to your most common item plus a few centimetres of fill on each side. Small single-wall packs are often sized to fit Royal Mail's small parcel limits, but measure against Royal Mail's current size guide before you rely on a listing claim.
Single-wall board has one fluted layer between two liners. Listings often quote a flute size such as B or C; C flute is a little thicker and stiffer. Postal or crash-lock boxes with tuck flaps fold faster and may need no tape at all, while standard flap boxes cost less.
Buy flat-packed boxes where you can: they take a fraction of the shelf space of made-up boxes.
Packing a box
Fold the box, tape the base with an H-seal of brown parcel tape, then add a layer of fill at the bottom. Sit the item in the middle and fill every gap with honeycomb paper wrap or scrunched paper so nothing moves when you shake it.
Tape the top, label the largest face and weigh the box. A tape dispenser gun saves time once you fold more than a few boxes a session.
Store flat boxes upright in a slot beside the table, sorted by size, so you can grab the right one without unstacking.
Double-wall, padded envelopes or LP mailers
Double-wall cartons suit heavy or fragile items, and anything a buyer expects to arrive without a dent, such as boxed trainers.
Padded envelopes or grey poly mailers cost and weigh less for flat or soft items. A vinyl record fits a 12-inch LP mailer better than a cube box.
Box cost and size
At £8 to £14 for 25, each box costs around 32p to 56p. A box twice the size of the item uses more fill and can push the parcel into a bigger postage size.
Track which sizes you use for a month, then buy those in bulk from a packaging supplier, where the cost per box drops.
Common mistakes
Each one costs you money or reviews, and each has a fix.
- Fill every gap, because an item loose in an empty box rattles and breaks.
- A box far bigger than the item costs extra postage and fill, so match the size.
- Above a few kilos, single-wall board bows and splits; use double-wall.
- Seal the bottom with an H pattern too. Tape on the top seam alone lets the base open.
- A listing's postage-size claim can be wrong and cost you surcharges. Measure against Royal Mail's own guide.
Ranked in
Where it places in our rankings, and the reason.
Setups that use it
Complete kits this product is part of.
Guides that use it
Step-by-step help where this product does a job.
Questions
Single-wall or double-wall boxes?
Single-wall suits light items under a couple of kilos. Double-wall suits heavy, fragile or valuable items.
Will these boxes fit Royal Mail's small parcel size?
Some small packs are sized for it, but compare the internal and external dimensions with Royal Mail's current size guide.
Can I reuse boxes from deliveries?
Yes, if they are clean and undamaged. Cover or remove old labels and barcodes so the parcel cannot be misrouted.
How many items fit in a 25 pack before I reorder?
Reorder when a size runs low, starting with the sizes you use each week.
Do I need tape for crash-lock boxes?
The base locks without tape. Tape the lid so it can't open in the post.
Alternatives
Other picks for the same job, cheaper and pricier.
Small jewellery boxes, 50 pack
A foam insert holds the piece still in the box. The box fits in a padded envelope, so most orders still go as a Large Letter.
Typical price£8 to £14
See on Amazon12-inch LP record mailers, 10 pack
A folding board mailer holds one 12-inch record flat with stiffeners either side, so the corners and sleeve seams survive the sorting belts. Buy them if you sell vinyl every week; for a box set or a stack of records, use a small box with bubble wrap instead.
Typical price£10 to £18
See on AmazonLarge Letter postal boxes, 50 pack
A slim box under 25 mm deep protects a small item better than an envelope and can still go at Large Letter postage. Measure the packed box before you buy postage.
Typical price£14 to £22
See on AmazonDie-cut postal boxes for small parcels, 50 pack
These fold flat, close without tape and sit under the small parcel size of 45 × 35 × 16 cm. Pick a depth that fits your usual item with a little padding.
Typical price£18 to £28
See on Amazon