The wrong shipping box costs more than you think. Too large? You pay for air and filler material. Too tight? Transport damage and returns. Wrong type? Your warehouse team loses time with every package.
For a webshop sending out thousands of shipments per month, every mistake adds up. In this guide, you will walk through five questions that determine the choice of the right shipping box and see which four box types are most commonly used in e-commerce.
Question 1: Does it fit through the letterbox?
Letterbox boxes may be a maximum of 3.2 cm high. Does your product physically fit (with some filler cardboard)? Then you gain two things:
- Lower shipping rates with PostNL, Bpost, and couriers
- No missed deliveries — no “not at home” notes and no second delivery attempt
For cosmetics, supplements, accessories, jewelry, small electronics, and T-shirts, this is often the most cost-effective choice per shipment.
Tip: measure the highest point of your product and add 6-8 mm for the cardboard itself. If you are under 3.2 cm, the letterbox box is a no-brainer.
Question 2: How quickly does the box need to be packed?
With high order volumes, every second per shipment counts. A box that can be assembled without tape saves hours every day.
- E-commerce boxes with autolock function — pre-folded bottom, adhesive strip at the top. Assemble the box, insert the product, remove the strip, done. No tape, no knife.
- Standard American boxes — must be taped at both the bottom and top. Cheaper per unit, more expensive in processing time.
Do the math: with 500 shipments per day and 15 seconds of time saved per box, you gain 125 minutes per day with an autolock version. That is half an FTE.
Question 3: How diverse is your product range?
Many webshops have too many box sizes in the warehouse. Ten SKUs for shipping boxes require ten storage locations, ten ordering rounds, and ten risks of shortages.
Experience shows: three or four sizes cover 80% of shipments if chosen correctly. The rest go into an exceptional size.
Have your box sizes audited for:
- Product dimensions — what is actually in your shipments?
- Shipping volumes per size — which sizes do you actually use?
- Filler material usage — if you are ordering a lot of paper and air, your boxes are too large.
A custom box for your three most used sizes is almost always more economical than six standard sizes from stock.
Question 4: How important is the unboxing experience?
For functional shipments (office supplies, B2B parts), an unprinted brown box is sufficient. For brands driven by repeat purchases (cosmetics, food, retail, gifting), the box is the first physical contact with the brand. In those cases, you want the box to sell the brand.
What is achievable in printing:
- Full exterior printing — full-color offset or digital
- Interior printing — a print on the inside for an unboxing effect
- Finishing — matte or glossy varnish, foil stamping, spot UV for logo or text
At what volume is it worth it? With digital printing, from as few as 50 units, as there are no fixed setup costs for printing plates. For medium and large runs, offset or flexo becomes more economical.
Question 5: How quickly do you need them?
Depending on your deadline, there are two routes:
- Standard sizes from stock — order by the pallet via our B2B Webshop. Fast delivery included in the price, from one of 4 locations spread across BE & NL.
- Custom boxes — production time 4-5 weeks for an initial run. After that, we can keep them in stock and deliver on demand.
Do you have a seasonal peak (Black Friday, Sinterklaas, Q4)? Then plan at least 6 weeks ahead for custom work and printing. For standard stock boxes, one week is sufficient.
The four shipping box types at a glance
The four shipping boxes for e-commerce, briefly explained
| Type | Best for | Advantage |
| Letterbox box | Products ≤ 3.2 cm high | Lowest shipping rate, no missed deliveries |
| E-commerce box (with autolock function) | High order volume | Fastest packaging, no tape required |
| Standard American box | Low volumes, simplicity | Lowest unit price, universally applicable |
| Book packaging (wrap) | Books, printed matter, flat products | Variable filling height, smart packaging for irregular thicknesses |
Which shipping box is right for you?
Unsure about sizes or types? Send us your product dimensions and monthly volume, and we will calculate which combination is most cost-effective for your shipping process.