An international parcel is handled many times and travels thousands of kilometres. Packing is your one chance to protect what's inside — so it's worth doing properly.
Start with the right box
Use a new, double-walled corrugated box. Reused boxes lose strength, and single-wall boxes crush under stacking. The box should be just large enough to hold your item with room for cushioning — no more, so you don't pay for empty volume.
The three-layer principle
- 1Wrap each item individually in bubble wrap or foam.
- 2Cushion the base, sides and top of the box with crushed paper, foam or airbags.
- 3Immobilise — when you shake the box, nothing should move.
Fragile items need extra care
- Glassware and ceramics: wrap each piece, separate with dividers, never let items touch.
- Electronics: use anti-static wrap and protect ports and corners.
- Liquids: seal caps with tape, bag separately, and cushion against leaks.
- Artwork and frames: use corner protectors and rigid board on both faces.
Seal it like you mean it
Use strong pressure-sensitive packing tape — not household tape. Seal every seam with the H-taping method: tape the centre seam and both edge seams, top and bottom. Reinforce heavy boxes.
Label clearly
Write sender and receiver details legibly, and add a FRAGILE label where relevant. Remove or cover old labels and barcodes from reused boxes to avoid confusion.
When to use professional packaging
Some items — antiques, instruments, sensitive electronics, oddly shaped goods — deserve custom crating or foam inserts. Our professional packaging service handles these so you don't have to source materials or guess.
A quick pre-ship checklist
- New, double-walled box, right-sized
- Each item individually wrapped
- All voids filled; nothing shifts
- H-taped on top and bottom
- Clear labels and fragile marking
- Contents declared accurately
Pack it right and your parcel arrives the way it left. If in doubt, let us pack it for you.
