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A candle shipping box is a corrugated mailer with an insert that holds a glass candle jar away from every wall, so the glass never touches the box and the box takes the drop. We make them as roll end tuck front mailers and tuck top cartons in E or B flute, with die-cut corrugated inserts or paperboard cradles, sized to the jar, in any quantity and with no minimum order. The number that matters is clearance: half an inch of crushable material between the glass and the outer wall on every side, including top and bottom, because a jar that touches the wall breaks on the first corner drop.
Candles are one of the most returned products in ecommerce and almost all of it is breakage. A candle brand that ships a hundred orders a week and loses two to breakage is paying for the glass, the wax, the shipping both ways and the review. The box is the least expensive place to fix that.
Sizing to the jar
Measure the jar with its lid on: diameter and height. Add one inch to each for the half inch of clearance on both sides, and that is the inside of the insert cavity. The mailer is then sized to the insert.
| Candle | Jar with lid | Insert cavity | Mailer (inside) | Board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 oz tin or travel jar | 2.75 x 1.75 in | 3.75 x 2.75 in | 4 x 4 x 3 in | E flute, 32 ECT |
| 8 oz jar | 3 x 3.5 in | 4 x 4.5 in | 5 x 5 x 5 in | E or B flute, 32 ECT |
| 10 to 12 oz jar | 3.5 x 4 in | 4.5 x 5 in | 5 x 5 x 5.5 in | B flute, 32 ECT |
| 16 oz jar | 4 x 4.5 in | 5 x 5.5 in | 6 x 6 x 6 in | B flute, 32 or 44 ECT |
| Set of two 8 oz | two 3 x 3.5 in | two 4 x 4.5 in cavities | 9 x 5 x 5 in | B flute, 32 ECT |
| Three wick 14 oz | 4 x 3.5 in | 5 x 4.5 in | 6 x 6 x 5 in | B flute, 32 ECT |
Inserts: what actually stops the break
The insert does the work; the mailer just contains it. Three kinds, in order of protection.
Die-cut corrugated cradle
Two pieces of B flute board, die-cut with a circle for the jar, set at the top and bottom of the box so the jar is suspended in the middle and cannot touch a wall. This is the standard for single candles and it is what we recommend first. It ships flat and folds in.
Full corrugated sleeve
A tube of corrugated board around the jar plus end caps. More material, more protection, right for 16 ounce jars and anything over 2 pounds.
Paperboard tray
An 18 to 24 point paperboard tray with a cut-out, for sets and gift presentation inside a rigid or printed outer. Presents better, protects less; pair it with a corrugated outer for shipping.
Loose fill, crinkle paper and bubble wrap all work until the parcel gets stacked; then the jar migrates to a wall. A cut insert does not let it move.
Board and the drop test
E flute prints the best and is fine up to about an 8 ounce jar. B flute is thicker and takes the corner drop better, and it is the right board from 10 ounces up. 32 ECT covers most single candle boxes; 44 ECT for sets and heavy jars. We send a sample so you can pack your own jar and drop it from waist height onto a corner before you run a quantity. If it breaks, we resize the insert, not the marketing.
Full color inside and out on a roll end mailer, so the box works as the gift box too. A one color print on kraft for a plain shipper with a branded inner. Matte aqueous coating resists scuffs in transit. Print a fragile and this way up mark on the outer regardless of how it looks; carriers respond to it.
In short
What to send us: the jar size with lid, the packed weight, whether it ships as a single or a set, and whether the shipping box doubles as the gift box. What you get back: an insert cavity with half an inch of clearance on every side, a mailer sized to it, the board grade for the weight, and a sample to drop test. What it costs you to start: nothing. Free design, free dieline, free samples, no minimum order.
Candle shipping box questions
What size box do I need to ship a candle?
Measure the jar with its lid, add one inch to the diameter and the height for clearance, and that is the insert cavity. An 8 ounce jar at 3 by 3.5 inches needs a 4 by 4.5 inch cavity and a 5 by 5 by 5 inch mailer. The half inch of crushable board on every side is what stops the glass breaking.
What is the best insert for shipping candles?
A die-cut corrugated cradle: two B flute pieces with a circle cut for the jar, one at the top and one at the bottom of the box, so the jar hangs in the middle and cannot touch a wall. It ships flat, folds in, and outperforms loose fill and bubble wrap once parcels are stacked.
E flute or B flute for candle boxes?
E flute up to about 8 ounces; it prints best. B flute from 10 ounces up; it is thicker and takes a corner drop better. Sets and 16 ounce jars go to B flute at 44 ECT.
Can the shipping box be the gift box too?
Yes. A roll end tuck front mailer printed inside and out with a cradle insert is both. For premium presentation, a paperboard tray inside a rigid box, shipped in a plain corrugated outer, separates the two jobs.
Is there a minimum order?
No. A hundred boxes to test breakage on real orders or a production run. Free structural design and dieline, free samples to drop test, and a printed proof before the run.
No minimum order. One or a full run. Free design and dieline, and a printed proof before production. Free samples so you can pack your own jar and drop it before you commit. Price match: send a written quote for the same size, board, print and quantity and we will beat it.
Related: candle boxes, candle subscription boxes, luxury candle boxes and mailer boxes.
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