What Packaging Is Best For You?
Your packaging is the first interaction your customer has with your product. Whether that’s seeing it, or picking it up, holding it, and reading about your product inside.
Choosing the right packaging will tell your customer about the product’s quality, importance, and what to expect. That means your packaging is just as important as your product.
With all the packaging and box options available in the market, it can be difficult for brands to pick the best choice for their products. This blog will give you an understanding of the various options available to you, and which you might choose.
Table Of Contents
The Three Packaging Levels
Understanding the differences between various levels of packaging is critical to understand what is best for your product.
Read on to get a quick overview of all three types of packaging.
Primary Packaging
This is the type of packaging that your customer comes in direct contact with.
This is the retail packaging that secures your product.
Primary Packaging is best designed to make your product look more appealing.
You should invest most of your budget into this packaging type.
Secondary Packaging
This packaging is used for stock-keeping, typically referred to as a SKU.
It is focused on securing your primary packaging (and your product) in a stack to facilitate movement and storage.
It also provides additional protection to your packaging and products.
This is focused on safely moving primary packaging and protecting it from damage.
These can also serve as small shipments, and are used regularly in e-commerce.
Secondary packaging has multiple components: a box, padding, separators, reinforcements, bags, paper, and more. It is customized to your product and packaging.
Tertiary Packaging
Finally, this packaging is used typically as bulk or transit packaging.
This is focused on moving larger quantities of units during freight / shipping.
During shipping, your products are handled as “distribution units”, and the packaging is focused on moving large and heavy loads efficiently.
8 Packaging Options For Your Products
1. Paperboard Box
Paperboard is a lightweight, but solid, paper-based material. It’s great at making custom shapes and structures, and can be quickly cut and manipulated.
This makes it extremely suitable for customized packaging. It is made into pulp by turning and then bleaching fibrous materials that come from wood or recycled waste paper. It comes in different grades, each appropriate for various requirements for packaging.
There are two main options, SBS (bleached) or Kraft / CUK (unbleached “brown”) paperboard. Both options are commonly used, but Kraft is more eco-friendly.
But Kraft is less moisture resistant, which makes it less suitable for wrapping food-related items or frozen goods.
2. Corrugated Box
Corrugated actually refers to what is typically called cardboard. Cardboard boxes are most known as the large shipping, shoe, storage boxes, and moving boxes.
It consists of three layers of paper. An outside liner, an inside liner and a corrugated medium (called fluting). This corrugation gives the cardboard its strength and stiffness.
This packaging is made of raw material that is mostly recycled. The great news about this packaging is that it can be recycled multiple times!
There are various kinds of corrugated boards, single-faced, double-faced, twin wall, and triple wall. They can be used to manufacture packaging with distinct features, performance and power.
For e-commerce and product packaging, it has become a common packaging option as well. It’s cheap, lightweight, and cost effective at protecting packaging in the mail.
3. Rigid Boxes
Next, this packaging is typically used for luxury items, or high end electronics. Think Apple, Tiffany, Rolex, etc.
It is similar to corrugated, but it’s stronger because it’s made out of highly condensed paperboard. It’s 4x thicker than a standard folding carton!
This is one of the most expensive corrugated options, but for good reason. It signals to the customer that your product deserves the upgrade in cost.
A big downside of this packaging is the difficulty in efficiency. Apple has done a great job, but not every can maximize the air-reduction inside the box, and are therefore shipping empty space.
4. Chipboard Packaging
This type of packaging is used in a variety of industries. Typically seen in electronics, medical, food, cosmetics, and even some beverages.
Another type of paperboard made out of reclaimed paper stock, it can be cut, folded, and formed into almost any shape. That makes it an extremely cost-effective option.
Chipboard comes in a variety of densities and strengths, but it’s not useful for heavy items. This is typically for lightweight items like cereal, tissue boxes, and other household items.
Storage can also be an issue. Due to moisture problems, chipboard structures can quickly weaken, and fall apart. So it’s best if your product is already sensitive.
5. Poly Bags
A Poly Bag, (aka Pouch, Plastic Bag), is manufactured out of compact, thin, plastic film. It is one of the most popular packaging styles and can hold a wide variety of items.
Think food products, chemicals, fertilizers, magazines, flowers, etc.
These are very durable, lightweight, flexible, and sometimes reusable. They are a very simple structure to make, which makes them excellent at branded customization - while remaining a cost-effective option.
One thing to note is that not all Poly Bags are created equally. Depending on the construction you choose, they can be recyclable.
The positives are obvious: security features, hanging holes, handles, and more. This helps your product stand out, feel secure, and catch the customer’s attention.
6. Shock Mount Packaging
If you have fragile items, this is one of the safest packaging options out there.
This packaging contains shock absorption built-in to its structure, shielding the contents from any shocks, vibration, and some options even protect against moisture, humidity, and dust.
For fragile electronic goods, or an unstable chemical, this heavy-duty packaging is one of the best options.
What’s important is finding the balance of safety, protection, and cost-efficiency with your packaging.
7. Shrink Wrap
Now Shrink Wrap can be either primary or secondary packaging, and sometimes even both. You can Shrink Wrap your products, and a pallet of shipping boxes that tightly pack them all together during shipping.
This provides your packaging with protection against puncture and abrasion, and increases its impact resistance. When you individually wrap your products in Shrink Wrap, it can give them a greater visual appeal to customers.
It is one of the most commonly used packaging options out there, and one you should consider.
8. Vacuum Packaging
Finally, Vacuum Packaging is a wonderful choice for products that need to be safely sealed. That includes retail products and perishable food items.
Vacuum packaging is a great option for goods that need to be sealed, which makes it a preferred option for perishable foods. Food that arrives with vacuum wrapping can remain fresh longer in the freezer than food packaged in other container forms.
This is also used for medical materials, and other health related products. By Vacuuming the products and sealing them, you eliminate all oxygen - preventing any bacteria from developing.
Bennett Offers Packaging Supplies!
Bennett is a premier packaging and retail displays manufacturing company striving to protect and promote our clients' products with customized corrugated solutions. When you work with us, you’re part of the family. We will partner with you every step of the way.
With our fully-integrated design-to-delivery process, we can be the single supplier source. We are an award-winning manufacturer of virtually anything corrugate. We offer everything from plain brown shipping boxes to sophisticated, high-graphic printed point-of-purchase displays, and everything in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between “Solid Board” and “Corrugated Packaging”?
There are 2 main types of product packaging. Solid board (also referred to as carton board) is a solid material used to create boxes such as those used by Apple (for its iPhones / iPads etc.). Corrugated packaging is made from cardboard). Both are suitable for retail applications.
What packaging is best for my product?
The style of box chosen for your product depends on a number of factors. This includes the size, shape, weight, and fragility of your product - and even your target market. At Bennett, we can offer the full spectrum of box styles that will take your brand from plain to premium.
What Printing Styles do you offer?
We are able to produce Litho, Flexo, and specialize in Digital. We were one of the first manufacturers to invest in Digital Printing, and that’s put us ahead of the curve. Typically customers think Digital is only useful for small runs, but Digital allows you to create printing variations and create multiple runs of different targeted designs - using some of the latest innovations in marketing!
