How to Choose Packing Boxes by Size and Quantity

Packing boxes for small business shipping start at $14.95 for a brown corrugated carton and run up to $19.95 for a die cut mailer box, with common sizes sitting around 250 x 150 x 150mm for cartons and 310 x 230 x 105mm for mailer boxes. Most online stores and retail shops end up choosing between two box types: mailer boxes, which fold flat and open like a book, and corrugated cartons, which are taped shut and built for stacking. Mailer boxes suit small to medium items like accessories, cosmetics, or boutique retail orders where the unboxing matters. Corrugated cartons handle heavier or bulkier loads like books, spare parts, or multi-item orders that need extra crush resistance.

Picking the right size and the right quantity comes down to what you're shipping and how often you ship it. A business sending out five parcels a day has very different storage and reorder needs to one sending five hundred. The size of the box also affects freight cost, since carriers often charge by dimensional weight, not just actual weight. Getting both the size and the order quantity right from the start saves you from paying for wasted space or running out of stock mid-week.

Box Sizes at a Glance

Three box options cover most small business shipping needs, each suited to a different job. The table below lines up size, price, and best use so you can match a box to an order in a few seconds.

Box Type	Dimensions	Price	Best For
Pink Mailer	310 x 230 x 105mm	$19.95	Boutique and eCommerce parcels
Black Mailer	310 x 230 x 105mm	$19.95	Modern brand parcels
Brown Carton	250 x 150 x 150mm	$14.95	Heavier retail and shipping items

The two mailers share the same footprint but differ in finish, so the choice between pink and black comes down to brand colour rather than function. The brown carton is shorter and squatter, built to stack and carry weight rather than present a polished unboxing moment.

Matching dimensions to your product reduces wasted space inside the box, which matters because carriers often price parcels on volume as much as weight, a point covered in detail in this guide to cardboard box sizes. If your orders run smaller or larger than these three sizes, a die cut mailer in the 220 x 160 x 77mm range or a slotted carton closer to 400 x 200 x 180mm may fit better.

Shop by Size for Your Product Type

The right box size depends on what you're shipping, not what's left on the shelf. A 310 x 230 x 105mm mailer fits apparel, cosmetics, and small gift items with little room left for products to shift in transit. A 250 x 150 x 150mm carton holds bulkier stock like books, spare parts, or multi-item retail orders that need extra crush resistance.

• Small accessories, jewellery, cosmetics - 310 x 230 x 105mm mailer box
• Apparel and boutique parcels - 310 x 230 x 105mm mailer box
• Books, spare parts, bulkier stock - 250 x 150 x 150mm carton
• Oversized or multi-item orders - size up to a larger slotted carton
• Very small items with little to pack - a smaller die cut box such as the 220 x 160 x 77mm die cut box

Getting this wrong costs money either way. Sizing up wastes postage on dimensional weight, while sizing down risks crushed stock and returns. Match the box to the product first, then let price and finish decide between the pink, black, or brown options.

Work Out How Many Packing Boxes to Order

Start with your average weekly parcel count, then multiply it by four to five weeks of buffer stock to land on an order size. A store shipping 60 parcels a week needs roughly 240 to 300 boxes to stay covered through a typical reorder cycle without running short mid-month.

• Count your average weekly shipments over the last month
• Multiply that figure by 4 to 5 weeks to set your base order
• Add 10% on top to cover assembly mistakes or boxes damaged in storage
• Check where the next bulk pricing tier sits before confirming the order
• Round the final number up to the nearest case or pallet quantity

Add 10% to every order for mistakes and damage, since replacing a handful of boxes mid-run costs more than ordering a few extra upfront. Bulk tiers also lower the per-unit price, so one larger order now often beats two smaller ones spread across the year.

Pricing, Bulk Discounts and Delivery

Unit pricing starts at $14.95 for a brown corrugated carton and $19.95 for a die cut mailer box, whether you're ordering ten boxes or ten thousand. The per-box cost drops once you move into bulk tiers, so a pallet order works out cheaper per unit than a small trial run.

• Compare the unit price at your target quantity against the next tier up
• Check whether a wholesale pack, such as the 2000-piece 310 x 230 x 105mm mailer, brings the price down further
• Confirm delivery timeframes to your postcode before ordering
• Check whether your order clears any free shipping threshold
• Ask about part-pallet handling costs if your quantity doesn't fill a full pallet

Orders ship from 115A Silverwater Rd, Silverwater, NSW 2128, and clearing the free shipping threshold cuts your delivered cost per box, not just the sticker price. For a specific quantity and current tier pricing, sales@packee.com.au can confirm before you commit.

Mailer Box or Corrugated Carton

Choose a mailer box for light items and a carton for anything heavy, bulky, or easy to crush. Mailer boxes fold flat and close with a die cut design, which suits apparel, cosmetics, and small retail goods that don't need extra stacking strength.

• Mailer boxes assemble by hand with no tape; cartons need packing tape to seal
• Mailers suit items under roughly 2kg; cartons handle heavier or multi-item parcels
• Cartons give stronger crush resistance for books, parts, and warehouse stacking
• Mailers give a cleaner unboxing moment for boutique and direct-to-customer orders

One crushed carton on a 500-unit run costs more than switching to the right box size from the start. If your stock is a mix of light and heavy items, keeping both a mailer box and a carton on hand covers most orders without overspending on either.

Freight Cost or Unit Cost, Which One You're Solving For

A box two sizes too big doesn't just look odd on a shelf, it costs money twice. First through extra void fill to stop stock shifting, second through dimensional weight, since carriers price parcels on volume as much as actual kilos. A 310 x 230 x 105mm mailer carrying a single bracelet pays the same freight rate as one packed to capacity.

Order quantity works on a separate cost curve to box size. Buying 2,000 units in one wholesale run, such as a 220 x 160 x 100mm die cut mailer, drops the per-unit price below what you'd pay reordering the same total across four smaller batches through the year. The trade-off is upfront cash and storage space, so this only pays off if your weekly volume can actually use the stock before it sits idle.

Finish colour is a branding decision, not a cost decision. Pink, black, and brown versions of the same footprint carry the same price, so picking pink for a boutique order over brown for a bulk shipment changes how the parcel looks on arrival, not what it costs to send.

Decision	Who it suits	What it costs you
Match box size exactly to product	Stores shipping light, small items often	More time choosing between sizes per order
Order in bulk tiers	Stores with steady weekly volume	Upfront cash and storage space
Pick finish by brand colour	Boutique and direct-to-customer sellers	No cost difference, just presentation

A store shipping fewer than 50 parcels a week usually loses more to storage costs buying a 2,000-piece case than it gains on unit price, so a smaller case size, such as the 220 x 145 x 35mm die cut mailer, often works out cheaper in practice. Once weekly volume climbs past that, the bulk tier starts paying for itself inside a few reorder cycles.

Choose Between a Mailer and a Carton Now

Three boxes cover almost every order: the pink mailer at $19.95, the black mailer at $19.95, and the brown carton at $14.95. If your parcel holds apparel, cosmetics, or small retail goods, order a mailer in the colour that fits your brand. If it holds books, spare parts, or anything heavy enough to need crush resistance, order the carton. Match the size to the product, then order enough to cover four to five weeks of shipping. Packee fulfils orders from Silverwater, NSW, so once you've picked the size, placing the order is the only step left before your next shipment goes out properly packed.

Packing Box Ordering Questions

Is there a minimum order quantity for these boxes?

There's no set minimum on the mailer boxes or the brown carton, so you can order a single box to test the fit before committing to a bulk run. Most small businesses order in multiples of 25 or 50 to match a reorder cycle. If you're unsure what quantity suits your weekly volume, sales@packee.com.au can talk you through it before you pay.

Can I mix mailer boxes and cartons in the same order?

Yes, you can order pink mailers, black mailers, and brown cartons together in one order and have them delivered as a single shipment. This suits stores that ship a mix of light retail items and heavier stock, since it avoids placing two separate orders and paying freight twice. Just confirm the quantities per box type when you check out.

What happens if I order the wrong box size by mistake?

Contact sales@packee.com.au as soon as you notice the error, ideally before the order has shipped from Silverwater. Unopened, unused stock is easier to swap or return than boxes that have already been assembled or taped. Checking product dimensions against your item before ordering avoids this altogether, since a size swap after delivery takes longer than getting it right the first time.

Do you offer custom branded packing boxes?

Packee's current range covers the pink mailer, black mailer, and brown carton in set colours and finishes, without custom printing or branding on the box itself. Businesses wanting their logo printed directly onto the box would need a custom print run through a different supplier. For now, the brand presentation comes from choosing pink, black, or brown to match your store's look, not from printed artwork.