Laptop Shipping Box and Electronics Packaging: Posting Gadgets Safely

A laptop shipping box has to stop two things: the box being crushed, and the laptop moving inside it. The safest set-up is a double wall cardboard box with room for cushioning on every side, a few layers of bubble wrap round the laptop and filler in the gaps. Pack Solution stocks each part of that kit, from the box to the fragile tape that seals it.

The same steps work for tablets, phones, games consoles and cameras. We do not sell laptop-specific boxes, foam inserts, anti-static bags or TV boxes, so everything here uses standard boxes and protective packaging that suit any device.

Quick Picks: Laptop Shipping Box and Packing Kit

For most laptops you need a strong box, something to wrap the laptop in and a way to fill the gaps. These three cover it.

Best for a laptop shipping box

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes

Heavy duty corrugated boxes with two layers of fluting, made for fragile or high value goods.

• 18 x 12 x 11" (457 x 305 x 279mm) suits most laptops with wrapping
• Sold per box, minimum 5 for most sizes
• Supplied flat

From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)

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Best for wrapping laptops and tablets

Small Bubble Wrap

10mm bubbles hug the shape of a device and protect it from knocks and scratches.

• 10mm bubbles
• 100m rolls
• 300mm and 500mm widths

From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)

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Best for phone packaging and accessories

Bubble Pouches

Open-ended bags made from bubble wrap, so a phone or charger slides in with no cutting or taping.

• Seven sizes, BP1 (100 x 135mm) to BP7 (380 x 425mm)
• Boxed in quantities of 100 to 750
• BP3 (180 x 230mm) suits small electronics

From £30.00 ex VAT (£36.00 inc VAT)

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• Double Wall Cardboard Boxes have two layers of fluting and come in sizes up to 24 x 24 x 24".
• The 18 x 12 x 11" (457 x 305 x 279mm) double wall box fits most laptops once they are wrapped.
• Small Bubble Wrap has 10mm bubbles on 100m rolls, in 300mm and 500mm widths.
• Bubble Pouches run from BP1 (100 x 135mm) to BP7 (380 x 425mm).
• Air Cushion Film Rolls are 300m long and need an air cushion machine to inflate.
• Fragile Tape is 48mm wide, in 66m or 150m rolls, packed 6 to a pack.

Which Box for Laptop Posting?

Use a double wall cardboard box that leaves at least 50mm of space on every side of the laptop. That space is where the bubble wrap and filler go.

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes are heavy duty corrugated boxes with two layers of fluting. They are stiffer than single wall boxes and stack better, which matters when your parcel sits under others in a van. The product page lists them for fragile and high value goods, and a laptop is both.

Plenty of people go looking for laptop boxes made for one model, with foam cut to shape. We do not sell those. A standard double wall box with good wrapping does the same job, and one or two sizes will cover most of the devices you post. Our cardboard boxes for laptops are plain brown, sold per box and supplied flat, so they take little room until you build them.

A used retail laptop cardboard box is often thin board with no room for extra padding. If you still have the original box and its inserts, it can go inside a double wall outer box with filler round it. That box in a box method gives the most protection.

Laptop Box Size Guide for Electronics

Pick the smallest box that holds the device, its wrapping and about 50mm of filler on each side. Measure the device first, then add the space for padding.

The right laptop box size depends on the screen size and how thick the laptop is, so a tape measure is more reliable than the model name. Lay the laptop flat, measure length, width and depth, and add the padding to each measurement. The table matches common devices to double wall sizes from stock.

If a laptop is slightly too long for the 18 x 12 x 11" box, step up to 23 x 12 x 15" (580 x 305 x 377mm) or 24 x 18 x 12" (610 x 457 x 305mm). Avoid going much bigger than you need, because a large empty box needs more filler and is more likely to be crushed at the corners.

Wrapping a Laptop in Bubble Wrap

Wrap the laptop in two or three layers of small bubble wrap, bubbles facing in, and tape the wrap closed so it cannot unroll.

Small Bubble Wrap has 10mm bubbles, which bend round corners and edges without fuss. The product page lists the 300mm width for phone accessories and small electronics. For a laptop, the 500mm width usually goes round in one turn and saves trimming. Both rolls are 100m long.

1. Back up the laptop, sign out of any accounts you are sending on, and switch it off fully.
2. Remove discs, USB sticks and memory cards, then close the lid.
3. Lay a sheet of paper or soft cloth over the keyboard if the screen presses on the keys.
4. Wrap the laptop in two to three layers of bubble wrap, covering the corners well.
5. Tape the wrap closed with a short strip so it holds its shape.
6. Wrap the charger separately so it cannot knock against the screen.

Our bubble wrap guide compares small and large bubbles if you are choosing rolls for a mixed range of goods.

Filling the Gaps in Laptop Packaging

Fill every gap in the box so the laptop cannot move when you shake it. Movement inside the box causes most damage in transit.

Put a layer of filler in the base, place the wrapped laptop in the middle, then fill the sides and top before you close the flaps. The flaps should close flat without bulging. If you can hear or feel the laptop shift, add more filler.

Air Cushion Film Rolls are a light way to fill gaps if you post electronics often. The film arrives flat on 300m rolls and needs an air cushion machine to inflate and seal it, so it suits a busy packing bench more than the odd parcel. Air Pillow film makes 100 x 200mm pillows for void fill. Air Cushion film is 400 x 330mm with 7 bubbles per row and works as a cushioned wrap.

Best for filling gaps in laptop boxes

Air Cushion Film Rolls

Flat film that an air cushion machine turns into pillows or cushion wrap while you pack.

• Air Pillow film makes 100 x 200mm pillows
• Air Cushion film is 400 x 330mm, 7 bubbles per row
• 300m rolls; needs an air cushion machine

From £20.00 ex VAT (£24.00 inc VAT)

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Without a machine, crumpled offcuts of bubble wrap do the same job for occasional parcels. Avoid loose newspaper on its own around a laptop, as it flattens under weight and lets the device slide.

Phone Packaging, Tablets and Accessories

For phones and small accessories, use a bubble pouch inside a small double wall box. A padded envelope alone gives little protection against crushing.

Bubble Pouches are open-ended bags made from bubble wrap. Slide the item in, fold or tape the open end, and it is cushioned with no cutting. The product page suggests BP1 and BP2 for phone accessories and BP3 (180 x 230mm) for small electronics. BP5 and BP6 take A4-sized items, which suits many tablets.

Good phone packaging puts the pouched phone in a 9 x 6 x 6" double wall box with filler round it. Earbuds, cables and chargers each go in their own pouch, so they cannot scratch the screen or each other. For lots of small, light accessories, our jewellery packaging guide covers bags and small boxes that also suit cables and adapters.

Consoles and cameras follow the laptop method: wrap the main unit in bubble wrap, pouch each controller or lens separately and fill the box so nothing moves.

Sealing and Labelling Electronics Parcels

Seal every seam with tape, then mark the box as fragile so couriers can see it however the parcel is stacked.

Fragile Tape seals the box and prints a FRAGILE warning along every seam in one step. The 48mm x 66m roll is acrylic polypropylene, 42mu, for occasional parcels. The BigTape 48mm x 150m roll is low noise and 43mu, for benches that send breakables every day. Both come in packs of 6 rolls.

Best for sealing electronics parcels

Fragile Tape

Printed FRAGILE packing tape that seals the box and warns handlers in one step.

• 48mm x 66m, acrylic polypropylene, 42mu
• BigTape 48mm x 150m low noise, 43mu
• Packs of 6 rolls

From £5.50 ex VAT (£6.60 inc VAT)

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Use the H-taping method: tape along the centre seam, then across both edge seams, on the top and the base. Warning Labels add a second, clearer warning. The Fragile design is 89 x 32mm with 1000 to a roll, and Caution Heavy is 148 x 50mm with 500 to a roll. Put one on the top and at least one side.

Best for marking boxes of electronics

Warning Labels

Self-adhesive warning labels on rolls that ask couriers to handle a parcel with care.

• Fragile 89 x 32mm, 1000 per roll
• Caution Heavy 148 x 50mm, 500 per roll
• Peel and press by hand

From £10.00 ex VAT (£12.00 inc VAT)

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Fragile tape and labels ask for careful handling, but they cannot replace good packing. Our guide to fragile tape and fragile stickers explains where each works best.

Batteries and Carrier Rules

Most laptops, phones and tablets contain lithium batteries, and carriers set their own rules for posting them. Check your carrier's current rules before you book.

Rules can differ between services and destinations, and they change from time to time. Some carriers ask for the battery to stay fitted in the device, others limit spare batteries, and some ask for a label on the box. Read the carrier's guidance for the service you plan to use, and follow it exactly.

Whatever the rules, switch the device off fully before packing, not to sleep mode. Make sure nothing in the box can press the power button, which is one more reason to fill every gap.

Packaging Electronics for Online Sellers

If you sell electronics online, keep a short, fixed packing kit and one or two box sizes so every order is packed the same way.

A small refurbisher might stock the 9 x 6 x 6" and 18 x 12 x 11" double wall sizes, one width of small bubble wrap, a box of BP3 pouches and fragile tape. That covers phones, tablets and most laptops. As volume grows, an air cushion machine with film rolls speeds up filling and keeps parcels light. Our guide to ecommerce packaging by business size sets out how a packing kit changes as you grow.

Take a photo of the device and the packed box before you seal it, and keep proof of postage. Both help if a parcel arrives damaged and you need to make a claim.

Laptop Packaging Checklist

• Back up the device, sign out and switch it off fully.
• Choose a double wall box with about 50mm of space on every side.
• Wrap the device in two to three layers of small bubble wrap.
• Pouch chargers, cables and accessories separately.
• Fill the base, sides and top so nothing moves.
• Seal all seams with fragile tape using the H-taping method.
• Add a fragile label to the top and one side.
• Check your carrier's rules for lithium batteries.
• Photograph the packed box before sealing.

Choosing Your Laptop Packaging Box

A laptop packaging box does its job when the box is strong and the laptop cannot move inside it. Start with a double wall box sized for the device plus padding, wrap the laptop in small bubble wrap, fill the gaps and seal it with fragile tape. The boxes, protection and labels collections have every size and product mentioned here, and orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size laptop shipping box do I need?

Measure the laptop, then add at least 50mm on every side for bubble wrap and gap filler. For most laptops that points to the Double Wall Cardboard Box at 18 x 12 x 11" (457 x 305 x 279mm). Smaller laptops and tablets often fit the 14 x 14 x 14" or 12 x 9 x 6" sizes.

Do you sell laptop boxes made for one model?

No. Pack Solution does not stock model-specific laptop boxes, foam inserts or TV boxes. We sell double wall cardboard boxes in standard sizes, and with bubble wrap and gap filler they make a strong box for laptop posting.

Is a single wall box strong enough for a laptop?

A double wall box is the safer choice. It has two layers of fluting, so it is stiffer and resists crushing better than single wall board. A laptop is fragile and high value, which is the job double wall boxes are made for.

How should I do phone packaging for posting?

Switch the phone off, put it in a BP2 (130 x 180mm) or BP3 (180 x 230mm) bubble pouch, then place it in a small double wall box such as 9 x 6 x 6" with filler around it. Seal the box with fragile tape.

Do you sell anti-static bags for packaging electronics?

No, we do not sell anti-static bags. If a component needs one, such as a loose circuit board or hard drive, keep the bag it came in or buy one elsewhere, then cushion it with bubble wrap or a bubble pouch inside the box.

Can I post a laptop with its battery inside?

Rules on lithium batteries differ between carriers and services, and they can change. Check your carrier's current rules for devices with lithium batteries before you book, and follow any labelling or packing steps they ask for.

Shop for This Job

• Cardboard Boxes
• Protective Packaging
• Labels

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• How To Pack A Box For Shipping
• Bubble Wrap Guide Small Vs Large Rolls
• Fragile Tape And Fragile Stickers

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