How to Package your Brand’s Summer Furniture

Summer is officially upon us, especially with the most recent heatwave. And for furniture brands, the items most likely flying off the shelves are rattans, garden eating sets or hanging chairs. But with spikes in demand and new product lines for the season, sometimes the packaging doesn’t quite match up and unfortunately can lead to damages in transit.

Furniture Packaging for the Season

Summer furniture is normally fragile, and delicate and has large, exposed surfaces that are prone to scratches, dents, chips, and other damages. An accident waiting to happen.

Most couriers will respect and take care of your packages, but unfortunately, accidents happen, and they cannot always be avoided. If the packaging isn’t tough enough to withstand a drop or weather conditions (we know how many are left outside) then unfortunately your expensive outdoor furniture could be damaged. It may not always be your fault if your outdoor furniture is delivered damaged, but it will reflect negatively on your business and will become costly when you need to replace damaged goods.

A Box of Tricks

The first and most important step to keeping your summer furniture safe is choosing the correct box. If your box is too big, there’s a risk the parts will move about, and glass or delicate joints could break. On the other hand, if it’s too snug, a collision with another item could lead to the contents inside damaging the box which would weaken the structure. It’s important to minimise the empty space around the product, but always leave a small amount of room for added protective materials.

Considering the thickness of the cardboard you are using is essential, depending on its contents. Fragile or multiple parts need to be separated to avoid any damage or breakage. We recommend using cardboard dividers or other protective packaging.

Protective Packaging

It’s crucial to minimise empty space and choose the best protective materials to keep your contents safe. However, the type of packaging will depend on the product.

• Bubble and Plastic Wrap

The go-to protective material. Bubble and plastic wrap is versatile and highly effective. Internally we switched to only offering a 30% recycled content plastic wrapping to our clients to help you minimise your plastic packaging tax. Plastic wrap might not be your ideal choice for when you are shipping to customers, but they are great for moving items around your warehouse or between locations to keep items secure.

• Packaging Paper

Packaging paper is a great sustainable alternative to fill spaces within parcels. Tissue paper is an effective soft packing tissue to wrap small and delicate items, but also to void fill, scrunch and interleave materials.

• Corrugated Cardboard

Corrugated cardboard can be used to fit closely around irregular products, in a similar way as paper or bubble wrap. Using corrugated cardboard can help you reduce overfilling your packaging and it is a popular eco-friendly alternative to plastic. We can create cardboard boxes that protect and mould to the unique shapes of furniture, and even create smaller cardboard fittings that can protect sensitive areas or sharp edges.

Think Green

It’s always best to choose eco-friendly choices wherever you can. Giving your products extra protection doesn’t mean you need to use plastic. We have lots of green options available from paper wrap, corrugated cardboard and paper packing tape.

We don’t just stop there. Our technical and design team can perform a packaging review to help you realise exactly where you are going wrong and how you can become even more efficient. From this our team can create a truly bespoke packaging for your outdoor furniture lines to eliminate excess materials and reduce your plastic content, alongside of course protecting your goods. A bespoke box will improve your green credentials, maximise delivery and warehouse space, as well as make it easier for you and your customers to recycle.

Need help on packaging your furniture? We can take your worries away. Get in touch!