What Type of Protective Packaging Does Your Product Need?

Fortunately there are a number of protective packaging products that can keep your fragile merchandise safe -- saving you from having to send the product again, wasting countless dollars (and hours) in the meantime.

Products that arrive in good condition make a great first impression, keep the customer happy, and avoid return problems. Best of all, packaging can even be customized to meet your exact product shape and shipping requirements.

How do you know the best way to keep your product safe? We’ve outlined the best custom shipping packaging supplies to keep even the most uniquely shaped products from breaking.

Retention and Suspension Packaging

Retention inserts and suspension packaging eliminate risk and worry. Yes, product packaging isn’t too much of an issue for soft goods that are purchased online, but for expensive, fragile things like computers, it’s a different story.

After all, packages get tossed around, might be dropped or even stacked on top of one another as they go from Point A to Point B.

The last thing you want to do is have to worry about returning a damaged or busted product upon home delivery. And that’s where retention and suspension packaging comes into play.

How Does Suspension Packaging Work?

Retention and suspension packaging uses special corrugated inserts and plastic flexible film. The inserts fit into the shipping box and work to suspend the product so that it’s more centrally located within the open airspace of the box and away from the major points of impact.

Additionally, the product is secured into place with plastic flexible film, which prevents it from slipping around or moving within the box itself.

What Are the Benefits of Suspension Packaging?

- Customizable.
- Reusable.
- Impresses customers.
- Is easy to assemble and install.

There are several benefits to using retention and suspension packaging. For starters, it presents a more cost-effective alternative to conventional means of secure shipping, which often involves the use of foam, die-cut molds, or other materials.

Here’s a look at some of the key benefits to this type of packaging:

1. It’s easily customizable:

Because products are secured in place with flexible plastic film, most retention and suspension packaging is a one-size-fits-all type of solution thanks to the conforming properties of the film itself.

2. It’s reusable:

The flexible film used to hold products can be easily reused, as it maintains its effectiveness. Noting this, it’s a more eco-friendly option.

3. It looks great:

On most packages you’ve opened over the years, you likely had to dig through the box and break apart foam to get to the product you bought.

This creates a bit of a mess that you’re left to clean. When you open a box with retention and suspension packaging, you’re able to see the product right then and there as soon as the box is opened.

There’s no digging around or messy cleanup. In fact, the corrugated retention inserts can be recycled too.

4. It’s easy:

Retention and suspension packaging is easy to assemble and install.

Air Cushion and Air Pillow Packaging

air cushion pic 8 Air cushion packaging uses an inflatable cushioning system within a box to protect a package's contents from damage during shipment.

Solutions such as the ChamberPak Inflatable Cushioning System consist of inflatable, adjoining tubes that hold a fragile item. If one of the tubes pops, the other tubes will remain intact, thereby continuing to protect and secure the item in transit.

While the ChamberPak system involves tubes, other types of cushion packaging involve pillow-shaped cushions. Since air cushion packaging helps protect the item from the four walls of a corrugated box and then both from the top and bottom of the box, it's a highly effective solution.

Aside from its overall protection effectiveness, some of the other benefits of air cushion packaging include:

- It's lightweight
- It's quick and easy to assemble.
- It doesn't just protect products from impact, but from shifting around within the box as well
- It's affordable
- Some types are recyclable and/or reusable
- They can be used to complement other types of protective packaging
- They can be custom-made

The alternative to this type of protective packaging is what's known as "peanut packaging."

This protective solution basically consists of hundreds - perhaps even thousands, depending on the size of the box - of peanut-sized foam or paper inserts that are designed to pack a product.

However, peanut packaging is a loose fill type of solution that's not able to as tightly secure boxed contents as air cushion packaging.

What is Air Cushion Packaging Best Suited For?

Air cushion packaging, or air pillow packaging as it's also often called, is versatile and flexible. It can be made to fit any sized box, so it can effectively be administered to protect any sort of product.

As we noted in the opening, however, there are some applications that it's better intended for than others. These products mainly consist of smaller fragile electronics, such as laptops, Blu-ray players, cellular phones, video game consoles and more.

While this type of packaging can be used for larger items like television sets, said items are usually better suited for suspension and retention types of packaging.

In addition to electronics, delicate items made of glass and ceramic are also ideal applications for air cushion packaging.

Custom Molded Pulp Trays

IMG_3083-1 Molded pulp packaging is a newer type of packaging typically made from recycled materials. It is used for protective packaging mostly for food and beverages.

However, it is also a great option to package delicate items of any kind that need extra considerations throughout the shipping process.

What Is Custom Molded Pulp Packaging?

This type of packaging is eco-friendly and can be recycled again after its life-cycle. In three words, molded pulp packaging basically saves money, time, and space.

1. Affordable

Molded pulp packaging is made from recycled materials, making it an affordable option. We also form them into the shape our customers need. This eliminates the assembly process and in turn, saves you money.

We are also constantly up to date on new developments and ways to reduce extra steps and costs.

2. Time

In every business, time is money. Investing in molded pulp packaging will save time from the first to the last step. Consequently, costs will be lower for both the business and customers. Due to the way that molded pulp packaging is designed, shipments are also less frequent.

This saves you time in transportation and the packaging process.

3. Space and Performance

The way that we design our molded pulp packaging allows us to nest and stack the pieces together. Performance wise, they provide excellent bracing, blocking, and cushioning protection. Both employees and customers can handle it with ease. Every model is designed for instant use.

This style of packaging:

Is not affected by extreme temperatures
Is water resistant
Reduces the percentage of damaged merchandise by over fifty percent

The best part is that because it’s made from recycled materials, customers can recycle their packaging after use.

4. Eco-Friendly

At CS Packaging, we pride ourselves in providing our customers with 100 percent recycled materials.

Our packaging meets global standards and most importantly, it meets the expectations of customers that are environmentally sensitive.

If you are looking for the perfect way to package your products take a look at molded pulp packaging.

Custom Foam Cushioning

foam pic Let's say your product has a unique shape or a number of delicate parts that need to be separated and held securely.

This shipping challenge calls for custom foam cushioning, where an exact mold is made of your products and then transformed into a gentle foam cushion that safely envelops and displays each individual part.

The foam can be created from a variety of materials and endlessly crafted to meet your exact product needs. Your end user simply removes your product from its protective nest and gets right to work.

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Custom Protective Packaging