6 Products that Need Custom Foam Packaging

Protecting your goods during shipping is more than keeping parts intact. It’s building relationships and a reputation. If you ship any of these 6 things, consider whether custom foam will improve your business.

Foam packaging comes in numerous forms, from pouches to custom-fit. It’s a bigger expense than other kinds of protective packaging, but still cheaper than replacing damaged parts or losing a customer.

It’s important to consider the big picture when you debate foam packaging. Not everything needs custom protection, but when necessary, custom foam packaging will not just save you in other costs; it will look professional and boost the perception of your quality.

Aside from your product/parts being fragile, here are some other questions to answer when determining foam packaging:

• Could the weight of any part damage other parts in the same package?
• Are there any sharp edges that can tear through the box or other packaging?
• Is it resilient to changes in temperature, pressure, and humidity?

If you’re still unsure whether you need to go the extra mile on product protection, here’s a list of products that fare better with custom foam:

1. Glass is fragile for obvious reasons, but it isn’t just jostling or impact that threatens glass pieces. Shock can break glass, too. The absolute safest way to protect glass is with foam cut to perfectly fit it.
2. This directly overlaps with the glass category, as it is fragile in the same way. However, even if you protect bulbs, filaments can still break in transit if shaken. Again, a snug fit in custom-cut foam will best protect lighting and their fixtures.
3. Almost as fragile as glass, damage to electronics can go unseen, making your customer think your product simply doesn’t work if they try to use a broken part. In addition, you want anti-static protection to prevent shorting components.
4. Medical supplies. These can present a number of concerns, from temperature control to fragility to sharp edges. Foam can do everything from insulate to protect, and a custom fit ensures units stay individually protected. If, for instance, one vial is compromised because of a production error, and for this reason it breaks in transit, other vials won’t be vulnerable to broken pieces or contents.
5. Often times when people buy appliances, they are replacing old, broken ones in-home. Imagine how disappointing it is to go through the trouble of installing a new washer or oven to find it’s broken, dented, or scratched. Adding more time without a working appliance like this can cost you business.
6. Other fragile materials. Other breakables exist like ceramic, hard plastic, and other specialty materials that may not withstand traditional or standard packaging. Rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t hand it to a two-year-old, don’t ship it without extra protection.

Remember: if a customer opens up a package from your company only to find broken or damaged goods, you not only owe them a replacement – your reputation may not recover. Imagine your best seller featured on Instagram, pictured broken and accompanied with an angry message never to buy from you.

Now imagine your best seller featured on Instagram still in the box because the presentation is so professional that your buyer couldn’t wait to unbox it before sharing it with the world.

Packnet has over thirty years of experience packaging delicate, large, and or heavy items. We care about your products, and we care about you. Give us a call (952.944.9124) or request a free assessment to see exactly what to expect from us and custom foam.