Your Shipping Options (Part 2): Wooden Crates

Hello, again! Welcome to Part 2 in our three-part series on “Your Shipping Options,” where we’re about to give you the 411 on wooden crates.

In this series, we’re hoping to help you, our beloved readers, understand the important differences among your three top shipping options: cardboard boxes (Part 1 topic); wooden crates (this post’s topic); and reusable cases (coming soon in Part 3). We imagine it’s pretty obvious which option we think is best, but we’re writing the series to help you understand exactly why we think reusable cases are one-thousand times better than every other shipping method out there.

So, moving right along… let’s talk wooden crates, shall we?

Wood Is Good(ish)

A quick comparison of cardboard boxes and wooden crates will reveal that, at least when it comes to sustainability and protection, wood is (mainly) a better choice. Wooden crates can be reused a few more times than cardboard boxes, which are typically good for one shot. However, wooden crates are about four times as heavy as cardboard boxes. So, when you consider the extra fuel and transport costs associated with wooden crate shipping, the sustainable benefits aren’t really all that impressive. Also, because of its rigidity, a crate will do a much better job protecting its contents from crushing damage than will a cardboard box. So, yes, wood is good(ish)…

But Not Great(ish)

While wooden crates provide an additional measure of protection from crushing damage, they’re inferior when it comes to drop protection; that same hardness that protects from crushing can deliver a severe jarring force on impact. And, unfortunately, wooden crate and cardboard box shipping share quite a few un-great features, as well. For example, neither method provides protection from damage caused by dust, water or air infiltration, meaning it can be particularly risky to use either of these methods to ship sensitive electronics, for instance.

So, as with cardboard boxes, we don’t have a whole lot of good things to say about wooden crates. But, there’s hope! In Part 3, we’ll be talking about the real shipping superstar—reusable cases. Check back soon and find out what makes this option your best bet on every front—from sustainability to the bottom line. See you soon!

More From Custom Case Group:
Cardboard vs. Wooden Crates vs. Reusable Custom Cases Infographic
Materials Matter: Part 2 — Aluminum: The Magical Metal for Custom Cases
Shipping Fragile Items – A Cheat Sheet