BoxSizeFit / Shipping guides

How to ship candles without a cracked jar or a melted top

The box size for every common candle, a packing method that keeps glass jars in one piece, how to handle summer heat, and the cheapest way to ship.

Candles are one of the easier things to ship once you know the two ways they get ruined: broken glass and heat. Jar candles are heavy for their size, so a jar that can move inside the box hits the wall or the jar next to it with real force. And soft waxes like soy can sweat, soften, or sink in a hot delivery truck.

Here's how to choose the right box for each kind of candle, pack jars so they arrive in one piece, handle summer heat, and pick the cheapest way to ship.

Candle shipping box sizes

Measure your candle with the lid on, then add about 4 inches to each measurement (2 inches of padding on each side). These are common starting points:

Got the packed size? The BoxSizeFit calculator matches it to the smallest standard box that fits.

How to pack a jar candle for shipping

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Step 1. Lid on, then wrap the jar in bubble wrap.

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Step 2. Center it in the box with about 2 inches of padding on every side.

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Step 3. Summer heat: add an insulated liner.

1. Make sure the candle is fully set. Freshly poured candles need to cure and harden before they ship. A soft top dents and smears in transit.
2. Tape the lid down. A strip of tape across the lid keeps it from popping off and scratching the wax or the jar.
3. Wrap the jar. Two or three layers of bubble wrap, bubbles facing in, taped closed. Wrap the bottom too, since it takes most of the impact.
4. Pad the bottom of the box. About 2 inches of crumpled paper, air pillows, or packing peanuts.
5. Set the candle upright in the center. Upright keeps any softened wax level. Fill all four sides so it can't move.
6. Pad the top and do the shake test. Close the flaps and shake gently. If you feel or hear anything shift, add more fill.
7. Tape the box and mark it. Tape every seam. "Fragile" and "This side up" don't hurt, but packing is what actually protects it.

Shipping more than one candle

The rule for multi-candle orders is that glass never touches glass. Wrap every jar on its own, then separate them with a cardboard divider or a thick layer of padding. Two jars knocking together is how one bump cracks both.

For three or more candles or a heavy gift set, double-box it: wrapped jars in an inner box with padding, then that box inside a larger box with about 2 inches of padding all around. The outer box takes the dents. The inner box keeps the jars locked in place.

How to ship candles in summer heat

Finished container candles rarely melt all the way in the mail, but soft waxes can sweat, soften, sink, or pull away from the glass, and wax melts and pillar candles can lose their shape. Soy is the most sensitive, since it softens at lower temperatures than paraffin. A few habits prevent most of it:

• Ship Monday to Wednesday. Packages shipped late in the week can sit in a hot truck or warehouse over the weekend.
• Pick a faster service in hot months. Fewer days in transit means fewer hot afternoons in a truck.
• Don't leave packed candles in your car or out for pickup on a hot day. Drop them off instead.
• Use an insulated liner for wax melts and pillar candles going to hot regions in peak summer.
• Skip ice packs. They melt within a day, and the condensation can soak the box and labels.
• Tell buyers. A short note in the listing or the box that a softened candle will reset at room temperature heads off a lot of complaints.

Cheapest way to ship candles

Candles ship fine with USPS, UPS, and FedEx. Solid wax candles aren't treated as hazardous. Reed diffusers, room sprays, and bottles of fragrance oil are different, since they're liquids that can be flammable, so check USPS Publication 52 before shipping those.

Because candles are heavy, weight drives the price more than size. A single candle under a couple of pounds usually ships cheapest with USPS Ground Advantage. A heavy, small box is exactly where Priority Mail Cubic pricing can win, since it ignores weight. For a heavy gift set going far, compare a USPS Flat Rate box before you buy the label.

Common candle shipping mistakes

• Shipping a jar candle in a padded mailer. No crush protection. The glass cracks.
• Jars touching each other. One bump, two broken candles.
• A box that's too tight. If the jar touches the wall, there's no room for padding to absorb a hit.
• No padding on the bottom. Heavy jars land hardest on the bottom of the box.
• Shipping a Friday order on Friday in July. Hold it for Monday or upgrade the service.

Supplies checklist

• Small corrugated boxes, 6 x 6 x 6 and 8 x 8 x 8 inch
• Bubble wrap
• Cardboard dividers or partition inserts
• Crinkle paper, air pillows, or packing peanuts
• Insulated box liners for summer
• Packing tape and "Fragile" labels

Frequently asked questions