All about Cardboard Box Dividers

Okay. We have all been there. You’ve grabbed a big box, wrapped your items in newspaper and placed them back in the box for storing or shipping. Oh no! Look at all that extra space! You quickly grab all the old newspaper you can find to shove in the open spaces hoping to ensure your items won’t move around and get damaged. Then, later, when you unpack the box you discover your grandmother’s favorite serving dish broken into pieces. You might have saved a lot of time, frustration, and heartbreak by using cardboard box dividers.

Cardboard box dividers are partitions you place in a box to separate and protect the items you are storing or shipping. One example of a box divider would be the kind used to separate Christmas ornaments when storing them away for the year. Another example is the divider used for keeping your glassware secure and protected when moving.

Box dividers are made from several different types of material. There are dividers made of paperboard, chipboard, fiberboard, and corrugated dividers. Paperboard consists only of a single layer of cardboard. Corrugated partitions are the densest dividers, taking up more space in the box, but giving more stability. Fiberboard partitions are strong and much thinner than corrugated dividers. These can take up to 75% less space than corrugated partitions, allowing you to use a smaller box. Chipboard partitions are less expensive to make than corrugated partitions and take up 25% to 35% less space, as well. This can help to cut down on shipping costs.

The size and number of items placed in the box will determine the correct size and type of divider to use. When selecting a divider, keep the items in mind that you are packing. Are they more fragile? Think strength. Corrugated dividers also come in many sizes. Each space in the divider is called a cell. Let’s say you have 100 rings that you are shipping out. Pick a short 100 cell divider. Since rings aren’t normally fragile, you don’t need to opt for a partition made of a strong material, paperboard may do very nicely in this situation. If you are packing 12 wine glasses, pick a taller 12 cell divider. Wine glasses may be very fragile and will require your partition to be strong. Each cell keeps your items from making contact with each other and keeps them safe from damage. Picking the correctly sized corrugated partition will save your valuables or products, thus save you money in the long run.