Custom Box Partitions

Board Options for Box Partitions

Chipboard is the economical choice for light products such as small jars, cosmetics and spare parts. It is thin, cuts cleanly and keeps cost down. Corrugated board, in E-flute or B-flute, gives more cushioning and is the usual choice for glass bottles, candles in glass and heavier items. Thicker double-wall partitions suit wine, spirits and industrial parts.

If the box will be opened in front of customers, such as a gift set or a subscription box, partitions can be made in white or black board and printed. A printed partition with a pattern or the brand colour turns a functional insert into part of the presentation.

For cold or damp conditions, such as chilled drinks deliveries, ask about board with a moisture-resistant coating so the cells keep their shape.

Board colour on the inside of a shipping case rarely matters, so plain brown corrugated is the sensible default unless customers see the partitions. For small jars and cosmetics, the thinner chipboard dividers for lighter items are usually enough.

Measuring for a Snug Fit

Partitions only work if each cell holds its item firmly. Start with the inside dimensions of the outer box, not the outside measurements, which include the board thickness. Then measure the widest point of the product, usually the body of a bottle or the lid of a jar, and add a millimetre or two so items drop in easily.

Account for the thickness of the partition board itself. Every wall takes up space, so a corrugated grid of twelve cells needs a slightly larger outer box than a chipboard grid of the same layout. Send us the product and box measurements and we will calculate the cell sizes and strip lengths for you.

If your products vary, for example a mixed case of different bottle shapes, size the cells for the largest and consider a thin wrap or sleeve for the smaller ones. Our guide to measuring products for a snug box shows where to take each measurement.

Common Uses

Breweries, distilleries and wine merchants use partitions in shipping cases. Candle makers and preserve makers use them to send jars to shops. Cosmetics brands use them in gift sets to hold bottles upright. Engineering firms use them to keep machined parts separate and countable. Labs and clinics use small grids for vials and sample tubes.

Removals and storage firms also use partition sets in glassware cartons, and drinks retailers fit them into gift boxes that hold two or three bottles side by side.

Online sellers of homeware, such as glasses, mugs and ceramics, often find that adding partitions cuts breakage reports more than any amount of extra bubble wrap. Items that need a shaped cradle rather than a grid use corrugated inserts cut to shape instead.

Packing Tips

Add a layer pad of board at the bottom and top of the box with fragile items, so bases and caps are cushioned as well as the sides. For very heavy bottles, choose a stronger outer box rated for the weight as well as stronger partitions.

If you are trying partitions for the first time, start with a modest run and pack real orders with it before ordering in volume. It is the quickest way to check that items drop in easily, that the lid closes and that nothing rattles. Train packers to put the heaviest items in the corner cells where the box is strongest.

Keep an eye on returns and breakage reports after switching to partitions. If one cell position keeps producing damage, it usually points to a weak corner of the outer box or a cell that is a little too large, both easy to correct on the next order. If the grid is being made for a new box, we can supply outer shipping boxes sized to the grid in the same order.

Draw the Grid on Paper First

The quickest way to get partitions right is a sketch. Draw the inside of your box as a rectangle, mark how many cells across and how many deep, and write the product width in each cell. That sketch, with the inside dimensions of the box and the height you want the strips, is everything we need to draw the slotted pieces. Decide the board next: chipboard for light jars and cosmetics, single-wall corrugated for bottles and anything over a kilo per cell. If the grid will be seen when the box opens, say so and we quote a printed or coloured face. Pricing comes back by email within one working day with sets from £0.25 depending on board and cell count. The proof is free and shows each strip and the assembled grid, production follows 4 to 7 working days after approval, and flat bundles travel free and tracked on the UK mainland. Pads that sit above and below the grid are listed with our layer pads and other box extras.