Continuing from our last post, the remaining essential shipping supplies below will have you getting your orders out the door quickly and packaged safely!

6. Air Pillows

Air Pillows are a great way to save space over normal bubble wrap. Air pillow film takes up very little space, because it is only infated with air at the time of packaging by a machine. A normal desk can be turned into an ecommerce shipping depot with space-savers like air pillows.

7. Packing Tape

Indispensible for sealing boxes, packing tape is easily dispensed with tape guns, giving it a flexibility advantage over paper tape.

8. Paper Tape

Consider reinforced water-activated-tape if your box needs extra sealing strength and tamper-resistance. This tape forms a stronger adhesion to corrugated fibers than packing tape does. It is available in reinforced and non-reinforced strengths. Paper tape dispensers make it easy to cut, wet, and seal your tape to the box in the lengths you need.

9. Clear Circle Labels

Clear adhesive labels are a convenient way to seal mailer boxes closed. They are transparent and small, so they don't cover up your packaging if it is printed. They also make it easier to open for the customer, because they only need to cut the small circle to open the box.

10. Shipping Labels

Make your shipping labels hassle free with a dedicated label printer. With a small footprint, you can fit this printer just about anywhere. Just print, peel, and stick your labels on your boxes and mailers.

So you started your new ecommerce business and now you need to ship your first order! It's exciting, but you're not sure what packaging supplies to get. The first part of this list of 10 essential shipping supplies is for you. Here is everything packaging related that you will need to get off to a great start!

​1. The Right Size Box

This might seem obvious, but it all starts with having the right size box for whatever you are shipping. Too big of a box, then the contents will shift inside the box, and you will pay more courier fees. Too small of a box, and the contents won't be padded enough during rough handling. Ideally your box should leave a little room on all sides of the contents to be padded with void fill, like peanuts or air pillows or other cushioning products. We recommend adding 0.25 inches to your product dimensions to make packing/unpacking easier. All Whitebird boxes list inside dimensions in inches, Length x Width x Height.

2. Bubble Products

Bubble products are the simplest cushioning material to keep your products safe during shipment. Bubble in a box, in particular, is convenient, because it takes up a small footprint, and comes in perforated sections than can be torn off to wrap products in for shipment.

3. Bubble Mailers

Are you shipping something smaller that won't need a box, but still needs some shock protection? Poly Bubble Mailers and Paper ones are padded on the inside with bubble and are lightweight to save on shipping costs. Recommended for anything that does not need the rigidity of a box to protect it.

4. Courier Mailers

If you are shipping soft, unbreakable materials, like clothing, then courier mailers will work for you. These waterproof envelopes have no padding and are the most cost-effective way to ship products where fragility is not a concern.

5. Mailing Tubes

Recommended for shipping posters or prints than can't be folded or creased. Simply roll them up and ship in mailing tubes. Also useful for shipping long and narrow items.