hat mailer box

A hat mailer box is a roomy and sturdy mailer sized to carry a hat without bending its brim or crushing its crown, and a good hat mailer box gives the hat clearance on every side plus support inside the crown. Hats are light but bulky, so the box has to resist stacking pressure while staying within sensible parcel sizes for posting.

How a hat mailer box protects a hat

Damage to hats in transit is usually about pressure and contact rather than weight. A brim pressed against a box wall arrives bent, and a crown with nothing inside it can dent under a stacked parcel. Start from our custom mailing boxes and size the box from the widest point of the brim, then add clearance so the hat can be lifted out by its crown without dragging the brim along the walls.

Measuring caps, brimmed hats and fascinators

Measure the hat across its widest points and at its tallest point, including any feathers, bows or rigid decoration. Baseball caps are forgiving and can travel in smaller mailers with the crown supported by tissue. Wide brim hats and occasion hats need a square footprint that keeps the brim flat and level. Fascinators are small but fragile, so a compact box with a soft pad under the base protects the structure better than a large box with loose space.

Supporting the crown from inside

Loosely fill the inside of the crown with clean tissue so it holds its form under light pressure, and rest the hat on a tissue pad rather than directly on the box base. Keep pins, clips and decoration away from the box walls with a tissue wrap. The filling should support, not stretch, so stop as soon as the crown feels gently firm when pressed with a palm.

Boards and closures for a hat mailer box

Corrugated board is the usual choice for posted hats because it resists stacking while adding little weight, and cardboard shipping boxes suit very large occasion hats. For hats sold as gifts or collected in store, magnetic gift boxes give a firmer presentation pack that can then travel inside a plain outer box. Whichever style you choose, the lid should close without pressing on the crown, so check the internal height with the tallest decoration in place.

Posting hats and parcel sizes

A boxed hat often becomes a medium parcel because of its footprint, even though it weighs very little, so keeping the box as compact as the brim safely allows will help postage stay sensible. Royal Mail states a maximum parcel size of 61 cm by 46 cm by 46 cm and a maximum weight of 20 kg for its standard parcel services, and its Royal Mail guidance on packaging and sending items covers measuring and weighing the finished parcel. Label the address clearly and mark the top face so handlers can see which way up the hat sits.

Ordering a hat mailer box in the UK

Send your hat dimensions, including the brim width and crown height, and say whether the box is for posting, for retail display or for both, because the right board and closure differ for each job. Custom Postal Boxes, a project of Vertex Packaging based in Wolverhampton, manufactures in house with low minimum order quantities, free design support and free UK delivery, and quotes are based on size, material and quantity. Use the contact page for a quote to start with your largest hat style.

FAQs about hat mailer box packaging

How big should a hat mailer box be?

Size the box from the widest point of the brim and the tallest point of the crown, then add clearance on every side so the hat lifts out without bending. A box that only just fits will damage the brim, however strong its board feels.

Can I post a wide brim hat in a mailer box?

Yes, choose a box with a square footprint that keeps the brim flat, support the crown with tissue and fill the corners so the hat cannot slide. Keep the footprint as compact as the brim allows, because bulky parcels move into larger postage bands.

How do I stop a crown denting in transit?

Fill the crown loosely with clean tissue so it holds its shape, rest the hat on a soft pad and make sure the lid clears the tallest point. Nothing heavy should be packed above the hat, and the box should not be overfilled.

Are hat mailer boxes suitable for storage too?

A sturdy hat mailer box doubles as storage, keeping dust off the hat and holding its shape between wears. Store it in a dry place away from direct heat, and keep the tissue support inside the crown while the hat is put away.