Does this gift fit through the letterbox? The 3.2 cm limit and which boxes stay below it
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
A gift box that's two millimeters too high turns your letterbox package into a parcel. Here's how to check the 3.2 cm limit and which boxes stay under it.
You buy a nice box for a gift, you wrap it, and at the shipping point, it turns out it's just barely not a letterbox package anymore. Two millimeters too high, and your shipment falls into a different category — with a different rate and a recipient who has to be home. That difference is almost never in the length or width of your box. It's in the height.
What exactly fits through the letterbox?
PostNL uses a maximum of 38 x 26.5 x 3.2 cm and a maximum weight of 2 kg for a letterbox package. This information is stated in PostNL's own customer service information; always check the current dimensions and conditions on PostNL's page about letterbox packages, as carriers often adjust these rules. Other carriers work with their own dimensions, so if you're sending with DHL or DPD, check their specific requirements.
That 3.2 cm is the numerical value you remember. The length and width are rarely the problem — 38 by 26.5 cm is spacious, an A4 size fits easily. The height is the limit you practically encounter, especially if you're sending something as a gift and the box also needs to look nice.
Height is the problem, not length
A gift box is almost always higher than a shipping package for the same product. This is due to three things: a separate lid counts as double cardboard, a bow or ribbon goes on top, and a box that needs to "look like a gift" usually has some air inside. With a shipping box, you want the product to fit snugly.
Therefore, don't calculate with the size stated on your product, but with the size of the entire packaged item. Lay the box flat on a table, place a ruler alongside it, and measure the highest point — including the lid, closure, and any label that still needs to be applied. If you stay under 3 cm, you still have a few millimeters of leeway for tape and labels.
Which boxes stay below the limit?
Several packages in our assortment have been explicitly kept flat. The sizes are in the product title, so you don't have to guess:
The two 3 cm boxes are very close to the limit. You can use them, but you wouldn't want to put a ribbon around them or thick padding underneath. With boxes from 1.5 to 2.9 cm, you have enough margin to slide the whole thing into an envelope or second package.
If you ship more often and want a single standard size in stock? Then the bundles are more convenient: the recycled letterbox box 180 x 115 x 28 mm (A6) costs € 17.95 for 100 pieces, the 255 x 160 x 28 mm (A5+) costs € 24.00 for 100 pieces. These are designed for this height, so you don't have to think about it anymore. The gift box then goes in as inner packaging.
Which boxes definitely won't fit — and when that's fine
Some packaging is never intended for the letterbox, and that's not an issue as long as you know it beforehand. In this category:
If you're delivering the gift in person, or if it's going by parcel post, these are actually better choices. A cube or a box with a handle simply presents better than a flat box. The point is that you choose the shape AFTER considering how the gift will reach the recipient, not before.
The gift itself also plays a role
Jewelry, a keyring, a pin, a voucher, a set of stickers, textile items that can be folded flat: these fit. Anything with a fixed shape thicker than three centimeters — a mug, a bottle, a can — does not fit, no matter how flat your box is. In that case, measure the product first, then the packaging. That saves you from ordering something you can't use.
Filling, protection and the exterior
In a flat package, every millimeter of filling is one that you subtract from your margin. Therefore, use thin material that primarily prevents sliding. Pink foam hearts as decorative filling (€ 4.99 for approximately 77 pieces) visually fill without adding much bulk. For something that needs protection, a roll of bubble wrap 500 mm x 500 m (€ 12.95) is the cheapest option per meter, but keep in mind that a single layer of bubble wrap quickly adds a few millimeters.
If you want to protect the gift box without a second cardboard box, a padded envelope works well: the metallic bubble envelopes 22 x 17 cm cost €0.90 each and are available in three colors. And if you want the recipient to see that nothing has been opened en route, you can stick a VOID security seal on it (€9.95 for 60 pieces).
Three checks before you send it
Lay it flat and measure the highest point. Not the stated size of the box, but the sealed item with the label on it.
Weigh it. Two kilograms is rarely a problem for a flat package, but with a bundle or something made of glass or metal, it can get quite heavy.
Push it through your own letterbox. The most underestimated test. If it doesn't fit at your home, it probably won't fit at the recipient's either, even if the numbers say it should.
If you do this right once for packaging you use frequently, you'll never have to do it again. That's precisely why you should narrow down your gift packaging to two or three standard sizes instead of choosing something new for every order.
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