How heavy is your package really? Estimate the weight before you drop it off
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
Weight is the only characteristic of your parcel that you cannot see. So, if you don't have a parcel scale, create a weight chart once and stay within the limits.
You've purchased a letterbox parcel label, the box is sealed, and at the drop-off point, it weighs in at 2.3 kilos. Too heavy. You're then faced with paying extra on the spot, repacking, or going back home. All three cost time, and the latter two also mean a second trip.
Weight is the only characteristic of your package that you cannot see. You can measure size with a ruler, you can feel sturdiness, but almost no one can accurately guess whether something is 1.8 or 2.2 kilos. Below, you'll find out how to determine this once, so you never have to guess again.
Why weight matters more than you think
Carriers classify shipments into categories, and each category has an upper limit. According to PostNL's customer service page on dimensions and weight, the following limits currently apply within the Netherlands, among others:
Shipment Type
Maximum Weight
Maximum Dimensions
Letterbox parcel
2 kg
38 × 26.5 × 3.2 cm
Small parcel
3 kg
38 × 28 × 15 cm
Medium parcel
10 kg
100 × 50 × 50 cm
Large parcel
23 kg
176 × 78 × 58 cm
These conditions can change and vary by carrier, so always check with the party you're shipping with before buying a large batch of labels. The point here is: those limits are strict. Two grams over 2 kilos means it's over the limit.
Three ways to weigh without a parcel scale
You don't need to buy a device to know what you're shipping.
1. The kitchen scale
For anything under five kilos, a regular kitchen scale is accurate enough. Zero it with an empty box on it, and you'll immediately know the weight of the contents – handy if you want to record the weight per product.
2. The bathroom scale, using the difference method
For heavier packages: step on the scale yourself and note your weight. Pick up the package, step on the scale again, and subtract the difference. With most bathroom scales, you'll be off by a few hundred grams – enough to know if you're under 10 or 23 kilos, but not enough for the difference between 1.9 and 2.1 kilos.
3. A small precision scale
If you work with jewelry, cosmetics, samples, or other light items, you'll want to see grams. A Mini Precision Pocket Scale (€ 12.00) fits in a drawer and is precise enough for anything that goes into a letterbox package.
Create a weight table of your own materials once
This is the piece of work that will pay off for the rest of the year. Weigh your empty packaging material once and write it down. After that, you only need to weigh the product and add it up.
Component
Your weight
Empty letterbox box A6
… g
Empty letterbox box A5+
… g
Empty shipping box 15 × 15 × 15 cm
… g
Filling per package
… g
Tape per package
… g
Shipping label + packing slip
… g
Hang that table above your packing station. If you consistently ship the same type of product, you'll know within a week whether something qualifies as a letterbox parcel or not – without ever touching a scale again.
Where the weight secretly comes from
If a package turns out to be heavier than expected, it's usually due to one of these four things:
Too much void fill. If a box is too spacious, you fill it up. Bubble wrap weighs little per meter, but three layers around four items add up. A fitting box is almost always lighter than a large box with a lot of void fill.
The box itself. Double-wall corrugated cardboard is significantly heavier than single-wall. For a light, flat shipment, this wastes your weight allowance; for something heavy or fragile, it's necessary.
A box within a box. Sending the original product packaging and then adding a shipping box around it can sometimes double the cardboard weight.
Moisture. Cardboard that has been stored in a shed or garage absorbs moisture and becomes noticeably heavier and weaker. Store your stock indoors and dry.
What to do if you're just over a limit
Are you at 2.1 kilos when you need 2.0? There are three routes, in this order:
Lighter protection. A bubble wrap envelope 21 × 14 cm (€ 0.80) weighs less than a box with film inside, as long as the product is not fragile or angular. For fragile items, you should specifically not do this.
Splitting. Two light shipments are sometimes cheaper together than one heavy one – and sometimes more expensive. Calculate it on a case-by-case basis; there's no fixed rule.
What you should NOT do is "press the box harder" to get it under a size limit. A box that only stays closed due to tape will collapse in the sorting machine.
Size matters too
Weight and dimensions are two separate limits, and you must comply with both. A light but thick box will fall outside the letterbox category just as much as a heavy one. Therefore, measure the outer dimensions including tape and label, not the inner dimensions of the box. For flat boxes, height is the limit where you might run into problems: 3.2 cm includes everything on and around it.
Getting started
If you want to re-evaluate your box sizes with weight in mind, you can find the complete range in Packaging & Shipping. For flat, light shipments, use boxes from Letterbox Packaging; bubble mailers are in Bubble Mailers. Not sure which box will keep your product under a weight or size limit? Email the dimensions and weight of your product to info@verpakkingdeals.nl – and we'll help you find out.
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