The most common mistake in bedding packaging is trying to derive a box size from a mattress size. It does not work: a queen sheet set and a queen duvet cover fold to completely different stacks, and two queen sheet sets in different fabric weights do too. Size the box to the fold.
What the mattress standards actually tell you
US mattress sizes are standardised at approximately twin 38 x 75 in, full 54 x 75 in, queen 60 x 80 in and king 76 x 80 in. These published figures are useful for two things only: naming the SKU, and checking that your label copy matches what the customer expects. They do not determine the carton. A thick flannel twin set can pack larger than a thin percale queen set.
Size to the fold instead
- Fold a real set the way the packing team will fold every set. Photograph it and make that photograph part of the spec.
- Compress it as it will be compressed, including any band, bag or tissue wrap.
- Measure the stack's length, width and height at the tallest point.
- Add clearance, generally about 1/4 in on the length and width so the packer can seat the stack without forcing it, and a little on the depth for fabric loft.
- State the result as internal length x width x depth and say the word internal on your quote request.
Then repeat the whole exercise for your heaviest fabric in your largest size. That is the set that decides whether one box covers the range or whether you need two.
Retail format decisions that change the box
| Decision | Effect on sizing |
|---|---|
| Window to show the fabric | No dimensional effect, but it sets where the fold's best face must sit, so fold and window have to be designed together |
| Carry handle | Needs board strong enough at the cut out and a stack shallow enough to balance when carried |
| Zipped reusable bag inside a carton | The bag becomes the fold, and the carton is sized to the bag rather than to the textile |
| Ships direct to consumer with no outer carton | Move from folding carton to E flute corrugated, about 1/16 inch thick, so the printed panel survives the parcel network |
Board, print and weight
Bedding is light for its volume, so the board is chosen for panel stiffness and printability rather than for stacking strength. Folding carton board, specified in points where one point is one thousandth of an inch, suits a retail box that travels inside a master carton. E flute corrugated suits a box that ships alone. If the boxes are stacked several high in a warehouse, mention that, because a tall, lightly loaded box will bow long before it crushes.
Ordering and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing runs from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, because window film, handles and board area move the number. Die, plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included.
Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard by air, and cost saver by sea. Bedding boxes are bulky, so cost saver is often the right lane when the launch date allows it. The floor is from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 days for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. We make in West Chicago, US, and Guangzhou, China.
Fold your largest and heaviest set, measure the stack, and send us those three numbers. We will confirm the board and the lane on a written quote at /quote/. To order the format, see bed sheet packaging.
