Champagne flutes are one of the harder things to pack: tall, top heavy, fragile at the stem, and usually sold in pairs or sets where the pieces can damage each other. This guide covers how to specify packaging that gets them there intact. The format itself is ordered at champagne flute boxes.
Measure the two wide points
A flute is not a cylinder, so a single diameter is not enough.
- Bowl diameter at its widest point, which on most flutes is near the rim.
- Foot diameter, the base the glass stands on. On many designs this is close to the bowl diameter, which is why flutes nest poorly.
- Overall height from the foot to the rim.
- Stem length and diameter, which you need not for fitting but for designing what does not touch it.
Size the internal dimensions from the larger of the bowl and foot measurements, plus whatever the insert adds. State internal length x width x depth and mark it internal.
The insert is the entire protection strategy
Padding around a loose glass does not work. What works is holding the glass so it cannot move.
| Insert | How it holds the flute | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Corrugated partition with cells | Walls on four sides for the full height, so glasses never touch | Sets of four, six or more, and shipping cases |
| Die cut corrugated cradle | Shaped openings at two levels, one taking the foot, one taking the bowl | Pairs and singles, good value, recycles with the box |
| Moulded pulp insert | Contoured recesses matching the profile | Volume runs wanting a paper based premium insert |
| Foam insert | Full contact support and shock absorption | Crystal, high value gifting, air freight |
The principle across all four: support at the foot and the bowl, never a grip on the stem. The stem is the weakest part and a snug grip there concentrates force exactly where you do not want it.
Pairs, sets and orientation
Two flutes side by side give you a wide, shallow box. Two flutes nested head to toe, one upright and one inverted, give a narrower box, but they demand a divider because the bowl of one now sits beside the foot of the other. Sets of six or more are almost always cell partitioned and packed upright. Decide the orientation before the dieline, because it changes the footprint completely.
Board and whether it ships alone
If the box is a gift box that travels inside an outer carton, it can be rigid or a heavy folding carton, and the insert does the protection. If the printed box is itself the shipper, specify corrugated. Flute calipers are the reference: E flute at about 1/16 inch keeps good print while adding a layer, B at about 1/8 inch resists crush, C at about 3/16 inch is the general shipping grade, and double wall suits heavier sets. For stemware travelling alone, do not economise here.
Ordering and turnaround
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote, with the insert priced as a component alongside the box. The die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included, so a cradle cut to your exact flute profile costs no more to tool than a generic one.
Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush (expedited production plus air freight, premium about 7 to 25% depending on the job), standard by air, and cost saver by sea. 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 produce in West Chicago, US, and Guangzhou, China.
Send the bowl diameter, the foot diameter, the height and the set count, and we will design the cells and size the box at /quote/. Order at champagne flute boxes, and for the partition mechanics in detail, read what is a corrugated partition.
