Protein tubs are a deceptively awkward shape to box. They are round, they are heavy for their size, the lid is wider than the body, and the scoop rattles. Each of those facts changes a dimension, so take the measurements before you think about board.
Measure the tub, not the label
- Diameter at the widest point. On most tubs that is the lid lip or the shoulder, not the body. Measure across the lid with it seated.
- Height with the lid on. Include any tamper band and any domed lid profile.
- Filled weight. Weigh a real filled tub. Declared net weight leaves out the tub, the lid, the scoop and the label.
- Handle or grip recess, if the tub has one, because a recessed grip changes where the box can support the load.
The round in square penalty
Put a circle inside the smallest square that contains it and about 21 percent of the square is empty, all of it at the corners. That is geometry, not waste in itself. The question is what you do with it. A single tub shipper can treat those corners as free cushioning, which is often the right answer for ecommerce. A multi tub case cannot afford four empty corners per tub, so a fitment that nests tubs in offset rows, or a case sized to the tub cluster rather than to individual squares, recovers most of it.
| Pack | What sets the internal size | Usual board |
|---|---|---|
| Single tub ecommerce shipper | Lid diameter plus cushioning clearance | C flute, or double wall for long transit |
| Retail carton around one tub | Lid diameter plus a close fit, height plus clearance | E flute litho laminated or heavy folding carton |
| Multi tub case | The tub cluster footprint and the pallet pattern | Double wall, with the case sized to the pallet deck |
Weight decides the board and the bottom
A filled tub concentrates its mass low and in the middle, which is hard on a taped bottom. For single tub shippers, an RSC with a well taped bottom is usually fine. Once you are shipping multiples, look at double wall board and a bottom style that does not rely on tape alone. Flute caliper is a reasonable proxy for what you are getting: C flute sits at about 3/16 inch, double wall BC at about 5/16 inch, and the step up is worth it as soon as the filled case is heavy enough that someone will drop it.
Scoops, seals and the things that rattle
A loose scoop inside a tub is a noise complaint waiting to happen, but it is not a packaging problem you solve in the outer box. What the outer box can solve is tub to tub contact. Any fitment that stops tubs touching will also stop label scuffing, which is the most common damage claim on this category.
Minimum, price and turnaround
The minimum is 100 units. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. Turnaround is quoted per product across three lanes: rush, which is expedited production plus air freight, standard on air, and cost saver on sea, from about 7 business days in production plus 2 to 5 days for delivery. The cutting die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, so a fitment cut to your tub profile does not carry a tooling charge.
To order the carton side, see custom protein powder boxes. If you are weighing freight cost against box size across a range, cube utilization is the number to run first. Send a filled tub measurement and weight with a quote request.
