A wardrobe box is a tall corrugated carton with a bar across the top that garments hang from. It exists so clothing travels hanging instead of folded. Everything about sizing one follows from that: the box has to be tall enough for the clothes to hang free, wide enough for the hangers to sit square, and strong enough that the whole load is carried from the top.
Start with the longest garment
- Hang the longest item you will pack on the hanger you will use.
- Measure from the top of the hanger hook to the hem.
- Add clearance below the hem so the garment does not stand on the floor of the box and crease. A few inches is usually enough.
- That total is your internal height. Suits and jackets need far less than coats and full length dresses, so if you pack both, either run two heights or size to the longest.
Then the hanger, then the load
Internal width is set by the hangers, not the clothes. Standard adult hangers are commonly in the region of 17 inches wide, but wooden suit hangers run wider than wire and moulded plastic ones, so measure the hangers in your operation and add clearance so they can be lifted on and off without catching. Depth is set by how many garments you intend to hang. Packing depth tightly creases everything, so leave room for the clothes to breathe.
| Decision | Driven by | What to state on the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Internal height | Longest garment on its hanger, plus hem clearance | A single number in inches |
| Internal width | Hanger width plus clearance | The hanger type you use |
| Internal depth | Garment count and how tightly you are willing to pack | Target garments per box |
| Board | Filled weight and how many times the box is handled | Estimated filled weight |
The bar and the top panel do the work
The weight of a hanging load pulls down on the bar, and the bar pulls on the side panels at the top. That makes the top of the box the critical area. Double wall board is the usual choice for anything but the lightest loads, and the bar mounting detail matters as much as the board grade: a bar that sits in a die cut slot in a single wall panel will tear out under a full load of coats. Hand holes help the person carrying it and weaken the panel they are cut into, so their position is a design decision, not an afterthought.
Reuse changes the spec
If the boxes are for a moving company or a rental programme, they will be opened, flattened and reassembled repeatedly. That argues for heavier board, a bottom style that does not rely on tape, and printing that will still be legible after several cycles. If they are single use for a retail delivery, the calculation is different and lighter board may be the right economy.
Minimum, price and lead time
The minimum is 100 boxes. Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. Three turnaround lanes are quoted per product: 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 die, the plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof are included, which means an internal height matched to your longest garment costs no more to tool than a near standard one.
For a scenario by scenario version of this, see what size wardrobe box do I need. When you have a height, a hanger width and a filled weight, send them with a quote request.
