Before you can answer the size question you have to answer a different one: what is this box for? The same laptop needs three different boxes depending on whether it is being sold on a shelf, shipped to a customer, or sent out empty so someone can send a machine back.
Pick the job first
Retail pack
The box is part of the product. It is usually two layers: the machine on a tray, and a compartment beneath or beside it for the charger, cable and documentation. Clearance around the machine is tight because the tray does the holding, but overall depth grows because of the accessory layer. Print quality matters on every face, since this box is seen before it is opened.
Ecommerce shipper
The box is alone in a parcel network. Clearance grows on every axis to make room for corner and edge protection, and the outer board steps up, often to double wall. The inside can be plain, and often should be, because print that will be thrown away is cost with no return.
Trade-in or repair returns box
The box travels twice and is packed the second time by someone with no training. That changes the design more than the dimension: the retention has to be obvious, the closure has to be re-sealable, and the clearance has to forgive a machine that is not seated perfectly. This is the case where a moulded pulp cradle earns its cost.
Then measure the machine
| Measure | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Width | Widest point, lid closed | Chassis is wider than the display |
| Depth | Front edge to rear, including a protruding hinge | Rear hinges are commonly missed |
| Thickness | Thickest point, usually the rear | Laptops taper, and the thin end is not the spec |
| Feet | Standing height of the rubber feet | They add to thickness in a flat tray |
List the accessories before you fix the depth
Write out everything that goes in the box: power adapter, cable, dongles, quick start card, warranty leaflet, any branded extras. Stack them and measure the stack. That measurement is added to the machine layer, and on a thin laptop the accessory layer can be the taller of the two.
Give the supplier the right numbers
State internal length x width x depth, write the word internal, and say which of the three jobs above the box is doing. Add the packed weight and say whether the box ships inside another carton or alone in the parcel network. Those two facts settle the board grade without a round of questions.
Ordering
Minimum order is 100 boxes. Pricing runs from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes, confirmed on your written quote, and the die and plates, design support, US shipping and a digital proof before anything prints are included. Because tooling is included, a box that fits your exact machine costs no more to make than a roughly-right one. Turnaround is quoted per product in three lanes: rush with expedited production and air freight, standard by air, cost saver by sea, from about 7 business days, plus 2 to 5 for delivery. Specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Production is in West Chicago and Guangzhou.
For the step by step measuring procedure, see how to size a laptop box. To order, go to custom laptop boxes. Send your measurements, your accessory list and the job the box is doing to request a quote.
