Quick answer
A folding carton is made from a single layer of board and suits light products, display and outer packaging. A corrugated box has a fluted middle layer, is much stronger and is used for transport and shipping.
Flat-pack boxes are boxes that ship flat and are assembled by hand where they're used. They're very common among folding carton and corrugated box models. The most frequent problem we see with them doesn't come from production but from terminology: when an order is placed without knowing the difference between a folding carton and a corrugated box, what's delivered may not match what was expected. In this article we explain how flat-pack boxes work and how the right material is chosen.
In short
- Flat-pack boxes usually ship unassembled and are put together by the customer, so the assembly labour moves to the customer's side.
- A folding carton is a single layer and suits light products, display or outer packaging; a corrugated box is much stronger.
- To pick the right material, we ask how heavy the product is and what the box will be used for.
How are flat-pack boxes shipped?
Flat-pack boxes are made from carton board or corrugated board and are assembled by hand. The vast majority ship unassembled and flat, and the customer puts them together. In that case the assembly labour, beyond the material, is effectively covered on the customer's side.
They can ship assembled, but then, like rigid boxes, they start taking up a lot of space in transport and storage. That's why most flat-pack boxes ship flat.
As an alternative, there are models that arrive glued and partly assembled. Their set-up can be much simpler. But their cost is different, and this construction can't be applied to every model.
Folding carton or corrugated?
Most flat-pack box models can be made from either carton board or corrugated board. The difference between the two is the most commonly confused point in orders.
Folding carton
- Single-layer board
- Lighter and weaker
- For light products, display and outer packaging
Corrugated box
- Fluted middle layer
- Much stronger
- For transport and shipping
If this difference isn't known when asking for a price, expectations can go wrong. If a sturdy shipping box is expected but a "carton box" is ordered, a product made from thin single-layer board is delivered. A manufacturer asked for a carton box won't make a corrugated one; it makes the carton box that was asked for. And a carton box used as a shipping box won't protect what's inside.
How do we choose the right material?
To avoid the confusion, we ask our customers two questions first:
- How heavy is the product going into the box?
- What will the box be used for: shipping, display, outer packaging?
We plan the job and recommend a material based on the answers. A box produced without knowing the product's weight and use may look right on paper and still fail in use. Sending these two details with your quote request means you get recommended the right box.
For the cost side of flat-pack boxes, see PackPrice's flat-pack box guide. See our carton box models on the products page, or get in touch with your product's weight and how the box will be used.