Custom Candle Boxes: Getting the Balance Between Style and Strength Right

Making a stylish and sturdy candle box is the perfect combination of craftsmanship and design. Stylish and sturdy candle boxes are the perfect blend of craftsmanship and design.

Candles Are Not as Easy to Package as They Look

Candles are one of those simple products that seem simple to package until you start doing it! Glass jars, fine wax edges, sometimes a wick that's slightly off-centre – none of it plays well with a box that was selected just because it looked good in a supplier catalogue. When it comes to candle packaging, there are two things that don't always get along: the appearance of the box, and the protection of the contents.

Candles have their own set of physical challenges unlike a t-shirt or a paperback book. Glass boxes will crack when they are pressurized, wax may shift or crack during temperature fluctuations and anything with a raised design on top will get scuffed as soon as it is placed on top of other boxes. The elegant box on the shelf could go completely astray the day it was loaded onto a delivery van to a depth of three box feet.

When the World Is Torn Between Style and Substance

It's an easy trap to fall into. A brand selects a nice box, one with a soft touch finish, a foil stamped logo, and a window cut-out to reveal the candle, but doesn't bother to test it out to see how it's going to look when it gets packed for shipping; stacked; or handled by someone who is rushing on the job in a warehouse. The result is usually a beautiful box that comes with the jar broken or lid scuffed — a cosmetic flaw that does far greater damage to brand image than a plain, robust box ever could. 

Structural Priorities Before Aesthetic Ones

While the aesthetic values of buildings and their surroundings are important, they must not be the primary concern in structural design.

A few questions of structure should be considered before selecting colours or finishes:

• Will the candle snugly fit into the box so that it does not move while being transported?

• Do glass containers have sufficient internal padding or dividers?

• Is the lid/closure strong enough to resist pressure of boxes on top?

• Will the material bend, warp or grow brittle when the temperature changes?

• Can the actual weight of a filled candle jar be supported by the base?

Once these are done, all other decisions in the design move are much less risky.

Where the Real Balance Gets Found

It can be much easier for UK manufacturers of candles to do this if they are buying from a reputable candle packaging boxes wholesale UK supplier, as they are likely to know how to handle glass and wax items better than overseas suppliers using standard templates. Having a supplier who already understands these structural requirements allows brands to concentrate more on branding and finish and not agonize over shipping issues only to find a batch of complaints.

Comparing Common Candle Box Materials

Design Options That Don't Compromise Strength

Achieving a premium look doesn't have to mean sacrificing durability in your candle box packaging. Several strategies that work for both:

• Strong corners on hard boxes that won't fall apart from the high-end look

• Foam or moulded pulp inserts for extra protection but not adding to the exterior bulk

• Smoother surfaces that will not show up blemishes as much as a high-gloss would, if any at all

• Window cut-outs outside high impact areas of the box

Questions Worth Asking Before You Place a Mass Order

• Has the sample been tested by a real candle (not a mock-up)?

• Is there any packaging damage after a simple drop test?

• Would it be available for multiple handling without losing its appeal?

• Will the box fit tightly enough to keep the boxed items from moving around but be easy to pack?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a candle a product that requires greater structural consideration than most? Heavy containers, such as glass containers and fragile wax surfaces, are more prone to cracking, shifting or scuffing while in transit, so structural protection is more important than for lighter more durable containers.

Are rigid boxes always the most suitable packaging option? Not always — rigid boxes are well suited to the protection and quality assurance of larger and heavier candle lines, but for smaller and lighter lines, well designed corrugated boxes can be equally effective - at a cheaper cost.

So, what can brands do to prevent their packaging from arriving shoddily? Usually, when testing samples of a product actually filled with real product, including a basic drop or stacking test, it is good to find that some of the structures are weak before going to bulk production.

Does foil stamping or embossing decrease the durability of a candle box? No, they are cosmetic and will not affect structural strength – however, if the material beneath the surface is not sufficiently robust then it can easily show signs of wear with the surface finishes.

What is the worst thing candle brands do when it comes to packaging? Focusing on visual design, instead of structural testing, can cause products to become damaged and returns that do not justify the short term look.

Final Thoughts

Ideal candle packaging does not require you to choose between appearing high quality and being able to make the trip to the door of your customer — it's merely about getting the structural basics right and building from there.