If you’ve done ecommerce for any period of time, you might be familiar with the different ways sellers like to cushion their products and protect them from being damaged while in transit. You might have used packing peanuts, paper, cardboard, bubble wrap, or some type of foam. But if you’re selling electronics, which of these options should you use to protect your product?
The problem with electronics is that they can be fragile, and when some of their parts are broken, the whole product may stop functioning correctly. And when packages are in transit or being delivered, things don’t always go as smoothly as planned. Even if your package isn’t roughed up, factors such as temperature, built up static, or moisture might still damage the electronics from within.
When shipping electronics, it’s best to be prepared for the worst to happen, and the packaging material that gives you the most options for protection is packaging foam. Polyurethane foam can protect sensitive screens on TVs, smartphones, and laptops from getting scratched or marked up. Polyethylene foam can insulate electronics and protect them from higher impacts and moisture damage, while still remaining flexible. And both foams come in anti-static varieties that make sure no stray electric charges are damaging your products’ circuits and inner wiring.
Also, your electronics might have a very unique shape, and you might need packaging that forms around it while still fitting inside the box. Because foam is very malleable, you can order it in custom-made shapes from companies such as The Foam Factory.