Best Shipping Supplies: Boxes, Tape, Labels Compared

The right supplies come down to carrier rules more than brand names:

A rigid box with room for cushioning.
Tape that meets the carrier’s width guidance. USPS asks for tape at least 2 inches wide, and FedEx recommends 3 inches.
Enough cushioning that nothing moves. FedEx recommends 2 to 3 inches on all six sides.
A clean, flat label on the largest side.

Before buying boxes, check USPS’s free Priority Mail and Flat Rate packaging. It costs nothing, but you have to pay for Priority Mail service to use it. As of October 2026, a Medium Flat Rate Box shipped anywhere in the U.S. for $25.80 at the counter or $22.02 with an online label.

This guide compares the main options in each supply category and the carrier rules each one has to meet.

Key Takeaways

Free USPS boxes come with strings attached: they’re for Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express only, and USPS says ordered boxes usually arrive in 7 to 10 days.
Tape width matters. Use packing tape at least 2 inches wide for USPS, and at least 3 inches wide in an H pattern if you follow FedEx’s guidance. Never wrap boxes in string or twine.
Plain paper labels are acceptable. USPS says you can print a label on regular paper and attach it with clear packing tape. A thermal printer saves time if you ship often.
Cushion on every side. FedEx recommends a box big enough for 2 to 3 inches of cushioning on all six sides of the item.
Right-size the box. Above 1 cubic foot, USPS charges dimensional weight (length × width × height ÷ 139), and FedEx applies it to every package.

How to Compare Supplies

Judge each supply against four things:

Does it meet the carrier’s packaging rules? USPS, FedEx and UPS all reject or charge extra for some packaging. For example, USPS adds a $4.50 nonstandard fee for rolls, tubes, cans and wooden or metal boxes.
Will it protect the item through automated sorting? USPS says packages share space with others weighing up to 70 lb.
What does it do to the postage? Box size drives dimensional weight.
What does it cost per package at the volume you ship?

Boxes

Free USPS packaging (Priority Mail only)

USPS gives away Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express boxes and envelopes at Post Offices and through its online store. The Flat Rate options, with October 2026 prices:

Flat Rate container	Inside dimensions	Retail price	Online (commercial) price
Flat Rate Envelope	12-1/2” × 9-1/2”	$13.90	$11.97
Padded Flat Rate Envelope	12-1/2” × 9-1/2”	$15.00	$12.84
Small Flat Rate Box	8-5/8” × 5-3/8” × 1-5/8”	$14.65	$12.95
Medium Flat Rate Box (top-loading)	11” × 8-1/2” × 5-1/2”	$25.80	$22.02
Medium Flat Rate Box (side-loading)	13-5/8” × 11-7/8” × 3-3/8”	$25.80	$22.02
Large Flat Rate Box	12” × 11-3/4” × 5-1/2”	$36.10	$32.75

Flat Rate prices apply to any domestic destination for items up to 70 lb, as long as the item fits with the lid closed normally. USPS also offers free Priority Mail boxes in other sizes that are priced by weight and zone. Two limits:

If you use Priority Mail packaging, you must pay for Priority Mail service.
You can’t use free Priority packaging for restricted hazardous materials or live animals.

For box-by-box guidance, see USPS Flat Rate vs Weight-Based: Which Saves More?.

Buying your own boxes

For Ground Advantage, UPS, FedEx or anything that doesn’t fit a USPS box, you need your own. What to look for:

Corrugated cardboard in good condition. FedEx says reused boxes are fine if they’re sturdy and not crushed, torn or punctured. USPS warns that boxes weaken with each trip and asks you to cover or black out all old labels, barcodes and addresses.
Double-wall boxes for heavy or fragile items. A stronger box costs a little more and prevents crushing.
A few stock sizes. Keeping three or four common sizes lets you match the box to the item and avoid dimensional-weight charges.
Poly or padded mailers for soft goods. They’re light and small, which keeps soft items well under the 1 cubic foot line where USPS dimensional pricing starts.

Box size check: an 18 × 14 × 12 inch box works out to a dimensional weight of 22 lb at USPS, UPS and FedEx, even if its contents weigh 5 lb. A 16 × 12 × 10 inch box, USPS’s own example, works out to 14 lb.

Tape

Tape type	Strengths	Watch out for
Pressure-sensitive plastic packing tape (clear or tan)	Cheap, quick, holds on most corrugated boxes	Use 2-inch or wider. Thin “economy” rolls can split on heavy boxes.
Water-activated paper tape (kraft)	Bonds into the cardboard fibers, and tampering shows	Needs a wetting dispenser
Water-activated reinforced tape	Fiber-reinforced paper tape for heavier boxes	Costs more, and also needs a dispenser

FedEx’s packing guidance names those three tape types and says to use rolls at least 3 inches wide, applied evenly across the flaps and seams on the top and bottom of the box in the “H” taping method. USPS asks for 2-inch-wide packing tape on all seams.

What not to use: USPS asks shippers not to wrap boxes in string, cord or twine, which catches in sorting equipment. Household tapes such as masking tape and cellophane office tape aren’t packing tapes, so use real packing tape on every seam.

Labels

Label option	Best for	Notes
Plain printer paper and clear tape	Occasional shippers	USPS accepts labels on regular paper taped on with clear packing tape. Cover the whole label so it can’t peel.
Adhesive half-sheet labels (inkjet or laser)	A few packages a week	Neater than paper and tape, but you pay for ink and toner
Direct-thermal 4 × 6 inch labels	Regular shippers	No ink, using a thermal printer. Labels can fade with heat and sunlight over time, which is not an issue for normal transit.
No printer: USPS Label Broker or FedEx QR code	Anyone without a printer	Show a QR code at a participating Post Office, or at a FedEx location through the FedEx Mobile app, and staff print the label

Placement rules:

USPS asks that labels go parallel to the longest side, all on one side, never folded over an edge or overlapping.
FedEx says to put the label on the package’s largest surface.

If you ship more than a few packages a week, a thermal printer saves ink and time. See best thermal label printers.

Cushioning and Void Fill

Material	Good at	Less good at
Bubble wrap	Wrapping fragile items and surfaces	Filling large voids economically
Kraft paper (crumpled)	Void fill and light cushioning; curbside recyclable in many areas	Heavy, sharp-edged items
Air pillows	Light void fill at high volume	Protecting heavy items, since pillows can burst
Foam sheets or custom foam	Screens, electronics, artwork, high-value items	Cost
Packing peanuts	Irregular shapes and deep voids	Heavy items can shift through loose fill
Honeycomb or molded paper	Plastic-free wrapping and blocking	Very heavy items

Two rules matter more than the material:

Leave 2 to 3 inches of cushioning around the item on every side, as FedEx recommends.
Fill every gap so nothing moves when you shake the box.

USPS’s claims rules also matter here. Under the Domestic Mail Manual, USPS won’t pay for damage from scraping to items that weren’t properly wrapped, or for items packed so poorly they couldn’t have arrived undamaged. See how to ship fragile items.

Starter Kits by Shipping Volume

Occasional shipper (a few packages a month):

free USPS Priority boxes plus saved boxes in good condition
one roll of 2-inch packing tape
a small roll of bubble wrap and some kraft paper
a kitchen or postal scale, since USPS advises against using a bathroom scale

Regular seller:

three or four stock box sizes plus poly mailers
a tape gun with 2- to 3-inch tape
a thermal printer with 4 × 6 labels
a postal scale and a tape measure

High-volume shipper:

case quantities of stock boxes
a water-activated tape dispenser
an air-pillow or paper void-fill system
a thermal printer that can handle volume, and a shipping scale rated well above your heaviest box

For e-commerce packaging strategy, see our free carrier supplies and labels guide and small business shipping guide.

Where to Get Supplies

USPS: free Priority Mail and Flat Rate boxes, envelopes and labels at Post Offices or from the USPS online store.
FedEx: complimentary packaging for FedEx Express services. FedEx Office locations also sell boxes, tape and cushioning, and offer packing services.
Office-supply stores, big-box retailers and packaging distributors: for your own boxes, tape and void fill. Buy by the case once you know your sizes.

Next Steps

Order free USPS Priority Mail boxes now, allowing 7 to 10 days for delivery.
Pick three or four stock box sizes that fit your most common items closely.
Switch to 2- to 3-inch packing tape and tape every seam, top and bottom.
Weigh and measure each packed box before you buy the label, since dimensional weight starts at 1 cubic foot for USPS.
Read our guides to fragile items and free carrier supplies and labels.