To pack a candle for posting, wrap the jar or candle snugly, place it in a rigid box where it cannot touch the walls, fill every gap so it cannot move, and seal the box with a full strip of tape along every seam. A candle that is held firmly in the centre of a sturdy box, with cushioning on all sides, is far more likely to arrive whole than one packed loosely in a padded bag.
Why are candles tricky to post?
Most candles combine two awkward features: a heavy, rigid container and a soft body of wax. Glass jars chip or crack on impact, and a candle that shifts inside a parcel can scuff, dent or crack at the wax surface. Pillar and taper candles can snap if they are bent or hit on their side.
Weight matters too. A filled jar candle is dense for its size, so the packaging has to support the load rather than simply cushion it. That is why the choice of box, and how snugly the candle sits inside it, matters more than the amount of padding alone.
What box should you use for a candle?
Choose a rigid cardboard box with a little room around the candle for cushioning, not a box so large that the candle can rattle. As a rule of thumb, aim for roughly 2 to 3cm of space on every side of a single jar candle for wrapping and void fill. For a heavier jar, or if you are sending several candles in one parcel, a double wall box gives noticeably more crush resistance than single wall.
Our postal boxes are supplied flat-packed in a range of sizes, so you can match the box to the candle rather than the other way round. If you are not sure which size to pick, the size finder lets you enter your product dimensions and shows the closest internal fits first.
How do you wrap a candle for posting?
Wrap the candle in layers, and do it in this order:
- Protect the surface first. Wrap the jar or candle in a sheet of kraft or tissue paper. This stops the next layer from marking the wax or rubbing the label.
- Add a cushioning layer. Wrap the whole candle in bubble wrap or another protective wrap, with at least two turns around the sides. Cover the top and base as well, because corner and base impacts are the most common cause of cracked jars.
- Secure the wrap. Hold it in place with a small amount of tape, taking care not to tape directly onto a printed jar label or onto the wax.
Our bubble wrap and void fill range covers the wrapping and the filling stages in one place.
How do you stop a candle moving inside the box?
Fill every gap with void fill until the candle cannot shift when you gently shake the closed box. Start with a layer of crinkle cut paper or similar at the base, set the wrapped candle in the centre, then pack more around the sides and over the top. Aim for the candle to sit in the middle of the box, away from all six faces.
A quick test is worth doing every time: close the flaps, hold the box with both hands and tilt it. If you can feel or hear movement, add more fill. Paper-based options are a good fit here, and the eco-friendly wrapping and void fill collection includes recyclable choices that suit candle brands who want their packaging to match their values.
How should you seal a candle parcel?
Seal the top and bottom seams with tape, running a strip along the centre seam and extending it down each side by several centimetres. Add a second strip across each end seam for heavier parcels. Press the tape down firmly so it bonds to the board.
Use a proper parcel tape rather than a light tape designed for wrapping, as the box may be stacked, dropped or handled many times in transit. Our packaging tape range includes 48mm parcel tape and paper kraft tape, plus dispensers to speed up packing.
Does heat or cold affect posting candles?
Yes. Wax softens in warm conditions, so a candle left in a hot van or a sunny porch can bend, sweat or lose its shape, and very cold conditions can make wax more brittle. You cannot control the weather, but you can reduce the risk by packing candles snugly so they are held in shape, avoiding thin packaging that offers no insulation, and posting early in the week so parcels are not left sitting over a weekend.
If you sell candles in summer, it is worth telling customers when to expect delivery so the parcel is not left outside for long.
How do you pack several candles in one parcel?
Wrap each candle individually, then separate them with a layer of cushioning so that jars never touch each other. Pack the heaviest items at the base of the box, and use a double wall box once the combined weight starts to feel heavy. Do not rely on the box lid to hold things down: fill the space above the top layer so nothing can lift or knock against the flaps.
For a broader checklist covering other delicate goods, our guide to posting fragile items safely covers the principles that apply to candles too.
A simple candle packing checklist
- Rigid box with roughly 2 to 3cm of room on every side of the candle.
- Candle wrapped in paper, then in bubble wrap with the base and top covered.
- Void fill packed on all sides until nothing moves when tilted.
- All seams sealed with parcel tape, pressed down firmly.
- A final gentle shake test before the parcel is handed over.
Ready to pack your candles?
Start by picking a box that suits your candle size, then add wrap, fill and tape to match. Browse our fragile packaging solutions for everything in one place, or use the size finder to check the right fit. If you have a question about what suits your product, call us on 01543 572 776 or email info@parcelsend.uk, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
