Cardboard Vs Corrugated Packaging: Advantages and Disadvantages

23 Jun.,2025

 

Cardboard Vs Corrugated Packaging: Advantages and Disadvantages

Cardboard Vs Corrugated Packaging: Advantages and Disadvantages

Product protection and presentation depend on the type of packaging. For every kind of product, there a specific packaging requirements and specifications. Not every material is for every product.

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Fulfilling the requirement, manufacturers design the boxes from different materials. Cardboard and corrugated are two famous materials that have multiple benefits with their pros and cons.

Somehow, they have similarities, but they are different. Cardboard boxes have a single layer of paperboard while corrugated has three layers. Both are equally popular in the market.

If you are doing business, then it is crucial that you have the best product packaging. Both are important materials as they have wide use in e-commerce and retail businesses.

Everything has been used with pros and cons. Similarly, it is true for packaging of all kinds of material. Read this blog to get a complete insight into cardboard and corrugated packaging.

Cardboard

The paperboard packaging that has one layer is called cardboard. It is a lightweight, sturdy, and quality material that makes it the best solution for packaging.

For smaller brands, who have a limited budget, it is the best investment. They provide safety for the products. Custom cardboard packaging’s attractive designs easily grab the attention of potential buyers.

In the United States, cardboard made a hit record in when 80 percent of products were sold in cardboard packaging.

Interesting Fact:

Cardboard was first invented in China. Its era is unknown. However, the approximation is that it was the 15th century.

Corrugated

Corrugated is a material that has three layers; two outer layers of linerboard and one inner layer of fluted medium. Corrugated fiberboard is another famous name for it.

In the era of s, they were popular for packing fruits as they shipped the products to the retail stores without damage.

Interesting Fact:

One of the interesting facts about Corrugated boxes was first used for the packaging of pottery containers and glass.

Always get a complete Knowledge about the type of packaging before making a purchase. Clearly Understand their Uses, Properties, Pros and Cons. Remember That One Right Decision about Packaging Will Bring Your Business to The Height of Success.

Advantages

Having the knowledge of the pros of anything helps in the better use of them. Below are the advantages of this type of packaging.

Cardboard

Durability

They are durable as they have a good weight-to-strength ratio. During shipping, they protect the products up to the maximum level. That’s why e-commerce brands use cardboard boxes to create a positive brand impression.

Strong and Secure Seal

For eCommerce businesses, they are the best packaging solution as the water-activated tape dispenser makes a very secure and strong seal.

Eco-Friendly Resource

Cardboard is a sustainable material that is good for the environment. They are easy to recycle and reuse. They decompose on the earth easily without emitting hazardous gases and do not produce waste.

Excellent Strength

They provide excellent strength to protect and ship fragile products. In this way, products remain safe from damage, dents, and contamination.

Easy Storage

They reduce the delivery cost as they are easy to store and built according to the need. Most of the time, retailers store the products in the warehouses till the shipment.

Corrugated

Perfect for Branding

They are an excellent option for branding as there is no need to spend any additional amount for product marketing. For sales, good branding with personalized corrugated packaging is an important aspect.

Flexibility

Easy to manufacture in any size and shape make them the flexible packaging option. This property of flexibility benefits the brands as they can design them according to their need and customer demand.

Lightweight

The property of lightweight makes it easy for retailers and customers to handle, load, and unload them.

Customization

Corrugated are easy to customize in any shape, size, and form according to the customer’s demand. Custom Corrugated Boxes create memorable unboxing moments for people that give the brand a positive image.

Easy to Recycle

Being an eco-friendly material, they are recyclable. That’s why they provide green solutions and companies opted for it to save manufacturing costs and boost sales.

Where are corrugated cardboard boxes mostly used?

People use them extensively due to their top qualities. Here are the best uses of corrugated cardboard packaging:

During moving house

Packing food products

Posting electrical gadgets like laptops

Disadvantages

You can make rational decisions when you are aware of the disadvantages of the thing. Here are the cons that will help you in deciding the right packaging for your product.

Cardboard

Non-Weatherproof

The main disadvantage is that they are not water resistant. During weather, they easily get wet and damage the product.

Upfront Investment

You need to make more upfront investments to get the longer-term benefits. That’s why it becomes hard for the businesses to manage the repeated costs.

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Inability to Handle Pressure

For heavy objects, they cannot handle the pressure well. They easily get damaged whenever pressure becomes high.

Need of Device

Ultimately, you need the water-activated tape dispenser or a tape gun to seal the cartons of cardboard. It means that there is a requirement for the sealing device every time.

Is Solid Cardboard Packaging Worth it?

Owing to its extensive production with maximum consumption of raw material, it has become expensive packaging. It is a costly solution and is not suitable for bookbinding, especially if it is for kids.

Corrugated

Less Durable

Compared to plastic, corrugated is less durable. They are susceptible to fire, Mould, and water damage.

Difficult to Stack

Without breakage, they are difficult to stack. As they do not hold the maximum weight as much as the plastic.

Unfavorable for Heavy Items

Corrugated is not suitable for packing heavy objects as they easily deform under pressure. Do not choose corrugated packaging boxes for heavy items.

Non-Waterproof

As they are manufactured from paperboard, they are not waterproof. It becomes hard to protect the product during rain and snow. Because water can easily get inside the packaging and destroy the quality of the product.

Pros & Cons Of Corrugated Cardboard Boxes for Packing & Moving

Corrugated cardboard boxes have become the popular choice when it comes to packing and storing goods. There are many benefits of using corrugated cardboard boxes; below is a comprehensive list of why choosing a corrugated cardboard box over another style of box is the best choice for moving or shipping.

Benefits Of Corrugated Cardboard Boxes

Light: Cardboard corrugated boxes are light weight, therefore more convenient for handling

Affordable: They are also relatively inexpensive compared to other box alternatives due to the raw materials used to make the product

Box Printing: For companies looking to increase their marketing, they are great for the ease of printing directly onto the box during production

Labeling: Cardboard corrugated boxes are also easy to write on after production

Customizable: Cardboard corrugated boxes are available in custom shapes, sizes, designs

When done, cardboard corrugated boxes can be recycled completely making them an eco-friendly product choice

Of course, there are a few drawbacks to consider, as well.

Drawbacks Of Corrugated Cardboard Boxes

They are not as durable as boxes made from materials such as plastic or wood. Especially for heavy items or for use under extreme pressure, cardboard corrugated boxes may not be the ideal choice to withstand the pressure

They are generally used for shorter-term purpose, as such they are not ideally a long-term investment that can be used over and over again

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PROS AND CONS OF CUSTOM CORRUGATED PACKAGING

When it comes to packaging, is the stock route or the custom route right for you? Stock packaging is exactly what it sounds like — packaging that comes ready-made and in standard formats.

Custom packaging, on the other hand, can be tailor-made to fit a specific product, promote brand awareness or relay a message right on the box.

So what’s best for you?

Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of custom corrugated packaging for you to consider when it comes to selecting your next packaging run:

4 Pros of Custom Corrugated Packaging

There are many significant advantages to going the custom corrugated route. Some of them are as follows:

1. Brand Building

This is one of the biggest benefits to going the custom route for your next run of corrugated packaging. Customizing boxes can help differentiate your brand from your competitors.

Whether it’s an advanced box design, a high-quality printing job or some sort of value-added feature, sometimes investing in a custom package format can also provide a competitive advantage and help build further brand awareness. These benefits alone are usually enough to placing a custom packaging order.

2. Purpose-built Packaging

With a standard package, you’re essentially purchasing a box to fit the product. Conversely, with a custom package, you can take the product and create packaging to fit it to the box.

This can help eliminate any wasted space, decrease the necessity for protective packaging materials, which can save money, and even result in cheaper shipping prices due to decreased weight.

3. Enhanced Protection

Arguably the biggest benefit of custom packaging is the ability to offer enhanced product protection. Like we noted earlier, a package that’s custom-made to fit a product means you can also fine-tune the protective packaging that’s used. In addition to this, a package that fits the product also helps keep the product more snug and secure as it is.

And finally, a better protected product also helps build trust with consumers, as there’s perhaps nothing more disappointing than opening a package only to find that the product inside is broken or damaged.

Custom corrugated packages are especially ideal for high-value or fragile items, such as electronics, glass and more. Just think of how many people might interact with a package before it reaches its final destination. For many companies, customization to ensure safekeeping is a very worthwhile investment.

4. Recyclability

This final benefit doesn’t have so much to do with the customization as it does with the corrugated material the package is being made from. And by that, we’re referring to the recyclability of corrugated material, which is a key differentiator from its plastic packaging counterparts.

Customizing packaging that’s also recyclable can offer a nice one-two punch, serving both as a brand building tool and helping to establish your company as one with sustainability in mind.

If sustainability is important to your company, you can even convey that message to the end user on your custom package.

3 Cons of Custom Corrugated Packaging

Though the pros of custom packaging are notable, there are some disadvantages to going this route that also bear mentioning:

1. Cost

This is arguably the biggest disadvantage of going the custom corrugated packaging route, as any package that’s not standardized is going to cost more. This may especially be a challenge for startup firms or small businesses that may not be able to absorb the price increase of custom packaging and are also unable or unwilling to pass any additional cost on to their customers.

2. Lead Time

Stock packaging is usually always readily available. The same can’t be said for custom packaging. Custom packages aren’t just lying around the warehouse waiting for someone to place an order, they need to be created.

Depending on the scope of the custom package, this can add some significant lead time to packaging runs, which aren’t always ideal in this first-to-market world that most companies operate in these days.

3. Additional Details

Finally, another potentially complicating factor with custom packaging is that more tooling, inks and dyes may be required to create the package that is desired. This can lead to both of the aforementioned: increased costs and increased lead time.

How much of an increase there is in both categories is largely specific to the package that’s needed, but it’s something that must be considered when weighing the pros and cons of custom corrugated packaging.

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