What Are Cardboard Boxes? Different Types, Styles and Uses

Cardboard boxes, also known as cardboard cartons, corrugated boxes, or shipping cartons, are among the most widely used packaging formats for storing, protecting, transporting, and shipping products. Made from paperboard or corrugated cardboard, they offer a lightweight, strong, cost-effective packaging solution for businesses across almost every industry.

Cardboard boxes are commonly used to package retail products, ship online orders, move goods, store inventory, and protect fragile items during transportation. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, thicknesses, and styles, from standard brown shipping cartons to custom-designed and printed packaging.

At Get Packed, we supply cardboard boxes and corrugated cartons in standard sizes and can also manufacture custom cardboard boxes in virtually any style, size, design, or volume to suit your packaging requirements.

What Are Cardboard Boxes Made From?

Most cardboard shipping boxes are made from corrugated cardboard, a fluted paper layer sandwiched between two flat linerboards. This structure provides strength, cushioning, and crush resistance while keeping the packaging relatively lightweight.

Single Wall Cardboard Boxes – Manufactured from one fluted layer between two liners, single wall boxes are commonly used for general shipping, storage and everyday packaging.

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes – With two fluted layers, double wall cartons provide added strength and protection for heavier, bulkier, or more fragile products.

Triple Wall Cardboard Boxes – Made with three fluted layers, these heavy-duty cartons suit demanding industrial packaging applications and particularly heavy products.

For more information, see Get Packed's guide to corrugated cardboard and board construction.

What Are the Different Styles of Cardboard Boxes?

Cardboard boxes come in numerous styles, each designed for specific packaging, storage, shipping, or display applications.

1. Regular Slotted Container (RSC)

The most common style of cardboard box, an RSC has four flaps at the top and bottom, with the outer flaps meeting in the centre when closed. These cartons are commonly sealed with packaging tape and suit shipping, warehousing, moving, and general packaging.

View standard RSC cardboard boxes<\/a>

2. Full Overlap Slotted Container (FOL)

Full-overlap cardboard boxes have outer flaps that overlap completely when closed, providing added strength and protection. They are particularly useful for heavier products, fragile goods and packaging that requires additional resistance to handling damage.

3. Half Slotted Container (HSC)

A half slotted carton is similar to an RSC but has closing flaps on only one end, leaving the other end open. These boxes are commonly used for storage, product picking, shelf-ready packaging, and applications where products need to be easily accessed.

4. Die Cut Cardboard Boxes

Die cut cardboard boxes are manufactured using specially designed cutting tools to create specific shapes, folds, tabs and locking mechanisms. They can be custom-designed to fit individual products and are often used for retail packaging, e-commerce deliveries, promotional packaging and presentation boxes.

5. Self-Locking Cardboard Trays (SST)

Snap-lock, or self-locking, trays fold and lock into position without tape or glue. They are commonly used for retail displays, food packaging, electronics and product presentation.

6. Multi-Depth Cardboard Boxes and Trays

Multi-depth cardboard cartons include additional fold lines or adjustable sections, allowing you to change the carton height to suit different products. This reduces unnecessary empty space, improves packing efficiency, and minimises the amount of void fill required.

7. Maltese Cross Cartons and Book Wrap Mailers

Maltese Cross cartons are wraparound cardboard boxes designed to protect flat products such as books, brochures, printed materials and other relatively thin items. Their folding construction secures the product and protects it during postage and transportation.

View Get Packed's Maltese Cross cartons<\/a>

8. Telescopic Cardboard Boxes

Telescopic boxes consist of two separate pieces, usually a base and a lid that fits over the top. They are often used for printed materials, artwork, clothing, presentation packaging and products requiring a removable lid.

9. Cardboard Display Boxes and Trays

Display boxes are designed to hold, organise and present products in retail environments. They can be custom-printed with company branding, product information and promotional graphics, making them particularly useful for point-of-sale displays and shelf-ready packaging.

10. Custom Printed Cardboard Boxes

Custom printed cardboard cartons can incorporate business logos, colours, product information, handling instructions or promotional messages. They are commonly used by manufacturers, retailers and online businesses wanting packaging that also promotes their brand.

What Are Cardboard Boxes Used For?

Cardboard boxes are used across a broad range of industries because of their versatility, strength, affordability and ability to be customised. Common applications include e-commerce shipping cartons, warehouse storage boxes, retail packaging, industrial packaging, moving boxes, food packaging, product displays and protective packaging for fragile goods.

Depending on the application, cartons can also be combined with protective packaging materials, including corrugated cardboard inserts, paper void fill and other cushioning products, to help prevent movement and damage during transport.

Custom Made Cardboard Boxes – Any Style, Size or Volume

At Get Packed, we understand that standard cardboard boxes are not always suitable for every product or application. That is why we can arrange the manufacture of custom-made cardboard boxes in any style, size, shape, board grade or volume, from smaller production runs through to large-volume commercial orders.

Whether you require a standard RSC shipping carton, heavy-duty double wall box, die cut mailer, self-locking tray, custom printed retail carton or a completely unique cardboard packaging design, we can help you find a solution.

Custom cardboard boxes can be manufactured to suit specific internal dimensions, product weights, stacking requirements, printing needs and shipping conditions.

Get Packed can also assist with custom carton design, allowing businesses to improve packaging efficiency, reduce wasted space and achieve a more professional product presentation.

Browse our standard cardboard boxes and corrugated cartons, or contact Get Packed to discuss your custom cardboard box manufacturing requirements.