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Pros & Cons of Shipping Wine Bottles in Cardboard vs Wood

Examine the benefits and disadvantages of cardboard containers versus wooden crates for shipping your precious wines.

By Julia NikolausPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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The very idea of shipping your wine collection to a new place may make you panic, but as long as you’re careful and precise during the packing and shipping processes, your wine bottles will arrive at their destination unscathed. It doesn’t matter if you only have a few special vintages or an entire cellar full of bottles. You don’t want to take any chances with a single one of them.

So, what’s better – cardboard or wood? They each have their own advantages and disadvantages, meaning that it will ultimately come down to what you feel works best for you, your budget, and your collection. You also want to consider where the shipment is going and how long it will be in transit. Treat your wine the way it deserves by considering the process carefully, beginning with an examination of the pros and cons of cardboard versus wood.

The Durability Challenge: Cardboard vs. Wood

Regardless of if you’re shipping your wine to the next town, another state, or a different country, you need to know that the shipping containers you choose are durable. Whether you opt for cardboard or wood, the last thing you want is for your wine to get damaged in transit. That can happen when the materials aren’t strong enough to handle the sometimes-rough handling that can occur during the shipping process. Although you can mark your wine shipment as “fragile,” it’s still vital to ship the bottles with confidence.

Cardboard and wood are both durable materials. At first glance, you might not think that cardboard is that durable, but there’s a reason why we trust it to move the majority of our belongings. Bear in mind that shipping cardboard is typically stronger than regular cardboard, as it’s usually corrugated or otherwise reinforced.

Cardboard has an impressive ratio of strength to weight. To that end, corrugated cardboard is not only strong but also tough. It is an excellent shock absorber, as well, which makes it capable of protecting fragile contents throughout the shipping process.

In comparison, wood is an extremely durable material that won’t break easily or be deformed. That’s partly thanks to an outstanding strength-to-weight ratio. Because wood can be weatherproofed, including wood used for shipping crates, it’s unlikely to suffer damage if it travels through the rain or snow.

Both materials have downsides, too, however. For instance, it may not be the best idea to use cardboard for extraordinarily heavy loads, but that depends on the size of the shipping container and the amount of padding used – and a shipping box for wine will be padded and sized correctly. Cardboard is not a weatherproof material and may degrade if it comes into contact with inclement weather, although there are some ways to mitigate the risk of weather conditions. Cardboard doesn’t always hold its shape under pressure, either, meaning that there’s a risk of your wine shipment being crushed or otherwise deformed during transit.

While wooden crates and other wooden containers don’t involve those risks, they do tend to be heavy, which can impact the rest of the shipping process. It should also be pointed out that although many crates can be reused, specialty crates may not be reusable for anything besides shipping.

The Question of Cost

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Cost is an enormous factor when how you want to ship your wine. That’s especially true when you have a large collection of wine bottles to ship. The cost of cardboard is unquestionably a benefit. Cardboard is easy and fast from a manufacturing standpoint, which automatically makes it more cost-efficient. It’s also easy to store since it can be broken down and flattened.

Believe it or not, even that detail can cut down on shipment costs. Finally, the fact that cardboard is renewable is another cost-saver. Cardboard is recyclable and sustainable, which decreases your costs in the long run.

Wood is recyclable, as well, and it’s possible to get bulk deals, particularly on specialty crates such as those made for wine bottles. In the interest of total disclosure, where cost is concerned, that’s the only advantage of wood.

Wood has far more disadvantages when you’re coming at this from a cost perspective. Although it will protect your wine collection, you sometimes have to pay for the privilege by opting for a more expensive type of wood, which adds to the price. Some wood is lightweight, but even that is heavier than cardboard. Therefore, it will cost more to ship your wine in wooden containers, too.

The Packing Extras

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With both materials, you’ll need something extra. That may involve padding, or you might prefer a structured container that has cozy, secure slots for all of your wine bottles. There’s also the option of padding or special inserts that will cradle your wine bottles. Often, the cardboard packing containers used by liquor stores are the best option. They contain individual slots for numerous bottles. The separation can keep the wine bottles safe in transit.

Technically, you can do the same way with wood crates. However, you may have to spend more money on a crate with individual compartments. Otherwise, you’ll likely rely on padding and cardboard or Styrofoam molds to hold your bottles snugly.

Weatherproofing is another matter. Wood won’t steer you wrong, even if you’re shipping to Seattle during its rainiest season, but, as mentioned, cardboard isn’t at all resistant to the weather. That being said, there are measures you can take with your wine bottles, such as reinforcing your cardboard containers with weatherproof sealing tape. It can strengthen the bottom of the box – or all of it, for that matter – while ensuring that it won’t get damaged by water.

While both materials are superb candidates, cardboard tends to be the go-to because, when you choose the correct container and ensure that your bottles are adequately padded and secured, then you can feel confident that they’ll arrive safely. However, some collectors and wine lovers opt to go the extra mile with vintage bottles. Which option works best for you?

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About the Creator

Julia Nikolaus

Julia Nikolaus is a content strategist for an LA-based company. She enjoys working with food + drink brands as well as pet brands, likes to take dance classes, and currently shares a dog and pygmy goats with her parents on their farmette.

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