How to ship a piece of furniture: the complete guide

Simple and safe furniture shipping

Are you a furniture manufacturer just starting out in the world of e-commerce? Do you already ship furniture but want to improve your packaging? Do you have a furniture shop and need to ship your products? Do you need to ship a family piece of furniture to relatives on the other side of Italy? Are you a student and need to ship a sofa, a bed, a table to another city? Are you moving for work and planning to ship your furniture?

RAJA is on your side: we have created this guide to help you at every stage, from dismantling to packing!

• First rule: disassemble everything that can be disassembled!

This step is crucial for a successful shipment for several reasons. First of all, it prevents parts from being lost during transport, plus the product’s dimensions are reduced and compacted, making it easier to pack.

• Keep an inventory of all parts

Having a list of all the components of the furniture will be useful for you but above all for those who receive it. We recommend that you include it inside the packaging.
A few practical tips: keep screws, bolts and small components in plastic bags, take photos of the furniture before disassembling it in case of doubt, write down any useful instructions for subsequent reassembly in the case of complex furniture.

• Measure and weigh the furniture to be shipped

Always keep measurements and weight in mind: they will come in handy, especially if you ship with couriers that often have limits.

The limitations on weight and size may vary by type of service but also by destination of the goods.

• Obtain the necessary packaging and pack everything with great care

Choose the most suitable packaging for the type of furniture you have to ship; you will find some tips on how to identify it in the next section.

• Choose how to ship it

Decide whether to hire a vehicle privately or entrust the shipments to a courier company. In the second case, it is important that step 3 is carried out particularly carefully. Depending on the type of product, shipping volume and distance to be travelled, there will be one option that is more convenient than the other. Inform yourself in advance!

Transport-proof furniture packaging

How to create strong packaging for your furniture?

The main function of packaging is to protect the goods inside so that they arrive intact and in good condition to the recipient.

It is thought that it is only the weight and fragility of the goods that determine the strength of the carton and the type of filler. However, two of the first criteria you must take into account when choosing your packaging are the type of shipment and the amount of shock the package will be subjected to.
To optimise your packaging and best protect the products inside, you have two options:

• Choose a standard box and increase the volume of the filler
• Opt for a stronger box and reduce the volume of the filler

Here is a practical summary to help you in your choice of box:

Because of their size, your furniture may not always fit into a box; in this case, one of the most popular methods of locking and protecting it is the palletising

Palletising is also very useful in the case of a shipment with several boxes, but remember to organise the pallet in the right way.

When palletising cardboard boxes of different formats, there is a rule to be observed: the smallest boxes should be placed on top, the largest underneath.

Identify the pallet best suited to your needs

The right pallet of the right material can allow you to amortise your costs.

I pressed wood pallet are lighter and consequently easier to handle. In addition, they are exempt from shipping treatments, as opposed to wooden pallets (more versatile) which must comply with the ISPM15 standard.

Alternatively, you can try the cardboard palletsContrary to what you may think, they are very strong, can withstand up to 700kg and are 70% lighter than a wooden pallet. They are safer because there are no nails, splinters or sharp corners, plus they are 100% natural: they are assembled using double-sided tape with dextrin-based vegetable glue and can be recycled like a cardboard box.

The pallet alone, however, is often not enough; there are complementary packages to use for an assured result and ideal protection!

The most commonly used accessories for securing pallets are:

• Stretch film that protects against the weather
• Coloured film that guarantees the confidentiality of the contents
• Corner pieces that immobilise pallets by protecting them from jolts during transport.

Be especially careful with glass or fragile parts, always protect the entire surface!
Use a ribbon marked ‘fragile’ or ‘caution contains glass’ to inform those who will be handling the parcel.

Smaller parts, on the other hand, which you have disassembled and collected beforehand, we recommend that you put them in convenient and handy ziplock bags.

Shipping a sofa, a mattress, a bed, a wardrobe

In this section you will find specific instructions for the most common furniture.

First, however, a universal tip: always take care to pack corners and edges well using corner pieces, they are the part most at risk of being damaged and could damage other packages during transport.

How to ship a sofa

If you have to ship a sofa, we advise you to palletise it and, if possible, place it upright to gain space in the lorry.

To prevent damage, use a plastic cover and remember to protect the feet with bubble wrap or corrugated cardboard.

How to ship a mattress

To ship a mattress safely, all you need to do is use a specific cover: this will protect it from dust and scratches that the end user would not like. In addition to a hygienic issue, the cover is often expressly requested by couriers.

How to ship a table

If possible disassemble it, otherwise protect the legs with bubble wrap and, very important, use corner protectors!

Protect the surface with a cover or interleaf and turn it upside down if you are more comfortable.

How to ship a wardrobe

All of the above tips apply to this piece of furniture: disassemble all parts, collect smaller parts in plastic bags, protect corners and edges with angle brackets and use boxes that are best suited to the weight and size of the various components!

If you still have any doubts about how to ship furniture, do not hesitate to contact us!

Write an e-mail to info@rajapack.it or call 848 815 815