We repack almost everything before it flies, but what you order and how it arrives still shapes the outcome. A few decisions make a real difference.
What actually breaks
In our experience the casualties are nearly always the same: ceramics packed against the box wall, glass bottles with no separation, framed items shipped flat, and anything liquid without a secondary seal. Air freight is not gentle — parcels are stacked, sorted mechanically, and handled repeatedly.
What we do
- Remove retail packaging that adds volume without protection
- Wrap fragile items individually and centre them away from the walls
- Fill voids so nothing shifts in transit
- Double-bag anything liquid or powdered
- Photograph the packed shipment before it closes
What helps us
- Tell us what is fragile. We cannot always tell from the outside of a sealed retail box.
- Say what can be compressed. Textiles can often be vacuum-packed; we will not do it to something that should not be creased unless you say so.
- Flag anything that must stay in its box — a gift, or something with a warranty seal.
- Declare values as parcels arrive, so packing and paperwork happen together.
Things worth knowing before you order
Liquids over a certain volume are restricted on air freight regardless of packing. And anything with a battery has its own rules — see what cannot be shipped.