If you’ve recently sold a phone, or you need to send it in for repairs or exchange, you’ll need to know how to ship a phone. Phones are small, fragile, and expensive, which makes them especially risky shipping items. So you’ll want to make sure that you take the proper steps to safely pack the phone. Here’s a quick guide that will get it safely to its final destination.
It’s All About Packaging
Safe shipping is all about the packaging. When you combine the right materials with extra precaution, you can send a package from one location to the next with only a limited chance of damage.
For a cell phone, you will need a strong cardboard box that will effectively protect the fragile item. Do not skimp on the strength of the box. It’s worth it to spend a few more dollars on a quality box than risk irreversible damage to the phone from using flimsy packaging material.
Most major retailers or shipping companies sell boxes designed specifically for cell phones. Be sure that the box you choose fits your specific phone. You’ll want a box that leaves a few inches of space on each side of the phone.
Adding the Final Touches
This extra space gives you the opportunity to add a couple layers of protection for the phone. Without the extra space, the phone could be seriously damaged if it were dropped or impacted during the shipping process -- a likely event given its small size.
Just a note of extra caution: be sure to turn the phone’s power off before wrapping or placing the phone in its box. The lithium batteries in some cell phones can cause overheating and create significant fire hazards.
Now that the power is off, and your box is prepared, it’s time to add the final touches. Wrap the phone in a couple of layers of bubble packaging depending on how much extra space is available in the box. The purpose of the bubble packaging is to protect the phone from impact but also to keep the phone from moving inside the box.
Once you’ve wrapped the phone, slide it in the box. The fit should be snug without forcing the wrapped phone through the edges of the box. Now, simply add foam peanuts or newspaper on each side of the phone to fill in the remaining gaps. Once again, this is to ensure that the phone does not slide or shift during shipping.
For proper shipping materials or help packaging your phone, visit your local PostalAnnex, where our 30 years of experience ensure safe packaging and peace of mind at the lowest cost to our customers. Contact our experts at PostalAnnex if you have any questions about how to ship a phone.