key points:
- Furniture shipping costs vary based on a number of factors, including item size, dimensions, item weight, shipping distance, and more
- ups, fedex and usps can all ship your furniture safely
- ordering the right size shipping box and packing your furniture are part of shipping furniture safely
Selling and shipping furniture online is one of the most difficult aspects of e-commerce. Creating a professional website to sell furniture is the easy part, but shipping the furniture itself is the hard part!
Successful shipping of furniture in e-commerce means considering many aspects, including cost, choosing the right courier, and packing furniture safely for shipment. But learning how to ship furniture is easy with our guide. Here’s a quick but detailed overview of furniture shipping costs, the cheapest way to ship furniture, which couriers work best, and how to safely pack and ship your furniture, even if it’s traveling across the country. Fortunately, working with a logistics partner like easyship makes the process of shipping furniture, which can be complex and expensive, easy, cost effective, and fast.
how much does it cost to ship furniture?
Furniture shipping costs vary based on a number of important factors to consider when researching the best way to ship furniture.
some of these include:
- item size
- dimensions
- item weight
- item value
- shipping distance
- messaging selection
Item size and dimensions are often the primary factors in determining the cost of any shipment, and with furniture shipping, they are especially important. Accurately calculating size and dimensions can help your business save a lot of money on furniture shipping costs, so be sure to measure everything carefully so you don’t overpay.
Item weight is another key factor when you consider how to ship furniture. As heavy items are harder to move, your furniture shipping costs may increase due to the limited number of ways they can be transported, often either by sea freight or by truck. Some furniture items may also need insurance as an added layer of protection — another cost factor to consider carefully.
The distance of your shipment is another key factor in determining the costs of shipping your furniture. Relatively affordable delivery trucking services can be used for short-haul deliveries, but if your business ships furniture across the country, you’ll likely need another mode of transportation. the same goes for the cross-border shipment of furniture to other countries. Generally, increasing the distance of your furniture shipments will increase your overall shipping costs.
what is the cheapest way to ship furniture?
Likewise, the cheapest way to ship furniture also depends on a number of factors that need to be considered when choosing the most affordable courier service. specifically, these include:
- weight. Weight is a crucial factor, as heavier and more cumbersome furniture or its shipping boxes may be limited in how they can be shipped, meaning your transportation costs will likely take a hit.
- item size . Just like weight, the size of the item is also very important in determining shipping costs. not surprisingly, larger furniture items typically cost more to ship than smaller ones.
- shipping distance. Shipments that go further afield, such as furniture shipped across the country, will likely cost more overall in shipping costs.
Also, another factor that affects cost is the number of local and international couriers you may need for first and last mile delivery and order fulfillment. For example, if you are shipping to an international destination from the United States, you may need to use local couriers for last-mile delivery, which in turn will affect your overall shipping costs.
The bottom line is that many factors affect furniture shipping costs, so it is very important to measure and weigh your shipment carefully and choose the courier that offers the most affordable shipping option.
Fortunately, easyship makes it very simple. Our shipping rate calculator is a great tool for determining which courier services offer the most affordable furniture shipping options, helping you choose which one works best for your e-commerce business.
Related: How to ship large and heavy items
Which courier service is best for shipping furniture?
There are many courier services available to ship furniture both domestically and internationally. UPS furniture shipping and FedEx furniture shipping are two reliable options specifically, as is DHL.
shipping furniture with ups
ups furniture shipping offers packaging and shipping for both domestic and cross-border destinations. ups lets you choose what type of packaging you’d like to use when shipping furniture, offering a variety of custom boxes, protective wraps and blankets to ensure your furniture shipments arrive safe and sound.
shipping furniture with fedex
FedEx shipping furniture is another solid option. They offer overnight delivery within the US. uu. at competitive shipping rates.
This is where easyship’s shipping rate calculator comes in handy. By comparing courier shipping costs, delivery times, and other factors, you can get a much more transparent view of which courier works best for your own furniture shipping needs.
how to ship furniture
Shipping furniture is a whole process. it involves careful disassembly, packing and choosing an affordable courier service. Here’s a quick look at how to successfully ship furniture from an eCommerce perspective.
- order the correct size shipping box. this may be a cardboard box or a wooden crate depending on factors such as shipping distance and what exactly is being shipped. If you’re shipping furniture that’s especially large and irregular in size and you can’t find the right box, you can create one using large corrugated cardboard sheets and design them to fit the dimensions of your piece. instead of making sharp bent corners, keep them a bit rounded so they fit the furniture better.
- remove removable parts of the furniture. these include things like table legs and chair armrests. if these more fragile components cannot be disassembled, carefully wrap them in foam or bubble wrap.
- wrap furniture in Styrofoam. use packing tape to secure the Styrofoam to the pieces when shipping the furniture.
- put the furniture inside the box or box it around. If you’re making a box, cut the cardboard sheet for the lid, making it wider than the top of the box so you can turn the edges as you pack. tape the box together once the furniture is inside.
- use polypropylene strapping around the box to keep it intact. accidents happen, so try to avoid hems and be sure to secure all sides of the box carefully when shipping furniture.
- measure and weigh the package accurately. Proper measurements and weight metrics will help determine the cost of shipping and which courier to use to ship the furniture.
- check courier websites or use easyship’s rate calculator to determine shipping costs and courier options. Be sure to weigh your options carefully (pun intended!) to choose the one that’s best for you, whether you’re looking for something affordable, fast, or the best value overall.
- Choose your service from messaging . if it is a single shipment, please place an order for online pickup. if this is not an option, take the furniture shipment to the nearest courier location. however, most couriers offer heavy furniture pickup, and if you ship regularly, be sure to open an account with one to see if you can take advantage of bulk shipping discounts or membership perks.
what is the best way to ship furniture?
Shipping furniture is a difficult thing for e-commerce businesses to do successfully. however, by accurately calculating your furniture shipping costs, choosing the most affordable courier service, and packing your furniture properly before shipping, you’ll find that furniture shipping isn’t as intimidating as it seems.
easyship, already trusted by furniture companies like backstrong, also offers bespoke furniture shipping solutions for e-commerce businesses. our affordable and reliable hybrid solutions are perfect for first and last mile shipping. Sign up today for free and start shipping furniture from your eCommerce store worldwide!
frequently asked questions about shipping furniture
How can I send large or heavy furniture to a country in Europe?
retail shipping rates are expensive. easyship offers up to 89% off discount shipping rates for over 250 courier companies and offers automatic label generation so you can have a seamless shipping experience.
how do i ship furniture from china to usa? uu.?
easyship offers large volume discounts for international shipments to china. For example, you can save $88.30 with UPS Worldwide Saver when shipping furniture to China.
Should furniture e-commerce companies offer free shipping on furniture delivery by increasing product prices to absorb shipping fees?
It depends on the profit margins of your e-commerce businesses. be sure to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.