Picking a gift box sounds like the easy part, right up until you’re holding a chunky sweater that just won’t fold down small enough, or you’ve put a candle in a box twice its size and it’s sliding around every time you pick it up. Then it’s not so easy.
Good news, though. Most gifts land in a small group of standard gift box sizes, and once you’ve got those in your head you can choose a box in about a minute, for one present at home or a few thousand branded boxes for the holiday rush.
Common Gift Box Sizes at a Glance
You’ll see these over and over, in shops and in pretty much every packaging catalog we’ve ever flipped through. The numbers are rounded off and each supplier fudges them by an eighth here and there, so start with them, then measure your actual item.
| Box type | Typical size (L x W x H) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Small jewelry box | about 3.5 x 3.5 x 2 in | rings, earrings, a watch |
| Small cube | about 4 x 4 x 4 in | candles, mugs, small gadgets |
| Medium cube | about 6 x 6 x 6 in | jars, gift sets, treats |
| Flat medium box | about 9 x 9 x 3 in | scarves, books, skincare sets |
| Shirt box | about 17 x 11 x 2.5 in | folded shirts, blouses |
| Sweater or robe box | about 19 x 12 x 3 in | knitwear, robes, blankets |
| Large gift box | about 14 x 10 x 6 in | hampers, bundles, PR kits |
How to Measure for a Gift Box
You need three numbers and a tape measure.
Go across the widest part of the thing, and count whatever pokes out, a mug handle say, or a bow somebody already tied, then give it some breathing room on top of that, which for a solid item that won’t shift is only about a quarter inch a side, but if tissue or crinkle shred or an insert is going in we’d go closer to half an inch.
Small trap. Most listings give inside sizes, some quote the outside, and on a rigid box the thick board can swallow more space than you’d guess (we’ve seen people lose nearly a quarter inch that way). Tight fit? Ask which number you’re looking at.
Gift Box Sizes for Jewelry
Jewelry is where an oversized box looks cheap really fast. Ring in a shirt box? Please no. For rings and earrings you’re usually talking 2 to 3.5 inches square, while a necklace or a bracelet wants something longer and flatter so the chain lies out instead of knotting itself up in transit. We’ve got a full list of jewelry box dimensions by piece if you need exact numbers.
Gift Box Sizes for Clothing
It’s all in the fold. Fold a dress shirt the normal way and it drops into a 17 x 11 inch shirt box with room left over, but a chunky knit or a hoodie or a bathrobe really needs the 3 inch deep boxes, otherwise the middle bulges and the lid sits up like it’s floating. Shoes are a whole other story (our guide to shoe box dimensions covers them). If you’re a brand sending clothes out as gifts, have a look at our apparel packaging boxes.
Cube Boxes for Candles, Mugs and Small Gifts
If it’s about as tall as it is wide, put it in a cube. A candle, a mug, a jar of local honey, a little succulent. Four and six inch cubes handle most of that, and since they stack neatly on a shelf, loads of shops keep cube gift boxes as their default holiday box. Something fragile? Add an insert so it can’t rattle into the walls.
Picking a Style, Not Just a Size
Size is only half of it. How the box opens changes the whole moment, honestly more than people expect.
Our own favorite is still the two-piece rigid box where you lift the lid off the base and it just feels like money, though a lot of customers go for magnetic closure boxes on the pricier gifts (the flap opens like a book and snaps shut, people play with it), and for earrings or a little skincare set we’d point you at drawer boxes. Storage tight? Foldable rigid boxes show up flat and pop into shape.
Can’t decide? Two-piece. It suits almost anything.
Branded Gift Boxes for the Holidays
For a business the box is carrying the product and it’s also the first bit of your brand anyone actually touches, and here’s the thing we see every year: plain white boxes end up in the trash, while one with a gold foil logo on the lid tends to get kept on a shelf and reused for something else, which is basically free advertising for months.
Most brands order in December. Corporate gifts, holiday bundles, subscription boxes and PR kits all hit at once, so our Christmas gift boxes come in every standard size above or any custom size you want. Just order early. Holiday print slots go faster than you’d think. You’ll find the whole range under custom gift boxes.
Gift Box Sizes FAQs
What is the most common gift box size?
Clothing goes in the 17 x 11 x 2.5 inch shirt box most often. Small gifts mostly use the 4 inch or 6 inch cube, and those three between them cover a lot of presents.
How much space should I leave around a gift?
Roughly a quarter inch each side if it’s solid. Using tissue or crinkle fill or an insert, give it half an inch.
Are gift box sizes inside or outside measurements?
Usually inside, not always. On rigid boxes the gap can be noticeable, so double check before ordering a snug fit.
Can I order gift boxes in a custom size?
Yes. A custom box gets made to your exact measurements, so the product sits snug instead of in a stock box that’s almost right but not quite.
Related reading: Most Common Questions About Custom Boxes.
Related reading: Custom Donut Gift Boxes.
Gifting wine or chocolates? Those have their quirks, so we wrote up wine box dimensions and chocolate box sizes on their own.
Want a price? Send us your gift size and quantity on our quote page and we’ll send a free quote and proof.