How to ship a floppy hat is easy if you use packing peanuts in abundance. You need to prevent harsh folding because it could damage the hat. A waterproof bag will also protect it against rain or spills. Find an inexpensive courier, print your shipping labels, and it is ready to go.
Hats are quite challenging when it comes to shipping.
If a classic baseball hat can easily fold for easy shipping, a floppy hat needs to retain its shape – folding it could cause permanent damage, leading to a waste of money.
The good news is you do not need to be an expert to figure out how to ship a floppy hat.
Here is everything you need to know to ensure safe transportation.
Table of Contents
What You Need to Prepare
- The floppy hat you want to send
- A box in the right size
- A plastic bag big enough to accommodate the floppy hat
- Bubble wrap for protection
- Packing peanuts or other packing materials
- Tape to seal the box
- Shipping labels
- Money for the shipping expenses
How to Pack Floppy Hats
In this guide, you will learn how to ship floppy hats safely and efficiently, like a pro. By following these steps, you can minimize the risk of damage during shipping.
1. Prepare the Floppy Hat
Make sure the floppy hat is in good condition.
If it sat on a shelf or in storage for too long, you might want to shake it a little and remove the dust.
Make sure you do not fold it, especially if it has slightly harder parts – they can be permanently damaged.
2. Seal the Floppy Hat
After going into a box, a floppy hat needs extra protection – a plastic bag will do.
To retain its shape, you must fill the hat with filling materials – such as packing peanuts. It will protect it against damage.
Then, the hat goes into a plastic bag.
The bag should be sealed – simply knot it or use tape.
If the box is exposed to rain or spills, it will go through the cardboard and can damage the hat, hence the necessity for extra protection.
3. Cover the Floppy Hat in Bubble Wrap
One or two layers of bubble wrap will do.
You want an extra layer of protection in case the box goes under heavier boxes – excessive weight may damage the hat.
Bubble wrap will ensure it stays in the right shape.
4. Pack the Floppy Hat Into a Box
You will need a box slightly larger than what you have so far.
You need to leave a bit of room for extra packing materials.
Avoid exaggerating the size – too much is a waste, and shipping prices might go up a little.
Put some packing peanuts at the bottom of the box, then place the hat in the middle.
Put more packing peanuts around it and on top of it.
Close the box – do not seal it – and shake it a little, so the packing peanuts settle.
Open it, add more of them and do it again until there is no room left.
5. Seal the Box
Get some tape and seal the box.
Go round a few times.
Stick to the opening, but also go round the corners.
If you can cover the whole box, even better – paper is fragile, and exposure to rain may damage it, so you want the tape to keep everything in place.
Write fragile on the box or use a sticker.
It is not a guarantee that postal workers will be more careful with your parcel, but at least it gives you peace of mind – they may avoid putting heavy stuff on it if you do it.
6. Get the Shipping Labels and Send it
Try out different couriers and see their prices based on the size and weight of the parcel.
Get your shipping labels, and your package is ready to go.
How Much Does it Cost to Ship Floppy Hats?
Get ready to pay between $15 and $50 to ship a floppy hat domestically.
Weight is the main consideration when checking local couriers, and the good news is floppy hats will not weigh too much.
A large box will also bring in the volume consideration, meaning it will cost more – again, you should be on the safe side with a floppy hat.
Most people do not insure inexpensive items – should you go for insurance, it will add to the price.
International shipments will cost almost double, but then again, the distance matters, as well as the country you intend to ship to.
Plus, international shipping may provide express options rather than standard shipping only.
The Cheapest Way to Ship Floppy Hats
UPS and USPS are your top options because they have so much volume and can keep prices to a decent limit.
Shipping labels will increase the price, but you can now print your shipping labels and save time and money.
There is more shipping software out there, with Pirate Ship being one of the top-rated options because it also gives you the cheapest courier based on the dimensions of the box and its weight, so it performs the search for you and gives you quotes.
You will then be able to print the labels yourself.
Pirate Ship will also search through multiple couriers to identify the best rates.
Final Thoughts
Bottom line, figuring out how to ship a floppy hat is not the most difficult job in the world.
Make sure it is well wrapped and packed to prevent damage – a five-minute job.
Find the cheapest courier, print your labels and skip the queues.
Share this article with your friends and relatives if you find it helpful.
You can also visit other articles to learn how to ship different items.
