How to pack a suitcase for shipping

Pack a suitcase for shipping as if nobody will be there to look after it, because nobody will. Use a sturdy case, put heavy things at the wheel end, fill every gap, empty the outside pockets, secure the zips, handle and straps, leave out loose batteries, and put your details on the outside and the inside.

On a flight, your case spends a few hours on belts and in a hold, and you carry it the rest of the way. When you send it, it travels on its own. It goes in and out of vans, along sorting belts and through depots, and it is stacked with other people's cases and boxes, often more than once. Every step below comes from that difference.

Start with the right case

• Sturdy beats light. A solid hard case, or a tough fabric case with strong zips, travels well. Very thin, lightweight shells can crack under the weight of things stacked on top.
• Look at the wheels. Wheels set into the corners of the case are better protected than spinner wheels on exposed stalks, which can snap off.
• Check the zips and seams. If a zip already slips or a seam is coming apart, it will not survive being stacked when full. Use a different case or a box.
• Think about the case itself. A case sent on its own will come back with marks. If it is new, expensive or sentimental, our guide to box or suitcase works out what boxing it would add to the price.

Pack the inside

1. Heavy things at the wheel end. Shoes, wash bags and books go at the bottom, by the wheels, so the case stands up straight and the weight cannot slide about when it is tipped.
2. Fragile things in the middle, wrapped in clothes, with soft layers between them and the shell.
3. Fill every gap. Roll socks and T-shirts into the corners. Things that cannot move cannot break or rub holes in each other.
4. Shoes in bags, with clean soles. This matters most for Australia and New Zealand. Australia's biosecurity guidance asks for items to be free of soil and plant material before they arrive (Department of Agriculture, checked on 3 October 2026).
5. Check before you pack anything unusual. Aerosols, perfume and several other everyday things count as dangerous goods. Look through the list of items that cannot be carried while the case is still empty.
6. Do not overfill. The case should close without you sitting on it. A strained zip is the weak point when something heavy is stacked on top.

Should I use vacuum bags?

We suggest you do not. If customs or security staff open the case, they will not re-seal the bags, and the contents may no longer fit back in. Vacuum packing also makes a case heavier without making it any smaller, so it does nothing for the size-based weight unless it lets you use a smaller case.

Why empty the outside pockets?

Anything in an outside pocket can fall out, get crushed or go missing on the way. A full pocket also bulges, and a bulge adds to the size you pay for. Move everything inside the case, and do the same with the mesh side pockets on a rucksack.

Leave out loose batteries

Spare lithium batteries and power banks must not go in a case you send. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says they should never go in checked luggage on a flight, because they can overheat and cause a fire (Civil Aviation Authority, checked on 3 October 2026). A case you send travels as cargo, not as a passenger's bag, so passenger allowances do not apply to it. The same goes for vapes and e-cigarettes.

Devices with batteries built in, such as laptops and cameras, are a separate question, covered in sending laptops, toiletries, food and medicines. When you book, the packing list on the booking form checks each line against what cannot be carried, but it is easier to get right while the case is still open. Our guide to dangerous goods you cannot send explains the reasons behind the rules.

Close it up

• Pull handle. Push it all the way down. If it does not stay flat, a strip of strong tape across the top holds it in place.
• Straps. Unclip shoulder straps if you can. Tuck in or tape down any that do not come off, so they cannot catch on belts and rollers. A luggage strap buckled round the middle helps keep a full case closed.
• Zips. Push a cable tie through the zip pulls and pull it tight. It keeps the zips together and shows at a glance whether the case has been opened.
• Old tags. Take off old airline tags, barcode stickers and courier labels. A scanner can pick up an old barcode and send a case the wrong way.

Can I lock my suitcase?

A lock does not stop an inspection. Customs and security staff can open a bag to check it, and they may cut a lock to do so. Cable ties do the same job of keeping zips closed, and they cost almost nothing to replace. If you want to use a lock anyway, ask us first through the contact page.

Put your details outside and inside

• Outside. A strong luggage tag with your name, your phone number and the delivery address. Any shipping label for this trip should sit flat on a large face of the case, where nothing covers it.
• Inside. A sheet of paper on top of the contents with the recipient's name, delivery address and phone number, plus your own name and phone number. If the outside label is torn off, this is how the case still gets where it is going.
• Only one trip on it. The only label on the case should be the one for this journey.

Last checks before collection

1. Weigh and measure the packed case. A full case is heavier, and often fatter, than the figures you guessed when it was empty. Our guide to measuring and weighing luggage shows how, wheels included.
2. Photograph it. Take the inside before you close it, then every side of the closed case and its label. Keep the photos until it is delivered. Photos, receipts and damage claims explains why they matter.
3. Check your packing list matches what is in the case.

A checklist to keep

Questions people ask

Should I wrap my suitcase in plastic film?

It can help. Film keeps the zips closed and keeps dirt off. It does not soften knocks, and it will be cut if anyone needs to look inside. If you use it, make sure it does not cover any label.

How full should the case be?

Full enough that nothing moves when you tip it, and not so full that you have to sit on it to close it. If you cannot get there, add soft things to fill space, or take heavy things out and send them in a small box.

Can I send a holdall or rucksack the same way?

Yes, with extra care over straps, buckles and loops, which catch more easily than anything on a hard case. Tuck them in or tape them flat, and measure the bag once it is packed, because soft bags change shape as they fill.

What to do next

When the case is packed, weighed and measured, enter its figures on the price page. It compares every service side by side, with an all-in price for our charges.