A Comprehensive Guide to Learn Pillow Boxes Vs Folding Cartons

Folding cartons and pillow boxes are among the popular packaging containers used mostly for the packaging of small items for protection, organization, and presentation. Though both of the packaging choices have a number of common features, they are different from each other. 

But before we jump to the section explaining the difference between these two types of packaging, here are some basic understandings and the significance of these boxes and cartons.

Basic Understanding of Cartons and Boxes

Cartons and boxes both are both product containers made for the convenience, protection, and storage of different products. In fact, cartons are made with lightweight paperboard, while boxes are produced with sturdier, mostly multi-layered corrugated board. Cartons are not considered ideal for the protection of heavy items. Protection is the ideal feature of boxes made with high-quality packaging materials.

Significance of Pillow Boxes and Folding Cartons

Pillow boxes and the folding cartons, both are highly productive packaging choices for different purposes. Some of the significant features of these boxes and cartons can be comprehended with the following simple words:

Brand Promotions

All the custom boxes, containers, and cartons can be used to promote brand identity, awareness, and image with the printed elements, logo, and image of their brands. You can, however, explore both of these boxes and cartons in their role in the brand promotion.

• Pillow Boxes: Pillow boxes are ideal custom boxes with great quality to promote brand distinction in the highly competitive market, with the flooded products of the rivals and opponents of your brand. Create an amazing branding experience with pillow boxes of your brand with your brand logo and other personalized elements of your brand.
• Folding Cartons: Folding cartons, on the other hand, can also be customized, printed with the brand elements, but they are less likely to be used for brand promotion. You can think of choosing these containers for general retail purposes for your products.

Ideal Protection

Protection is the key functionality and one of the most important features of any packaging. Without the protection of the products, packaging cannot be considered effective and functional. However, it depends on the extent to which the containers, cartons, and boxes protect the products.

• Pillow Boxes: Pillow boxes are ideal for the protection of the products of small size and light weight. In case of heavier products, pillow boxes are not a suitable choice for the protection of the products.  
• Folding Cartons: Folding cartons are less likely to be the ideal packaging solution for greater protection of the products. These are produced for the general retail products with fewer protective features for your products.  

Unboxing Experience

The premium choice for the unboxing experience lies in the luxurious packaging made with high-quality packaging materials, packaging inserts, and embellishments. However, sometimes you might produce packaging with a higher unboxing experience without spending more on the product packaging.

• Pillow Boxes: Unboxing experience delights customers, providing them a great reason for the increased perceived value of their gift items or high-value products with small size and lightweight items. 
• Folding Cartons: Folding cartons, on the other hand, are simple containers of products, which can only provide packaging, basic protection, and simple storage requirements.   

Cost-Effectiveness

Cost does matter in the packaging as much as in the production of products themselves. This is due to the reason that brands need to recover it with the price of the products. The smaller the cost, the easier it is to recover from the customers without extra burden on your customers.

• Pillow Boxes: Pillow boxes are comparatively costly product packaging choices for different reasons, including their structure, their finishing choices, and the cost of materials. 
• Folding Cartons: Folding cartons are comparatively more cost-effective with the low-cost packaging materials, simple printing, and regular finishing options for your product's packaging.

Difference Between Pillow Boxes and Folding Cartons

Every type of packaging is effective to an extent and comparatively better with one feature or the other. Similar is the case with the use of pillow boxes and the folding cartons. Here, in the following lines, we have explored the basic differences between pillow boxes vs folding cartons:

• Pillow Boxes

Stylishly structured and shaped pillow boxes are a great packaging choice with multiple functionalities and an attractive display of the products. Consider the following to better understand the features and benefits of these boxes:

• Elegant and Unique Presentation

Pillow boxes provide an elegant and unique presentation of the products and the brand on the retail shelves, online e-commerce stores, and the display counters. This pillow-shaped packaging attracts prospects and persuades them to experience the product's packaging in these boxes.

• Easy and Fast Assembly

With the scored lining, effectively crafted pillow boxes with single-piece construction provide easy and fast assembly options to brands and prevent extra payments for the assembling of these boxes.

• Great for Branding and Gifting

These boxes are generally products with high-quality cardstock, kraft paper, or other packaging materials, with the finishing choice for increased attraction. They are mostly used to present gifts and improve branding in your market.

• Not Suitable for Heavier Items

Pillow box packaging is an ideal choice for the protection of its content; however, it is not suitable for heavier items. The structure, shape, and style of these boxes do not allow them to carry heavy weight or large items that require high protection.

• Folding Cartons

Folding cartons, a cost-effective packaging for low-cost items, are another big opportunity to package products without spending heavily on packaging materials, finishing options, and printing. 

• General Retail

These boxes are perfect for general retail that does not require branding and marketing of your products and brand. These boxes are produced for the packaging and handling of products during organization.

• Clean Printing

The packaging materials used to produce folding cartons are printing-friendly, so you can choose these cartons with clean printing options. Simple instructions on how to handle the content of these boxes are ideal for printing on these boxes for the careful handling of the products.

• Recyclable Paperboard

Recyclable paperboard is a great choice for sustainable packaging with cost-effectiveness for your product packaging. These cartons can be recycled to avoid wastage of natural resources and provide a multiple-time reproduction of the packaging materials.

• Not Suitable for High-Value Items

As the quality of packaging materials, the structure, and the objective of these containers are not to package higher value items in large sizes. These are great for general retail products and can provide general protection to your products.

How to Choose Pillow Boxes Vs Folding Cartons for Your Products

The purpose of creating packaging, the nature, and the size and shape of the products of your brand are some important factors to decide which type of packaging you really need for your products. Small size, high-value, with the objective of boosting the presentation of your products, the retail shelves can be well attained with the use of custom pillow boxes with premium finishes.

On the other hand, if you desire to produce product packaging for the low-value products, to generally present them at the retail counters, the objective of your brand is just to organize them. This will help you decide to choose folding cartons as these are cost-efficient, simple, yet effective in handling and organizing general retail products of your brand. 

Personalize Your Custom Pillow Boxes or Folding Cartons to Stand Out

Custom packaging always helps you to create a personalized impact on your prospects and customers with the printed logo, image, and personalized text on your boxes and cartons. Choose a highly reliable custom packaging partner for the ideal packaging of your folding cartons or pillow boxes of your brand. 

Final Thought

Whether you choose pillow boxes or folding cartons, either can be the perfect decision for the product packaging of your brand if it meets your desired packaging requirements. This blog might have equipped you with an understanding of how and when you can efficiently use pillow boxes vs folding cartons to meet the personalized packaging of your brand.