Types of Packaging Inserts For Boxes | Best Package Inserts To Choose For Your Product Boxes

When you look at a nice rigid gift box, what people remember is the unboxing. What they don’t see is the quiet “hard worker” inside the box: the insert.

If you sell cosmetics, wine, tea, apparel, electronics or gifts, the insert decides three things:

1. how safe your product travel,
2. how clean the item sits inside the box,
3. how your brand feels in that 5-second first impression.

As an OEM/ODM Rigid Gift Boxes solutions manufacturer, we see this every day on Boxes By Industry. So let’s walk through the main types of packaging inserts for boxes and how to choose the best package inserts for your product boxes.

Types of Packaging Inserts For Boxes

Most packaging inserts fall in two big groups:

• Structural inserts – hold and protect the item
• Promotional inserts – talk to your customer (thank-you card, coupon, brand story, care guide)

In rigid gift box projects, you usually mix both. For example: a foam tray inside a Magnetic Closure Box plus a small card with care tips or cross-sell message.

Let’s look at the main structural insert types first.

Paperboard Inserts for Rigid Gift Boxes

Paperboard and corrugated board inserts are the workhorse in many Rigid Gift Boxes:

• Die-cut cavities or folded platforms
• Can match the box wrap paper and print
• Light weight, good for shipping cost
• Easy to adjust when your SKU layout change

Best use cases

• Apparel and accessories in Lid and Base Boxes
• Chocolate, candy, tea bags, coffee capsules in multi-grid trays
• Beauty sets where you want strong branding print on the insert

If you want a “clean shelf look” and a strong logo hit when the lid opens, paperboard insert is often the first option.

Foam Inserts for Fragile Products

Foam inserts (EVA, EPE, PU, sponge) give you serious shock protection. The insert hugs the product so it does not move under rough last-mile handling.

You see foam a lot in:

• Custom electronics boxes for earbuds, power banks, speakers
• Premium wine, spirits or glass bottle sets
• High-value cosmetics, fragrance, skincare ampoules

Foam works very good when:

• The product is heavy or fragile
• You have sharp edges or glass
• You care more about low damage rate than ultra-green story

For branding, you can wrap foam with fabric, flocking or printed paper; this makes the insert feel more like part of the Rigid Gift Box, not just “padding”.

Molded Pulp Inserts for Sustainable Packaging

Molded pulp (paper pulp) inserts use recycled fiber pressed into a 3D tray.

They bring you:

• Solid support and shock absorption
• Strong “eco” message and tactile feel
• Good stackability for warehouse and 3PL

We see more molded pulp in:

• Eco-friendly tea and coffee tube sets
• Candle and soap sets in Paper Tube Packaging
• Electronics or home goods where sustainability is part of the brand story

If your brand talks a lot about recyclability and you still need structure, molded pulp inserts sit in a sweet spot between paperboard and foam.

Plastic and Blister Inserts for Retail Display

Plastic trays and blister inserts hold the item in a very fixed position. They work well when:

• Retail display needs very clear visibility
• The outline of the product must match the tray shape
• You want a glossy, hard surface feel

In Rigid Gift Boxes, plastic inserts appear more in:

• Beauty gift sets with many small pieces
• Child resistant projects combined with our Child Resistant Packaging solutions
• Some electronics and gadgets that need exact cavities

Many brands are moving some plastic trays into paper or molded pulp for better sustainability claims; however plastic still plays a role when fit tolerance is very tight.

Cardboard Dividers as Simple Box Inserts

Sometimes you don’t need a full tray. You just need to stop items from hitting each other.

Simple options:

• Cross dividers for multiple bottles or jars
• U-shaped and L-shaped blockers for apparel stacks
• Card platforms to lift product closer to the lid window

These dividers are cheap, fast to change and perfect for:

• Seasonal Custom Holiday Boxes where SKUs change often
• Snacks, chocolate, gourmet sets in paper tubes
• Apparel Rigid Gift Boxes with different sizes and folds

Dividers also help your team when they think about SKU complexity and pick-and-pack speed in the warehouse.

Best Package Inserts To Choose For Your Product Boxes

So which insert is “best”? It depends on your product, logistics, brand positioning and volume.

A quick way is to check four questions:

1. How fragile or heavy is the product?
2. How far does it travel and by which channel?
3. What story do you tell about your brand and sustainability?
4. Are you in test phase or already in mass roll-out?

Packaging Insert Comparison Table for Rigid Gift Boxes

You can use this table as a rough guide when you talk with your team or with our OEM/ODM engineers.

The “best” insert is often a combo. For example:

• Foam tray inside a Magnetic Closure Box, plus a paperboard platform to lift the product closer to the lid
• Molded pulp tray inside a Paper Tube Packaging structure, plus a small paper insert card
• Paperboard grid tray inside a Collapsible Gift Box for chocolate, plus a divider to hold a greeting card

Packaging Inserts For Magnetic Closure Boxes and Collapsible Gift Boxes

If you work with Magnetic Closure Boxes and Collapsible Gift Boxes, your insert choice affects both unboxing and packing line speed.

Magnetic Closure Boxes

• Often used for cosmetics, electronics, wine, candles
• Need strong “wow” when the magnet opens
• Insert should hold the product near the top edge, not sunken

Here we see:

• Foam inserts with velvet or printed wrap for premium beauty
• Paperboard platforms plus die-cut cavities for essential oils or lipstick
• Molded pulp when you want a luxury-eco mix

Collapsible Gift Boxes

For collapsible structures you dont want very stiff, heavy inserts that fight with the flat-packed design.

Common picks:

• Paperboard trays or dividers that can also ship flat
• Light foam sheets with kiss-cut cavities
• Simple folded platforms to avoid product rattle

When you custom your next run on Collapsible Gift Boxes, you can start with a paperboard insert and A/B test one SKU with foam for fragile items.

Packaging Inserts For Paper Tube Packaging and Drawer Boxes

On your site, Paper Tube Packaging and Paper Drawer Boxes play a big role for tea, coffee, cosmetics, oils and small gifts.

Paper Tube Packaging

• Round shape needs round or stepped inserts
• Many clients mix a top plug and bottom platform
• Great playground for molded pulp and simple card disks

Good choices:

• Molded pulp plugs for glass bottles or candle jars
• Die-cut card rings that “lock” the jar or tin in the center
• Short foam rings when the content is heavy and breakable

Paper Drawer Boxes

For Paper Drawer Boxes, you care a lot about how the product sits when the tray slides out.

You can use:

• Foam cavities for jewelry, watches, earbuds, vape cartridges
• Paperboard steps to show one main product and several minis
• Card dividers for tea sachets, candy, snacks or small tools

Here the insert also works as “stage”. It helps your product sit at the right height and angle, so the client sees the main item first.

OEM/ODM Rigid Gift Boxes Solutions To Test and Scale Inserts

Choosing inserts on paper is one thing. Making them work in mass production and real logistics is another.

As an OEM/ODM Rigid Gift Boxes Solutions Manufacturer, we usually go through three steps with brand and packaging teams:

1. Engineering check
   • Product drawing, weight, drop test target
   • Channel info: e-commerce, retail, duty free, event
   • Child resistant or compliance needs for some categories
2. Prototype and transit test
   • Quick dummies with foam, paperboard, molded pulp
   • Ship to real warehouse or 3PL to see damage rate and packing speed
   • Adjust cavity size, finger holes, pull tabs, tolerance
3. Roll-out by industry
   • Use our Boxes By Industry logic to standardize what works:
     • Apparel: satin lined trays, platforms in Rigid Gift Boxes
     • Beauty: foam or pulp for bottles, paperboard for palettes
     • Wine and liquor: bottle cradles, dividers, neck protectors
     • Tea, coffee, sweets: paper tube sets with molded pulp or card rings

If you need to run private label or wholesale programs across many SKUs, OEM/ODM support helps you keep one insert “toolkit” while you still change artwork and outer box style.

You can always reach our team through Contact Us and share your current damage issues, unboxing goals or channel pain points. We will look at the full system: Rigid Gift Boxes structure, inserts, and packing flow, not only one single part.

Short recap

• Use paperboard inserts when you want strong print and flexible layout.
• Pick foam inserts for fragile or high value items that cannot move.
• Move to molded pulp inserts if your brand leans on eco story.
• Keep plastic trays where you need very precise fit or child safety.
• Add card dividers to control SKU layout and reduce chaos inside the box.
• Mix structural inserts with small promo cards to boost unboxing experience and lifetime value.

With the right insert strategy, your Rigid Gift Boxes dont just look nice. They protect, sell and explain your product in one clean moment when the lid opens.