How to Ship Clothes: Packing, Mailers & Best Service

To ship clothes, fold each item along its seams, slip it into a thin plastic bag to keep moisture out, and pack soft garments in a poly mailer, or structured pieces such as suits, boots and hats in a box. Weigh and measure the package, buy a USPS or UPS label online, and drop it off or schedule a pickup. For most single garments under a pound, USPS Ground Advantage in a poly mailer is the lowest-cost option.

The packaging decides the price more than anything else. A poly mailer weighs a fraction of a box and keeps the package small, and both carriers price by weight and size. This guide covers which packaging fits which garment, how to pack it, and which service to choose.

What Do You Need Before You Ship Clothes?

Gather everything before you pack. With the real weight and dimensions in hand, the label is priced correctly the first time and the carrier won’t adjust it later.

• Poly mailers for soft goods. They’re light, water-resistant and come in sizes from a T-shirt to a winter coat.
• A corrugated box for structured or delicate pieces, sized so the garment lies flat without being squashed.
• Tissue paper and thin plastic bags to stop wrinkles, snags and water damage. Use acid-free tissue for formalwear.
• Bubble wrap for garments with beads, sequins or sharp buttons, which can tear a mailer or snag the fabric.
• A shipping scale, a tape measure and 2-inch packing tape, plus the recipient’s full address.
• A label printer or a printer-free option. See our roundup of shipping label printers if you ship often.

Should You Use a Poly Mailer or a Box?

Use a poly mailer for anything soft that can’t be crushed, and a box for anything that has to hold its shape. The wrong choice either costs more than it should on a T-shirt or flattens a blazer.

If you ship with UPS, watch mailer size. UPS’s rate and service guide applies an Additional Handling charge to items in a soft-sided pack, such as a poly bag or bubble mailer, that is longer than 18 inches on its longest side, 14 inches on its second-longest side, or 6 inches high. A bulky coat that won’t fit inside those limits is usually better in a box.

How Do You Pack Clothes So They Arrive in Good Condition?

Clothes rarely break in transit. They crease, snag, pick up odors or get wet, so pack against those risks.

1. Clean, dry and fold. Ship garments clean and completely dry. Fold along natural seams, and roll knits and T-shirts to save space.
2. Protect the surface. Put each garment in a thin plastic bag or wrap it in tissue. A rained-on mailer or a damp truck floor won’t reach the fabric.
3. Wrap embellishments. Cover beads, sequins and sharp buttons with tissue or bubble wrap so they don’t catch on other items or the mailer.
4. Choose the container. Soft items go into a poly mailer. Structured pieces go into a box, lightly stuffed with tissue so they keep their shape.
5. Remove the air and seal. Press the air out of the mailer before sealing it, which makes the package smaller. Tape every seam of a box.
6. Label it flat. Attach the label to the largest flat surface with the barcode fully visible, and cover any old labels or barcodes on a reused box.

For valuable or delicate pieces, our guide to shipping valuables and fragile items covers extra protection and insurance.

How Do You Ship Specific Garments?

Some pieces need more than a fold and a mailer. These guides cover each one:

• Suits and blazers: fold the jacket inside-out at the shoulders and box it. See how to ship a suit without wrinkles.
• Fur coats: use a breathable cotton wrap and a box, never sealed plastic. See how to ship a fur coat safely.
• Leather jackets: stuff the sleeves and avoid sharp folds. See how to ship a leather jacket.
• Hats: fill the crown and box them so the brim keeps its shape. See how to ship hats.
• Shoes: put the shoebox inside a slightly larger shipping box rather than labeling the shoebox itself. Our guide to how much it costs to ship shoes covers box sizes and services.
• Dresses: weight matters more than you’d expect for gowns. Our guide to how much a dress weighs for shipping gives typical figures.

Which Shipping Service Is Best for Clothes?

For light garments, USPS Ground Advantage is usually the best value. USPS prices packages under one pound in ounce tiers, so a T-shirt in a poly mailer is priced on its actual few ounces. Priority Mail is faster, and its Flat Rate Padded Envelope holds a surprising amount of soft clothing at one price to any U.S. address. UPS Ground is a strong option for heavier boxes of clothing.

USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail each include up to $100 of insurance, and USPS sells more coverage up to $5,000. For anything worth more than that, add coverage when you buy the label.

To find the lowest price for your exact package, compare discounted USPS and UPS rates in the ParcelPath rate calculator. If you’re shopping purely on price, our guide to the cheapest way to ship clothes goes deeper on packaging and service choices.

How Do You Ship Clothes With ParcelPath?

ParcelPath is free to use, with no subscription, no per-label fee and no minimums. It offers up to 89% off USPS and up to 85% off UPS rates, and more than 44,000 customers use it to ship. The process takes a few minutes:

1. Enter the package details. Add the destination ZIP code, the packed weight and the mailer or box dimensions.
2. Compare services. Discounted USPS and UPS options appear side by side. For a light garment, Ground Advantage usually comes out on top.
3. Add coverage if needed. Shipsurance is available for higher-value pieces.
4. Print or skip the printer. Print the label at home, or use a UPS Mobile Barcode at a UPS Store or USPS Label Broker at the Post Office. Our guide to using a mobile barcode on ParcelPath walks through it.
5. Drop it off or request pickup. USPS pickups are free.

If you sell clothing online, weigh your most common items once in their packaging and keep a list. Accurate weights prevent carrier adjustments, and the ParcelPath shipping calculator makes it quick to check each order. To build shipping into your prices, use the product pricing with shipping calculator. Our guide to barcodes for shoes explains how UPC codes keep footwear inventory straight.

What Goes Wrong When Shipping Clothes?

• Boxing soft goods. A box adds weight and size to a T-shirt that would ship fine in a mailer.
• No moisture barrier. One wet delivery can ruin a garment. Add a thin inner bag.
• Oversized mailers with UPS. A soft pack over 18 x 14 x 6 inches can trigger UPS Additional Handling. Use a box for bulky items.
• Crushing structured pieces. Suits, hats and boots need a box and light stuffing.
• Guessing the weight. Carriers reweigh packages and bill the difference, so use a scale.

For more ways to cut costs on every shipment, see our tips on how to ship for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to ship clothes?

Fold the garment, put it in a thin plastic bag, and ship it in a poly mailer by USPS Ground Advantage. USPS lists that service at 2 to 5 days, and it prices packages under a pound in ounce tiers. Use a box instead for suits, dresses, boots and hats so they keep their shape.

Can you ship clothes in a plastic bag?

Yes, if it’s a proper poly mailer, the durable, self-sealing plastic envelope sold for shipping. A grocery or trash bag isn’t sturdy enough. With UPS, a soft pack over 18 by 14 by 6 inches can trigger an Additional Handling charge, so box bulky items such as winter coats.

How do you ship clothes without wrinkles?

Fold along the garment’s natural seams, layer acid-free tissue between folds, and box tailored pieces so they aren’t compressed. Rolling works well for knits and T-shirts. For suits, fold the jacket inside-out at the shoulders so the front panels stay flat, then hang it as soon as it arrives.

Do you need insurance to ship clothes?

USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail include up to $100 of insurance, which covers most everyday garments. For designer pieces, formalwear or bulk orders worth more, add coverage when you buy the label. USPS sells up to $5,000 of coverage, and ParcelPath offers Shipsurance.

Sources

• USPS: Mail and Shipping Services (delivery times, weight limits, insurance)
• USPS: How to Package and Ship
• USPS: Ground Advantage
• USPS: Priority Mail and Flat Rate
• UPS Rate and Service Guide: Additional Handling criteria