Amazon box sizes for FBA are set by limits, not a fixed list: since June 20, 2025, a box shipped to an Amazon fulfillment center in the U.S. can be up to 36 inches on its longest side and 25 inches on the other two sides, and it can weigh no more than 50 pounds unless it holds a single oversized item. Amazon doesn’t publish an official catalog of the boxes it uses for customer orders, so sellers pick their own box sizes within those rules.
This guide covers the FBA carton limits, the exceptions for oversized items, how Amazon sizes the product inside the box, and which common box sizes work best for inbound shipments.
What Are the Amazon Box Size Limits for FBA Shipments?
Every standard carton you send to an Amazon fulfillment center must fit within these limits. Amazon raised the maximum box length from 25 to 36 inches for U.S. FBA shipments effective June 20, 2025, so older guides that still say “25 inches on any side” are out of date for FBA.
| Rule | FBA (U.S.) | Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) |
|---|---|---|
| Longest side | 36 inches | 25 inches |
| Other two sides | 25 inches each | 25 inches each |
| Maximum box weight | 50 lbs, unless the box holds one oversized item that weighs more | 50 lbs |
| Oversized single item | May exceed 36 inches if the box isn’t significantly larger than the item | Check AWD requirements |
Amazon warns that boxes much larger than the oversized units inside them can lead to restricted shipping privileges, added fees or refusal at the fulfillment center. Amazon also expects heavy cartons to be labeled for safe handling: a box over 50 pounds is commonly marked “Team Lift,” and one over 100 pounds “Mech Lift,” on the top and sides.
Do the old 25-inch boxes still work?
Yes. Any box within 25 × 25 × 25 inches still meets the FBA rules, and it’s the safe choice if you send inventory to both FBA and AWD. The 36-inch allowance mainly helps sellers who ship long items such as rods, rugs or flat-pack products and previously had to split them up or use oversized boxes.
How Does Amazon Size the Product Inside the Box?
The carton limits apply to the shipping box you send in, while Amazon’s product size tiers apply to each sellable unit and its packaging. Amazon measures and weighs each unit at the fulfillment center to assign a tier, so the packaging you choose for the unit affects which tier it lands in.
| Product size tier | Maximum unit dimensions | Maximum unit weight |
|---|---|---|
| Small standard | 15 × 12 × 0.75 inches | 16 oz |
| Large standard | 18 × 14 × 8 inches | 20 lbs |
| Bulky and extra-large tiers | Anything larger, measured by longest side, median side and length plus girth | Varies by tier |
Length plus girth is one of the measurements Amazon uses for the bulky tiers, and our girth calculator shows how to work it out. Reading dimensions in the right order matters too, since length is always the longest side, and our guide to how to read dimensions explains the convention.
What Box Sizes Work Best for Amazon Inbound Shipments?
Most sellers standardize on a few corrugated box sizes that fit their products and stay under carrier dimensional weight thresholds. These are common stock sizes, not Amazon-specific boxes, with notes on how each one fits the rules.
| Box size (inches) | Volume | Typical use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 × 12 × 12 | 1,728 cu in (1 cu ft) | Mixed small units, cases of small products | At exactly 1 cubic foot, it isn’t over the USPS dimensional weight threshold |
| 18 × 18 × 16 | 5,184 cu in | Apparel, soft goods, multi-unit cases | Watch the 50 lb limit with dense products |
| 20 × 20 × 20 | 8,000 cu in | Bulky but light products | Billed by dimensional weight, so fill it fully |
| 24 × 18 × 18 | 7,776 cu in | Larger case packs | Within both FBA and AWD limits |
| 36 × 12 × 12 | 5,184 cu in | Long items | Uses the 36-inch FBA allowance; too long for AWD |
A box that is too big for its contents costs you twice: carriers bill large, light boxes by dimensional weight, and the empty space needs filler to keep units from shifting. Our guide to shipping large boxes and dimensional weight explains how carriers calculate it, and our explainer on 32 ECT box strength helps you choose a box that survives the trip.
What Sizes Are the Boxes Amazon Ships to Customers?
Amazon chooses customer packaging order by order, and it doesn’t publish a list of its box dimensions, so any “official Amazon box sizes” chart you find online is an observation, not an Amazon standard. Sellers can influence customer packaging through Amazon’s packaging programs.
- Ships in Own Container (SIOC): the product’s own packaging is certified to ship without an Amazon overbox.
- Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP): easy-to-open, recyclable packaging that also ships without an extra box.
Both programs require packaging that passes Amazon’s transit testing, based on the ISTA-6 Amazon.com test procedures. Amazon also doesn’t deliver to every address, and our guide to where Amazon doesn’t deliver lists the exceptions.
How Do You Ship Boxes to Amazon at a Lower Cost?
You can send inventory with Amazon’s partnered carrier program or buy your own carrier labels, and the right choice depends on volume and box count. Our Amazon FBA prep and shipping guide compares the partnered carrier with buying your own labels.
If you buy your own labels, ParcelPath is free to use and offers up to 85% off UPS and up to 89% off USPS, with no subscription or per-label fee. Enter your carton dimensions and weight in the ParcelPath rate calculator to compare both carriers before you book. For larger inbound loads on pallets, PalletPath handles LTL freight through the PalletPath freight quote tool. Our guides to Amazon growth strategies and shipping cost savings and eCommerce shipping platforms and integrations cover the rest of the fulfillment workflow, and our glossary of logistics terms and definitions explains the vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum Amazon box size for FBA?
For U.S. FBA shipments, a standard box can be up to 36 inches on its longest side and 25 inches on each of the other two sides, a limit Amazon raised from 25 inches on June 20, 2025. Boxes must weigh 50 pounds or less unless they contain a single oversized item that weighs more.
Does Amazon have standard box sizes?
Not for sellers. Amazon sets size and weight limits for inbound cartons rather than requiring specific box dimensions, so you can use any sturdy box within 36 × 25 × 25 inches for FBA. Amazon also doesn’t publish the dimensions of the boxes it uses to ship customer orders.
Can an Amazon FBA box weigh more than 50 pounds?
Only when the box contains a single oversized item that itself weighs more than 50 pounds. Multi-unit cartons must stay at 50 pounds or less. Heavy boxes should be clearly labeled for safe handling, commonly “Team Lift” above 50 pounds and “Mech Lift” above 100 pounds.
Do AWD boxes follow the same size rules as FBA?
No. The 36-inch length increase applies only to FBA. Amazon Warehousing and Distribution boxes must still stay within 25 × 25 × 25 inches and 50 pounds, so sellers who use both services often standardize on boxes no larger than 25 inches per side.
Sources
- Amazon Seller Central forums: “Maximum box length for FBA orders to increase” (Amazon announcement, June 2025)
- Amazon Seller Central: Shipping and routing requirements for FBA inbound shipments
- Supply Chain Dive: “Amazon ups maximum box length for FBA orders” (2025)
- USPS Mail and Shipping Services: dimensional weight threshold
Part of our How to Read Dimensions guide. Related: 32 ECT Meaning, Dimensions of Vinyl Record, Girth Calculator.
