Standard pillow box
Curved ends, no glue, folds flat — the classic format.
Specialty Shapes
Custom Pillow Boxes
$63.00 per pack of 100 boxes · $0.63 per box Tax added at invoicing
Free delivery to 23 markets
Total: $63.00 for 100 boxes
No payment is taken online. Add your boxes and submit the request — a packaging specialist confirms sizing, artwork and freight, then we get back to you with the final invoice and payment options once the details are confirmed.
- Free standard DHL delivery
- Free dieline, digital proof and artwork check
- 7–11 business days production, then 3–6 days transit
- 30-day replacement guarantee on print and manufacturing defects
Need a different size, quantity or finish? Build a custom spec or email sales@boxes-custom.com.
A pillow box is a single-piece carton with curved end closures that give it a soft, cushion-like silhouette. It uses less board than any rectangular carton of similar capacity, ships flat, and closes without glue — which makes it the cheapest branded package for small, light items.
- Lowest cost per branded unit. No dust flaps and no glue seam means the smallest blank of any carton format.
- Closes without adhesive. Curved ends snap shut, so pack-out needs no glue, tape or tools.
- Flat-ships and stores tiny. A thousand pillow boxes take up a fraction of a carton's shelf space.
- Premium curve at 300 gsm. We default to a caliper that keeps the silhouette crisp rather than soft.
What are custom pillow boxes?
The economics are the point. Because the ends curve rather than tuck, there are no dust flaps and no glue seam, so the blank is compact and nests tightly on the press sheet. For lightweight accessories, samples and favours, a pillow box is frequently half the cost of the equivalent tuck-end carton.
The trade-off is capacity and rigidity. Pillow boxes suit contents under about 250 g and no more than 25 mm thick; anything heavier distorts the curve and the ends spring open. They are presentation packaging, not protective packaging.
Board caliper is what keeps the curve crisp. At 300 gsm the ends hold their shape and snap closed with a satisfying resistance; below 250 gsm the curve softens and the box looks cheap on shelf. This is one format where stepping up a caliper visibly changes perceived value.
Custom Pillow Boxes at a glance
| Box category | Specialty Shapes |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | 100 boxes |
| Unit price from | $0.63 per box |
| Production time | 7–11 business days after artwork approval |
| Printing | Digital CMYK, flexographic spot colour, offset litho-lamination |
| Materials | SBS 300–350 gsm, Kraft board 300 gsm, Metallised board, Recycled board |
| Finishing | Foil stamping, Emboss, Spot UV, Matte lamination, Window patching, Euro-slot hang holes, Ribbon slots |
| Ships to | 24 countries by DHL — free to 23, Japan quoted separately |
Custom Pillow Boxes: styles and constructions
The construction decides how the box closes, how much it protects and what it costs. These are the formats we produce most often for custom pillow boxes.
Window pillow box
Die-cut aperture with film across the front face.
Hanging pillow box
Euro-slot punched at the top for peg display.
Ribbon-slot pillow box
Paired die-cuts so a ribbon threads through and ties on top.
Materials
- SBS 300–350 gsm
- Crisp curve retention and the best print surface.
- Kraft board 300 gsm
- Natural finish for artisan and eco-led branding.
- Metallised board
- Reflective finish that suits jewellery and festive packs.
- Recycled board
- High post-consumer content for sustainability programmes.
Printing & finishing options
- Foil stamping
- Emboss
- Spot UV
- Matte lamination
- Window patching
- Euro-slot hang holes
- Ribbon slots
Who orders custom pillow boxes
- Jewellery, hair accessory and small giftware brands
- Cosmetics brands packing samples and sachets
- Wedding and event favour suppliers
- Subscription brands adding a branded sample layer
Popular custom pillow boxes sizes
Every order is cut to your interior dimensions — these are the sizes customers request most often, and a useful starting point if you are not sure where to begin.
| Size (L × W × D) | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 3 x 2 x 0.75 in | Earrings, sachets, single samples |
| 4 x 3 x 1 in | Bracelets, small cosmetics, favours |
| 5 x 3.5 x 1 in | Hair accessories, gift cards |
| 6 x 4 x 1.25 in | Scarves, multi-sample packs |
| 8 x 4 x 1.5 in | Larger accessories and stationery |
How to choose custom pillow boxes
-
Keep contents light and slim
Under 250 g and under 25 mm thick. Heavier items distort the curve.
-
Do not drop below 300 gsm
A soft, flexing curve is the single thing that makes a pillow box look cheap.
-
Use a window for gifting
Visible contents lift conversion sharply on favour and accessory purchases.
-
Add a euro-slot for peg display
If the box hangs in retail, specify the slot at dieline stage, not afterwards.
Custom Pillow Boxes pricing by market
We manufacture for brands in 24 markets. Prices below are for one pack of 100 boxes at the standard specification. Delivery is free everywhere except Japan, where air freight is quoted separately.
| Market | Currency | Per box | Pack of 100 | Excl. tax | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | USD | $0.63 | $63.00 | — | at invoicing |
| United Kingdom | GBP | £0.60 | £59.72 | £49.77 | included |
| Canada | CAD | CA$0.86 | CA$86.31 | — | at invoicing |
| Australia | AUD | A$1.05 | A$105.34 | A$95.76 | included |
| Ireland | EUR | €0.71 | €71.29 | €57.96 | included |
| New Zealand | NZD | NZ$1.20 | NZ$119.54 | NZ$103.95 | included |
| Singapore | SGD | S$0.92 | S$92.02 | S$84.42 | included |
| Market | Currency | Per box | Pack of 100 | Excl. tax | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | EUR | €0.69 | €68.97 | €57.96 | included |
| France | EUR | €0.70 | €69.55 | €57.96 | included |
| Netherlands | EUR | €0.70 | €70.13 | €57.96 | included |
| Belgium | EUR | €0.70 | €70.13 | €57.96 | included |
| Austria | EUR | €0.70 | €69.55 | €57.96 | included |
| Italy | EUR | €0.71 | €70.71 | €57.96 | included |
| Spain | EUR | €0.70 | €70.13 | €57.96 | included |
| Sweden | SEK | 8.27 kr | 826.88 kr | 661.50 kr | included |
| Denmark | DKK | 5.39 kr | 539.44 kr | 431.55 kr | included |
| Norway | NOK | 8.51 kr | 850.50 kr | 680.40 kr | included |
| Finland | EUR | €0.73 | €72.74 | €57.96 | included |
| Switzerland | CHF | CHF 0.60 | CHF 59.93 | CHF 55.44 | included |
| Market | Currency | Per box | Pack of 100 | Excl. tax | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | JPY | ¥104 | ¥10,395 | ¥9,450 | included |
| South Korea | KRW | ₩936 | ₩93,555 | ₩85,050 | included |
| Hong Kong | HKD | HK$4.91 | HK$491.40 | — | n/a |
| United Arab Emirates | AED | AED 2.43 | AED 242.77 | AED 231.21 | included |
| Israel | ILS | ₪2.75 | ₪275.06 | ₪233.10 | included |
The headline price includes local VAT or GST where that market requires it. If you are VAT-registered you reclaim that, so the excl. tax column is your real cost. US and Canadian prices add sales tax at invoicing instead. Volume pricing improves at 250, 500, 1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 units — see wholesale custom boxes for the volume tiers.
Further reading
Guides from our structural, prepress and production teams that are directly relevant to specifying custom pillow boxes.
Rigid vs folding carton vs corrugated: choosing a construction
A structural comparison of cost, strength, print quality, freight and lead time across the three board families.
Read the guide →How to read a dieline and supply artwork that prints first time
Bleed, safe zones, glue-tab knockouts, grain direction and barcode quiet zones — the ten-point pre-flight list.
Read the guide →Custom box minimum order quantities explained
Why minimums exist, where the price tiers actually step, and how to buy branded boxes at 50 to 100 units.
Read the guide →FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pillow box used for?
Pillow boxes are used for lightweight items: jewellery, hair accessories, cosmetics samples, gift cards, wedding favours and small giftware. They are presentation packaging rather than protective packaging.
How much can a pillow box hold?
Comfortably up to about 250 g and 25 mm of thickness. Beyond that the curved ends distort and can spring open in transit — a tuck-end carton is the better format at that point.
Do pillow boxes need glue or tape?
No. The curved ends fold in and hold themselves closed. Many brands add a branded sticker or a ribbon threaded through die-cut slots for a finished look.
What board weight should a pillow box be?
300–350 gsm. Below 300 gsm the curve softens and the box feels flimsy; 300 gsm is where the ends snap closed with the resistance customers associate with quality.
Can pillow boxes be mailed on their own?
They can be mailed inside a mailer or padded envelope, but they are not transit packaging. Sending one unprotected through a parcel network will usually crush the curve.
What is the minimum order for custom pillow boxes?
100 units per size and artwork, with price breaks at 250, 500, 1,000 and 5,000 units. Because the blanks nest so efficiently, pillow boxes have one of the lowest per-unit costs in our range.