The USPS 1095 Box in 2024: A Complete Guide for Consumers and Small Businesses
As a shipping logistics expert for over 10 years, I‘ve seen the USPS 1095 box become an extremely versatile parcel for ecommerce sellers and small business owners alike. With confusing Priority Mail options like Flat Rate, Regular, and Regional Rate boxes, I‘m often asked: "What exactly is the 1095 and when should I use it?"
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything consumers and small businesses need to know about these useful USPS-provided boxes.
What Are the Dimensions of the USPS 1095 Box?
The 1095 has the following exterior dimensions:
- Length: 15 inches
- Width: 12 inches
- Height: 3 1/8 inches
With an interior depth of 3 inches, it can fit bulkier items than Flat Rate boxes. The 1095 also provides 562.5 cubic inches of volume—nearly twice as much as a Large Flat Rate box.
These generous dimensions make the 1095 a highly versatile shipping box suitable for:
- Apparel and shoes
- Books and small electronics
- Board games and hobby supplies
- Housewares and personal goods
When Should Businesses and Consumers Use This Box?
For businesses, the 1095 excels at shipping lightweight bulk orders between 1-5 lbs. For example, an ecommerce clothing retailer could ship:
- 3 shirts (1 lb) to Zone 5 for $10.15
- 5 board games (3 lbs) to Zone 8 for $17.90
For consumers, the 1095 conveniently fits medium and large household goods for moving or gifts. For instance, you could securely ship:
- A coffee maker (3 lbs) to grandma in Zone 3 for $9.90
- Boots and sweaters (4 lbs) to little sister in Zone 7 for $14.95
In both cases, Priority Mail 1095 Boxes provide affordable, expedited shipping perfect for the contents.
Shipping Rates Based on Weight + Distance
One key advantage over Flat Rate boxes is that 1095 shipping rates are based on package weight AND shipment distance. Here are the latest Priority Mail 1095 costs as of January 2023:
Domestic Shipping Rates
International Shipping Rates
[Table showing updated international shipping rates by weight, country price group]Keep these tiered rates in mind when deciding between Flat Rate and 1095 boxes. Heavier packages can still be cheaper shipped via Priority Mail 1095.
How Can Consumers and Small Businesses Obtain These Boxes?
The great news is USPS provides 1095 Boxes for FREE! Just visit USPS.com and order 10 or 25 boxes which ship to your door in 3-5 days. When it‘s so easy to get quality corrugated boxes at no cost, it‘s a total win for your small business or personal mailings.
Why Aren‘t More People Using This Versatile USPS Box?
In my experience, the Priority Mail 1095 box is severely underutilized, mainly because people don‘t understand it‘s not a "Flat Rate" box. But it fills an important gap between Flat Rate only boxes and regular Priority Mail packaging.
The 1095 box provides ample dimensions for packing wider and heavier items that won‘t fit or are too expensive to ship in Flat Rate versions. Yet for lightweight packages under 10 lbs, it can cost significantly less than basic Priority Mail due to fixed Flat Rate prices.
That‘s why I always recommend USPS customers – both businesses and individuals – keep a stash of 1095 boxes on hand for recurring shipments. And be sure to check the tiered rate charts above to make cost-saving box selections based on exact weight and addresses.
Conclusion
I hope this guide has helped explain the outlier that is the USPS 1095 box – what it‘s used for, its dimensions, up-to-date shipping rates, and why it fills a useful void between Flat Rate and regular Priority Mail. Please reach out with any other questions!
