Short answer: A vinyl box (also called a PVC box or clear two-piece box) is a box with a clear vinyl lid, and sometimes a clear vinyl bottom too, so your product does the selling. Brimar makes two styles: all-clear vinyl top and bottom, and a paper-wrapped chipboard bottom with a clear vinyl lid. Choose vinyl when customers should see what’s inside before they open it.

What is a vinyl box?

Vinyl boxes are made on specialized equipment that turns a sheet of vinyl into a tray. The vinyl is most often clear. On larger orders, we can also make boxes from frosted or tinted vinyl. Like our set-up boxes, vinyl boxes ship to you already assembled, so there’s nothing to fold or glue on your packing line.

The two styles we make

1. All-clear vinyl top and bottom

This is a non-collapsible clear bottom with a clear cover. It’s designed to let the product do all of the selling. Votive candles and sets of greeting cards are common examples.

2. Chipboard bottom with a vinyl lid

Here the bottom is chipboard wrapped in paper, and it’s closed with a clear vinyl lid. This style is stronger and gives you more graphic area on the bottom of the box, which is handy for product details or branding. Sets of greeting cards, molded chocolates and sets of soap are commonly packaged this way.

When a vinyl box is a good choice

• Your product is the best-looking thing about the package. Candles, candy, glassware, art supplies, leather goods such as wallets, and photo albums are all products we’ve seen packed in clear-lid boxes. See our Gift Boxes, Candy Boxes and Photography Boxes pages for ideas.
• You want a high-end look at an affordable price. Vinyl boxes are considered a high-end package without a high-end price tag. Your quote will show the exact numbers.
• You’re testing a new product. Vinyl boxes don’t need cutting-die tooling, so there’s no tooling charge to absorb on a small run. That also means you can change the box size on a re-run without paying for new tooling.
• You want to save packing labor. The boxes arrive assembled and ready to fill.

When a set-up box might fit better

A vinyl box is all about showing the product. If your product is plain, if you’d rather make a statement with a wrapped paper or foil, or if you want a fully opaque box, a rigid set-up box may be the better call. The chipboard-bottom-and-vinyl-lid style is a nice middle ground, because you get the clear window plus a paper-wrapped base you can print or foil stamp. Not sure which way to go? Read What is a rigid set-up box, and how is it different from a folding carton?

Graphics and inserts

You can foil stamp your logo directly on a vinyl box. A wide range of matte, gloss, metallic and holographic foils is available. If you need to hold your product in place, ask about custom box inserts. They can be made of chipboard, peachboard, vinyl, foam or vacuum-formed plastic.

Order size, samples and lead time

• Quantity: We make small runs and large runs. Our minimum for most custom set-up boxes is usually 250, but minimums can vary by box style and size, so please call and we’ll confirm the quantity for your vinyl box.
• Samples: We save a handful of boxes we’ve made, so we can often send samples of similar boxes. We can also make a custom sample. There is sometimes a fee for custom samples, and sometimes they’re free. Ask your Custom Box Expert what’s available for your project.
• Lead time: Vinyl boxes usually take about 3-4 weeks to manufacture. The exact timing depends on our production schedule, the time of year and your project, so ask us for dates.
• Storage: Assembled boxes take up room. If space is tight, we can store your boxes in our warehouse and ship them when you need them.

Is a stock vinyl box an option?

Brimar makes custom boxes to order. For smaller quantities of stock boxes, including clear-lid candy boxes, visit our sister company Wildcat Wholesale.

Get a quote

Tell us what you’re packing and how many boxes you’d like us to price. Use our quote form or call us at 800-696-3080, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm Eastern. See finished work in our Vinyl Box Gallery. Custom boxes, Made in USA.