How Much Does a Cardboard Box Weigh? Box Weight Chart and Calculator

Updated October 26, 20261,244 stocked sizes measuredSingle and double wall

An empty 12 x 12 x 12 inch cardboard box in standard 32 ECT single wall board weighs about 0.87 lb, or 0.40 kg. A 6 x 6 x 6 box weighs about 3.4 oz, an 18 x 18 x 18 about 1.9 lb and a 24 x 24 x 24 about 3.5 lb. Double wall boxes weigh roughly 1.6 to 2 times as much as single wall boxes of the same size. The figures come from the shipping weights of 1,244 stocked regular slotted boxes, and the calculator estimates any other size.

0.92 lbone empty box
0.42 kgone box, metric
23 lball boxes
8.8 sq ftboard in one box

Cardboard box weight chart

Weights are for one empty regular slotted carton, the standard shipping box with four flaps on top and bottom. Each 32 ECT size links to the stocked box.

Empty box weight by size and board grade
Box, inches 32 ECT single wall 32 ECT, kg 44 ECT single wall 48 ECT double wall
4 x 4 x 4 0.10 lb 0.05 kg 0.13 lb* 0.16 lb*
5 x 5 x 5 0.16 lb 0.07 kg 0.21 lb* 0.25 lb*
6 x 4 x 4 0.12 lb 0.06 kg 0.16 lb* 0.20 lb*
6 x 6 x 6 0.21 lb 0.10 kg 0.29 lb 0.40 lb
8 x 6 x 4 0.20 lb 0.09 kg 0.28 lb* 0.35 lb*
8 x 8 x 8 0.40 lb 0.18 kg 0.56 lb 0.67 lb
9 x 6 x 4 0.22 lb 0.10 kg 0.30 lb* 0.37 lb*
10 x 8 x 6 0.38 lb 0.17 kg 0.50 lb 0.57 lb
10 x 10 x 10 0.58 lb 0.27 kg 0.84 lb 1.04 lb
12 x 6 x 6 0.35 lb 0.16 kg 0.41 lb 0.53 lb*
12 x 9 x 6 0.53 lb 0.24 kg 0.62 lb* 0.77 lb
12 x 10 x 8 0.59 lb 0.27 kg 0.78 lb* 0.96 lb*
12 x 12 x 6 0.66 lb 0.30 kg 0.81 lb 1.10 lb
12 x 12 x 8 0.73 lb 0.33 kg 0.92 lb 1.27 lb
12 x 12 x 12 0.87 lb 0.40 kg 1.21 lb 1.73 lb
14 x 10 x 8 0.76 lb 0.35 kg 0.85 lb* 1.02 lb
14 x 14 x 14 1.18 lb 0.53 kg 1.47 lb 2.27 lb
15 x 12 x 10 0.88 lb 0.40 kg 1.08 lb 1.35 lb
16 x 12 x 8 0.85 lb 0.39 kg 1.07 lb 1.30 lb
16 x 12 x 12 1.03 lb 0.47 kg 1.41 lb 1.78 lb
16 x 16 x 16 1.52 lb 0.69 kg 2.01 lb 3.00 lb
18 x 12 x 12 1.07 lb 0.49 kg 1.50 lb 1.90 lb
18 x 14 x 12 1.28 lb 0.58 kg 1.63 lb* 2.28 lb
18 x 18 x 12 1.67 lb 0.76 kg 1.95 lb 2.78 lb
18 x 18 x 18 1.93 lb 0.88 kg 2.36 lb 3.50 lb
20 x 14 x 10 1.25 lb 0.57 kg 1.60 lb* 1.96 lb
20 x 16 x 12 1.57 lb 0.71 kg 1.97 lb* 2.42 lb
20 x 20 x 20 2.36 lb 1.07 kg 3.21 lb 3.96 lb
24 x 12 x 12 1.32 lb 0.60 kg 1.67 lb 2.07 lb
24 x 18 x 12 1.84 lb 0.83 kg 2.55 lb 3.54 lb
24 x 18 x 18 2.18 lb 0.99 kg 3.04 lb 3.92 lb
24 x 24 x 24 3.46 lb 1.57 kg 4.48 lb 5.46 lb
26 x 20 x 14 2.17 lb 0.98 kg 3.04 lb* 3.73 lb*
30 x 20 x 20 3.01 lb 1.36 kg 3.26 lb 4.72 lb

An asterisk marks a modeled value where no stocked listing of that exact size and grade had a usable weight.

How to calculate the weight of a cardboard box

A box weighs what its flat blank weighs. For a regular slotted carton, the blank is two lengths plus two widths plus a glue flap of about 1 1/2 inches, multiplied by the width plus the height, because the top and bottom flaps each reach halfway across the width. Multiply that area by the weight of the board per square foot.

  • 12 x 12 x 12 box: (2 × 12 + 2 × 12 + 1.5) × (12 + 12) = 1,188 square inches, or 8.25 square feet.
  • 32 ECT board weighs about 0.105 lb per square foot, so the box weighs about 0.86 lb.
Board weight per square foot, median of stocked boxes
Board grade Lb per sq ft Lb per 1,000 sq ft Box sizes measured
32 ECT single wall 0.105 105 1,025
44 ECT single wall 0.138 138 56
48 ECT double wall 0.169 169 157

Does the box weight count toward shipping weight?

Yes. Carriers bill the total packed weight, box and packing material included. UPS and FedEx round up to the next pound and bill dimensional weight instead when it is higher. On light parcels the box can decide the tier: at UPS and FedEx a 12 oz item in a 3 oz box bills at 1 lb, while the same item in a 6 oz box rounds up to 2 lb. The dimensional weight calculator shows when size matters more than weight.

Weight adds up by the case and the pallet

Empty boxes ship in bundles and pallets, and the weight matters for freight and for lifting. 25 empty 12 x 12 x 12 boxes weigh about 22 lb, and a pallet of 380 empty 18 x 18 x 18 boxes weighs about 733 lb before the pallet itself. Use the boxes per pallet calculator to size a full load.

Shop boxes by grade

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cardboard box weigh?

An empty medium box such as 12 x 12 x 12 inches in 32 ECT single wall weighs about 0.87 lb. Small boxes weigh a few ounces and large 24 inch boxes weigh about 3.5 lb.

How much does a 12x12x12 box weigh?

About 0.87 lb, or 0.40 kg, in 32 ECT single wall. The same size in 48 ECT double wall weighs about 1.7 lb.

How much does a double wall box weigh?

Roughly 1.6 to 2 times a single wall box of the same size. A 16 x 16 x 16 double wall box weighs about 3 lb against about 1.5 lb for single wall.

Does box weight count toward shipping weight?

Yes. Carriers bill the total packed weight, including the box, cushioning and tape, or the dimensional weight if it is higher.

How much does an empty moving box weigh?

A small 16 x 12 x 12 moving box weighs about 1.0 lb empty and a large 18 x 18 x 18 about 1.9 lb, depending on the board grade.

How do you calculate the weight of a cardboard box?

Find the blank area: two lengths plus two widths plus 1.5 inches, times the width plus the height. Convert to square feet and multiply by the board weight, about 0.105 lb per square foot for 32 ECT.

How much do 100 cardboard boxes weigh?

100 empty 12 x 12 x 12 boxes in 32 ECT weigh about 87 lb. Multiply the single-box weight in the chart by your quantity.

Related tools and charts

Weights are shipping weights of stocked boxes divided by the box count per bundle, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a pound. Actual boxes vary a few percent with board supplier and moisture.