Custom Gift Box Factory · Shenzhen, China

Gift Box Types Compared

Magnetic, drawer, lid and base, collapsible, mailer or paper bag: the structure you pick sets your unit price, your minimum order and how the box ships. This page puts the six structures we make side by side so you can choose one before you ask for a quote.

Updated October 21, 2026

Structures Compared

100 pcs

Rigid Box Minimum

3–5 Days

Sample Lead Time

12–15 Days

Bulk Production

Get a Quote on Two Types Jump to Price & MOQ

At a Glance

How Do the Six Gift Box Types Differ?

Short answer: magnetic, drawer and lid and base boxes are rigid, ship assembled and start at 100 pcs; collapsible magnetic boxes, mailer boxes and paper bags ship flat, cost less per unit and start at 300 pcs or more.

Type	How it opens	Ships	Best for
Magnetic rigid box	Hinged lid held shut by hidden magnets	Assembled	Premium retail, cosmetics, jewellery, tech and PR kits
Sliding drawer box	Inner tray slides out of an outer sleeve	Assembled	Watches, pens, jewellery and single high-value items
Two-piece lid & base box	Separate lid lifts off the base	Assembled	Apparel, candles, hampers and ready-to-gift sets
Collapsible magnetic box	Magnetic flap lid, like the rigid version	Flat; folded into shape at your end	E-commerce and high-volume programmes where freight and storage matter
Corrugated mailer box	Tuck-front lid, optional tear strip	Flat	Subscription boxes, D2C orders and influencer kits
Luxury paper gift bag	Open top with rope or ribbon handles	Flat	Retail carry-out, events and matching sets with a box

Price & MOQ

What Does Each Gift Box Type Cost?

Indicative factory-direct EXW prices per unit for a 200 × 200 × 80 mm reference size with a printed art-paper wrap and no finishes. Minimums are per custom size.

Type	MOQ per size	~500 pcs	~1,000 pcs	~5,000 pcs
Magnetic rigid box	100 pcs	$3.10	$2.60	$1.85
Sliding drawer box	100 pcs	$2.70	$2.25	$1.60
Two-piece lid & base box	100 pcs	$2.20	$1.85	$1.30
Collapsible magnetic box	300 pcs	$1.90	$1.60	$1.15
Corrugated mailer box	300–500 pcs	$0.85	$0.68	$0.45
Luxury paper gift bag	300 pcs	$0.65	$0.52	$0.36

Each finish (foil, emboss, spot UV, soft-touch) adds about $0.20–$0.55 per unit at entry volume. Rigid boxes can be ordered from 100 pcs; runs below about 500 pcs are quoted per project. Your final price is confirmed at quotation. Background on these ranges is in the custom gift box buyer’s guide and the price guide.

Choosing

Which Gift Box Type Should You Choose?

Weighing a printed folding carton against a rigid box? See folding carton vs rigid box for the cost, feel and volume trade-off.

The box is the gift and sits on a shelf or desk: a magnetic rigid box or a lid and base box.
One small, high-value item and a slow reveal: a sliding drawer box.
A premium look, but you ship thousands or pay for warehouse space: a collapsible magnetic box.
The box goes through a courier on its own: a corrugated mailer box, or a rigid box inside a shipping carton.
Customers carry it out of a store or event: a paper gift bag, often matched to one of the boxes above.
Fewer than 300 pieces per size: stay with the three rigid types, which start at 100 pcs. See low MOQ gift boxes.

Comparing just two? Read magnetic vs lid and base, magnetic vs drawer vs folding carton or rigid box vs folding carton. For dimensions, start from the gift box size guide; for board and paper, the materials guide.

The Six Types

Each Type in Brief

Magnetic rigid box

Highest perceived value; rigid board wrapped in printed paper. Best for premium retail, cosmetics, jewellery, tech and PR kits.

From 100 pcs per size · assembled

See the magnetic rigid box →

Sliding drawer box

Slow, tactile pull-out reveal; often with a ribbon pull. Best for watches, pens, jewellery and single high-value items.

From 100 pcs per size · assembled

See the sliding drawer box →

Two-piece lid & base box

Classic gift-box reveal; pairs well with ribbon. Best for apparel, candles, hampers and ready-to-gift sets.

From 100 pcs per size · assembled

See the two-piece lid & base box →

Collapsible magnetic box

Close to the rigid look while shipping flat. Best for e-commerce and high-volume programmes where freight and storage matter.

From 300 pcs per size · flat

See the collapsible magnetic box →

Corrugated mailer box

Durable and print-forward; can ship without an outer carton. Best for subscription boxes, D2C orders and influencer kits.

From 300–500 pcs per size · flat

See the corrugated mailer box →

Luxury paper gift bag

Completes a retail set; lowest unit cost. Best for retail carry-out, events and matching sets with a box.

From 300 pcs per size · flat

See the luxury paper gift bag →

Every type follows the same steps: a free 3D mockup in about 24 hours, a physical sample in 3–5 business days, then bulk production in 12–15 days after you approve the sample. Payment terms are 30% deposit and 70% before shipment.

Questions

Gift Box Types FAQ

What are the main types of custom gift boxes?

Six structures cover most orders: magnetic rigid boxes, sliding drawer boxes, two-piece lid and base boxes, collapsible magnetic boxes, corrugated mailer boxes and paper gift bags. The first three are rigid and ship assembled; the last three ship flat.

Which gift box type is the cheapest?

Among boxes, the corrugated mailer has the lowest unit price, about $0.85 at 500 pcs and $0.45 at 5,000 pcs for a 200 x 200 x 80 mm reference size. A paper gift bag is lower still. Among rigid boxes, the lid and base box costs less than drawer or magnetic boxes. These are indicative EXW figures; your price is confirmed at quotation.

What is the difference between a magnetic box and a collapsible magnetic box?

Both close with a magnetic flap. The rigid magnetic box is glued into shape at the factory and ships assembled, so a carton holds fewer boxes. The collapsible version ships flat and is folded into shape at your end, which lowers unit price and freight volume; its minimum is 300 pcs per size instead of 100.

What is the minimum order for each gift box type?

Magnetic rigid, drawer and lid and base boxes start at 100 pcs per custom size. Collapsible magnetic boxes and paper gift bags start at 300 pcs, and corrugated mailer boxes at 300–500 pcs.

How long does production take for each type?

The timeline is the same for all six: a free 3D mockup in about 24 hours, a physical sample in 3–5 business days, and bulk production in 12–15 days after sample approval. Freight time depends on route and Incoterm.

Quote Request

Not Sure Which Type? Ask for a Quote on Two

Tell us the product, size and quantity. We can quote two box types side by side, with a free 3D mockup.

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