Are standard styro bottle shippers safe?

Never had an issue using one...and you've come across a gold mine so congrats!

 

I use styro shippers whenever I can (usually when I've got one in trade recently). As long as you make sure the bottles are secure in the slots you should be fine. I find news paper or a layer or two of bubble wrap around the bottles make for a snug fit. If you are worried about the sound of the two halves rubbing together being a giveaway, remember, there are millions of things that are shipped everyday with styrofoam that squeaks. It could literally be anything. As beer traders we associate that noise with beer/wine shippers, but lots and lots of different boxes are going to make squeaking noises.

 

As said the keys are:
- Make sure the bottle is really tight so that it doesn't move
- Use something to help with the sound of styro rubbing the bottle or bubble wrap

As long as you do those things then use them as often as possible, I say

 

Safe , yes , noisy yes, quiet them can't get safer.

 

Really? I had no idea. I thought sloshing was the villain, here ... thanks.

 

Styro shippers work very well. I put enough newspaper around the bottle in the bottom to make the bottles snug and not squeak. Then I put a 6in X 6in patch of small bubblewrap over the top of the bottle to snug that end. Works perfect every time.

 

well... almost every time.

 

I don't even really worry about sloshing anymore. There are plenty of liquids you are allowed to ship so I don't think it'll cause anyone to open boxes. I've probably sent 50+ boxes that you could hear the sloshing pretty easily and only every had one issue where a bottle actually broke in that case.

 

I'm a relative newb at all of this but man, you are on a gold mine. Use them and you can be sure you're doing the right thing. Honestly, I don't get the noise thing. Are Fed-EX people really holding these boxes to their ear in a quiet room and trying to identify what's in the box, becasue a snug box aroung a Styro-shipper doesn't sqeak that much and any sloshing is pretty muted.

 

I think the horizontal molded cardboard bottle shippers to be a bit less secure & a whole lot noisier. I love styro shippers, especially for tough to replace bottles or cork n caged bottles.

 

I'd rather use styro than anything else, and haven't had any issues. I think the best practice is wrapping each bottle in newspaper, though - really seems to address any noise issues.

 

Do people put beers in ziplocks when shipping or flying with styrofoam bottle shippers?

 

Cans, yes. Bottles, no. Maybe put the entire styro block in a garbage bag, though, before putting it in the box.

 

I pretty much only use styro's. Love them!