We have been shipping breakable, delicate items for years. At first we could not get the formula right, bubble wrap, peanuts and sturdy boxes still seemed to give us 50% breakage upon arrival. We tried different carriers and discovered that it really did not matter if it was Fedex, Airborne, UPS or good old USPS. The longer the carrier had the box, the more chance the item would arrive damaged in some way.

Finally after years of trial and error we came up with the perfect solution and our  breakage decreased from 50% to 2%.

We use bubble wrap, peanuts and 2 boxes. In other words, we double box. We start with bubble wrap and strong industrial tape. Then enclose the wrapped piece in a sturdy box proportionate to its size and add more tape. The box is then nestled inside a slightly larger box and peanuts are added. The trick here is to use boxes that are not too large. The smaller the box, the less room, the less movement, the less chance for breaking.

Now ship the shortest way possible. We usually use USPS Priority. We found them to be quick, convenient, reliable and even with their rate increase, the best priced carrier. The boxes are free and sturdy.