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Chest of drawers
How to pack a chest of drawers
Without suitable packaging, even if the courier is careful, transport can cause damage to your chest of drawers. This page outlines the steps to protect a chest of drawers before transport.
Why packaging is essential
An object that’s not well protected can arrive scratched, damaged, or broken, even if the carrier is as careful as possible.
With Cocolis, your items travel with individuals or professionals on journeys they're already making. They are handled during loading, in transit, and unloading—each a moment where good packaging makes all the difference.
An object can arrive scratched, broken, or incomplete. These situations are rare but avoidable and almost never happen when an item is properly packed from the start.
Prepare your chest of drawers before packing
Check that the drawers slide smoothly and that none are stuck or fragile. If your chest of drawers, tallboy or semainier has a marble, glass or ceramic top, remove it and pack it separately as a fragile item. Inspect the feet: if they are thin, carved or made from fragile material, they require extra protection.
This is also a good moment to gather your materials and plan the right protection for each part. Good packaging preparation happens before you start, not as you go along.
Steps to pack a chest of drawers
- Completely empty the drawers. Never transport a chest of drawers, tallboy or semainier with items inside - the shifting weight can bend or break the drawers.
- Remove the drawers if possible and pack them separately, wrapped in cardboard or stretch film.
- If the drawers cannot be removed, secure them with tape applied over cardboard so they do not open during transport.
- Protect the surfaces and corners of the chest of drawers with cardboard held in place with tape, paying particular attention to the top corners which take most of the knocks.
- Protect the handles with bubble wrap to prevent them from scratching other surfaces.
Good habits to know
The essential points to avoid problems during transport
Adapt packaging to the item
Packaging isn’t universal. Take into account the fragility, weight, and shape of your chest of drawers to choose the right protection – the main thing is that the item is well protected during transport.
Don’t seal the packaging too soon
Leave your chest of drawers visible when the courier arrives. They must be able to check its condition before taking charge and take photos with and without protection. Seal the packaging only afterwards.
Take photos before shipping
Photograph your item before and after packing. In case of a problem, these photos are your only evidence of its initial condition.
Inform about special requirements
Some items have specific requirements: must be kept upright, particular handling direction, extra fragility. Clearly inform the courier about these before departure.
Never stick tape on surfaces
Brown tape can leave marks or damage finishes. Never stick it directly to an item – always use an intermediate layer.
Frequent mistakes & things to watch out for
Some mistakes happen regularly and explain most damage on arrival.
Drawers that open during transport are a common cause of damage – both to the chest of drawers itself and to other transported items. Even if blocked with tape, check that they cannot open by carefully tilting the chest of drawers before departure. If the blocking is not reliable, remove the drawers and transport them separately.
Transporting chest of drawers with Cocolis
Simpler, more human transport
With Cocolis, your item doesn't go through a warehouse, isn't passed from hand to hand and doesn't endure multiple re-loadings. It's delivered directly from point A to point B, in a single trip, by an individual or professional already making the journey.
In reality, it’s often someone like your neighbour or cousin making the trip for their own reasons who takes special care of what they're carrying. It's not a courier under pressure to deliver dozens of parcels a day. This difference means a lot in how your item is handled.
Fewer handlings also means less risk. But your item will still be loaded and unloaded, and a sudden brake can happen: correct packing is still essential to protect sensitive areas at these key moments.
Practically, packing doesn't need to be designed to withstand a whole logistics chain. It just needs to provide effective protection for a single journey—which is achievable by everyone.
Frequently asked questions
Other packing guides
For further advice, you can review packing guides for different types of item.
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