Ear Lock Mailer Box
Ear lock mailer boxes use side flaps — the “ears” — that fold inward and are trapped under the lid. The result is a rigid, clean-walled box with no visible tab on the front face.
- Side ears fold in and lock under the closing lid
- Front panel stays uninterrupted, good for edge-to-edge artwork
- Double-thickness side walls add rigidity
- Assembles in one motion, no tape
- From 50 units in E-flute or B-flute corrugated
- 4–6 working daysClock starts at proof approval
- Artwork checked firstBleed, folds and colour build
- Nothing prints unapprovedYou sign the proof first
- Curbside recyclableUnless you choose a laminate
Get a quote for
ear lock mailer box.
Send the dimensions of the product rather than a box you already use — we add the clearance ourselves. Itemised pricing comes back the same working day.
- Priced at several quantities, so you can see where the curve flattens
- Print-ready dieline and a 3D render, at no charge
- We flag it if a smaller dimension would cost you less
| Box style | Self-locking mailer box (Roll End Tuck Front — RETF) |
|---|---|
| Material options | Kraft corrugated, white corrugated, E-flute, B-flute, rigid stock (premium) |
| Flute types | E-flute (1.5mm), B-flute (3mm), custom flute on request |
| Stock thickness | 16pt – 28pt (depending on material selection) |
| Printing options | Offset printing, digital printing, flexographic printing |
| Color options | CMYK (4-color process), Pantone (PMS), inside & outside printing available |
| Finishing options | Matte lamination, gloss lamination, soft-touch lamination, AQ coating |
| Add-ons | Spot UV, foil stamping (gold/silver), embossing, debossing, custom inserts |
| Sizes | Custom sizes available (length × width × depth) |
| Minimum order qty | Low MOQ available — start at 50 units |
| Turnaround time | 4–6 business days (rush available) |
| Shipping | Flat-packed, free shipping available across the USA |
| Eco-friendly | Recyclable & biodegradable options available |
Ear lock mailer boxes use side flaps — the “ears” — that fold inward and are trapped under the lid. The result is a rigid, clean-walled box with no visible tab on the front face.
- Side ears fold in and lock under the closing lid
- Front panel stays uninterrupted, good for edge-to-edge artwork
- Double-thickness side walls add rigidity
- Assembles in one motion, no tape
- From 50 units in E-flute or B-flute corrugated
An ear lock mailer secures differently from a tab mailer. Instead of a tab pushing into a slot at the front, small flaps on each side wall — the ears — fold inward and are pinned in place when the lid comes down. The lid holds the ears, the ears hold the walls square.
What that construction buys you
Two things. First, the side walls end up double thickness where the ears fold in, so the box is noticeably more rigid across its width than a single-wall mailer of the same board. Second, and more visibly, the front panel has no tab and no slot cut into it.
That clean front face matters for design. On a tab lock mailer, the die-cut tab interrupts the front panel, and artwork has to work around it. Here the whole face is printable, which suits full-bleed photography and centred logos.
The trade-off
Ear locks are marginally more complex to die-cut, so at small quantities they cost a little more than a plain tab mailer. They also take a moment longer to assemble, because the ears need folding before the lid closes — noticeable if you are packing hundreds by hand, irrelevant at a dozen a day.
Whether that is worth it depends on how much the uninterrupted front face is doing for your brand.
Typical uses
Anything where presentation carries weight and the box is opened once: press sends, product launches, premium retail. It also holds squareness well under stacking, which helps if boxes travel palletised before being split into individual shipments.
Frequently asked questions
Is it stronger than a tab lock?
Across the width, yes, because of the doubled side walls. Vertically the difference is small.
Can it be opened and reclosed?
Yes, more comfortably than a tab lock, though it is not designed for repeated cycles.
Does it cost more?
Slightly, at low quantities. The gap narrows as the run grows because the difference is mostly in the die rather than the board.
See it before you commit
Send your dimensions and we will produce a dieline and a 3D render showing exactly how the ears sit.
How we build ear lock mailer box.
Measured from the product
We size the box around what goes inside and add the clearance it needs. That removes void fill you would otherwise buy and dimensional weight you would otherwise pay on every order.
Colour that behaves
Process CMYK or a Pantone spot match, outside and in. We tell you how a colour will sit on kraft before the run, not after it.
Board matched to the load
E-flute, B-flute or double wall depending on weight and fragility. We will talk you down a grade as readily as up one.
Assembles in one motion
One-piece construction with a front-tab lock. No tape, no gun, and seconds rather than minutes at the packing bench.
Recyclable as standard
Kraft and corrugated go in the curbside bin with water- and soy-based inks. Plastic lamination changes that, and we say so when you ask for it.
Fifty is a real run
Enough to prove a design before committing to thousands. Pricing steps down at 250, 500 and 1,000 as setup cost spreads.
Customization options
Board, print method and finish are three separate decisions, and each one moves the price. We will tell you which are worth paying for on your product and which are not.
Stock & flute
Printing
Finishes
Add-ons
Brands that ship with this box
What customers tell us
"The print quality is unreal and the fit around our product is perfect. Our unboxing posts doubled."
"Low minimum let us test, and the design team caught issues before print. Reordered at 5,000."
"Boxes arrived early, flat-packed and flawless. Free shipping made the math easy. Highly recommend."
