When equipment has to travel safely, aluminium carry cases and wooden crates are the two usual answers. They serve different needs, and the right one depends entirely on how the product will be used.
Aluminium Carry Case
Aluminium carry cases suit equipment that has to be portable and reused: test gear, measuring instruments, field equipment, and any sensitive device that travels often. A light body, a durable shell and a product-specific EVA or XPE interior give protection and easy handling together. They are the choice for anything a person or team opens and closes repeatedly.
Wooden Crate
Wooden crates suit heavy, bulky or single-journey long-distance shipments — machinery, automotive parts, medical devices, defence-industry goods, anything needing real load capacity. For international shipments they can be produced ISPM-15 heat-treated so they clear customs without difficulty.
Work Out the Cost per Journey
Comparing the two on list price misleads, because one is a consumable and the other is an asset. The meaningful figure is cost per journey: divide the case's price by the number of trips you expect from it, and the crate's by one. For a team shipping the same instrument a few times a year, the case usually breaks even on the second or third trip; for a one-off machinery shipment the crate is cheaper beyond argument.
Two more lines belong in that sum: return freight and disposal. A reusable case has to come back, and that costs money. A crate is disposed of at destination — and in some countries timber disposal falls to the receiver, which affects how the customer experiences the delivery.
Weight, Volume and Freight
Air freight is usually charged on volumetric weight, which makes the space the packaging occupies matter more than what it weighs. That favours the aluminium case: thin walls keep its external size close to the product's. A wooden crate is heavier and bulkier by construction — irrelevant by road and sea, but a visible cost by air.
The Third Option: A Plastic Carry Case
The choice is not always binary. Rigid plastic carry cases sit between the two: cheaper than aluminium, far more portable than timber. They resist impact and moisture, they are reusable, and they take the same product-specific EVA or XPE interior. Where you do not need aluminium's presentation value or its load capacity, they are enough for most field equipment.
How to Decide
Four criteria settle it: the weight and volume of the product, whether the journey repeats or happens once, whether the shipment is domestic or international, and the budget. Light, reusable and mobile points to the aluminium case; heavy, bulky and bound by international standards points to the wooden crate.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is more economical?
- For heavy one-off shipments a wooden crate is usually cheaper. For journeys that repeat, a reusable aluminium case costs less over its life.
- Which is right for export?
- For heavy international freight, an ISPM-15 heat-treated wooden crate meets customs requirements. For portable equipment, an aluminium case is the better fit.
- How is the interior protected?
- Both use a die-cut EVA or XPE insert made to the product's dimensions, which fixes it in place and protects it against impact.
- How do I compare the cost properly?
- Per journey. Divide the case's price by the trips you expect from it and the crate's by one, then add return freight and disposal at destination.
- Which suits air freight?
- Usually an aluminium or plastic case. Air freight is generally charged on volumetric weight, and a wooden crate is bulkier by construction.
- Is a plastic carry case a real alternative?
- Yes — cheaper than aluminium, far more portable than timber, resistant to impact and moisture, and it takes the same product-specific EVA or XPE interior.
Related products
Let's find the right solution for your project — our technical team replies within 24 hours.
Request Quote