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Treat the shade as the fragile part and the bulb as a separate problem. Remove the bulb and wrap it on its own, immobilize the shade so it cannot flex inside the box, and pack the base separately if it is heavy. A packed lamp is heavier than it looks, so weigh the finished box before you buy a label.
The honest LetterAgent boundary: our shipping labels are Canada-only Canada Post Xpresspost with a five-kilogram limit, and the label flow covers the label itself, not boxes, packing, or pickup. If your packed lamp fits under five kilograms, a label works; beyond that, it needs a standard courier parcel.
| Part | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shade (fabric or paper) | Fill the inside with crumpled packing paper so the walls cannot flex, then wrap the outside in bubble wrap | Shades break by flexing inward, not by impact alone |
| Shade (glass) | Ship in its own box with padding on all six sides; never let glass touch another part | Glass shades are the most commonly damaged lamp part in transit |
| Bulb | Remove it, wrap it separately in bubble wrap, and place it in its own small box | A bulb left in the socket concentrates force on the socket |
| Base and stem | Wrap the base, pad the stem, and pack it in its own box if it is heavy | A heavy base will crush a shade packed in the same box |
| Cord | Coil and tape it; tuck it into the base box | A loose cord snags and pulls parts during handling |
A lamp shade is a thin shell: it survives because its shape distributes force. The moment the shade can flex, a small impact becomes a crease or a crack. Filling the interior with crumpled paper keeps the shape rigid from the inside, which is what actually protects it. For drum and empire shades, also tape a cardboard disc over the open top and bottom before wrapping: it stops paper from shifting out and gives the bubble wrap a flat surface to bear on.
Several carriers keep explicit no-compensation lists for glass, and glass lamp globes and shades appear on them: if the glass breaks, the claim is denied no matter how well you packed it. This is the practical reason to consider the shade a write-off risk and pack accordingly, or to sell and replace the shade rather than ship it. Photograph every part before packing anyway; for the base, stem, and hardware, a damage claim is still possible with photos and a declared value.
One more transport detail: never ship a lamp with the bulb installed, even a rugged one. The socket is a stress point: the bulb's mass, multiplied by vibration over a long route, fatigues the socket threads and the switch. It takes thirty seconds to remove and wrap, and it eliminates the most common non-shade breakage.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
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