Sizing is the decision people most often get wrong, and it is the one that shows. A box with too much headroom lets the burger slide and arrive leaning against one wall, with the sauce on the cardboard rather than in the bun. A box with too little presses the lid onto the crown of the bun, flattens it, and pushes the fillings out the side.
Measure the build, not the burger
Measure your tallest regular build, assembled, with the crown on, and take three figures: length, width and height. Do it with the item you actually sell most of rather than the biggest thing on the menu, and do it after the burger has sat for a minute — a freshly stacked build settles.
Then add a little. A few millimeters of clearance on each side is enough to get the burger in and out without smearing it against the wall, and a few on top stops the lid touching the bun. More than that and you are paying for air and letting the build move.
Where wrapping changes the answer
If you wrap the burger in paper before boxing it, measure it wrapped. The wrap adds bulk and changes how the burger sits, and it is the most common reason a box that measured correctly turns out to be tight in service.
Standard sizes as a starting point
Most orders start from a standard size and adjust. Sliders need a shallow, small footprint; single burgers are the common middle; tall boxes exist for stacked builds where height is the constraint rather than width; doubles and large formats handle either a bigger burger or a burger with a side in the same box. Browse the range under burger boxes by size and treat the nearest one as a baseline.
When to go custom instead
Custom dimensions are worth it when your build is genuinely an odd shape, when you want a burger and a side in one box without a divider rattling around, or when your volume is high enough that a slightly smaller box saves real money on board. Because every run here is printed to order anyway, cutting to your own dimensions costs no more in setup than taking a standard size.
Sizing for delivery
Delivery adds a constraint that dine-in does not: boxes get stacked, tilted and carried. For delivery-heavy operations the box wants to be snug rather than generous, and a sturdier board matters more than it does over the counter — the trade-offs are set out under burger boxes by material.
Send your three measurements with a quote request and we will confirm the size against the style you want before anything goes to press.
Need a price for a run? Send the size, style and quantity and we will come back with wholesale pricing and a production timeline — start on the burger packaging quote form.
More guides
- Branding Burger Boxes on a Small Budget How to make custom burger packaging look considered without a full-color print run: stock color, one-color print, sleeves, stickers and where to spend first.
- Clamshell vs Parcel Burger Boxes How the two most common burger box styles differ in service, in a delivery bag and on the shelf, and which one suits the way you actually hand food over.
- Eco-Friendly Burger Boxes: What the Options Actually Mean Recyclable, biodegradable and compostable are not the same claim. What bagasse, recycled kraft and uncoated board really offer, and how to choose honestly.
- Gloss, Matte or Spot UV: Choosing a Finish What each coating changes about how a printed burger box looks, feels and performs, and when spot UV is worth the extra step.
- Greaseproof Burger Packaging: What Actually Works Why burger boxes leak, and what stops it: coatings, liners, wraps and ventilation, and how to choose between them for counter service and delivery.
- How a Custom Burger Box Order Works From first measurement to printed run: what information a quote needs, how artwork is handled, why unit price falls with quantity, and what to check before approving.
- Kraft vs Cardboard vs Corrugated Burger Boxes What each board actually does with heat, grease and weight, and how to pick between kraft, cardboard and corrugated for burger packaging without overspending.
- Packaging Burgers for Delivery What changes when a burger box has to travel: stacking, steam, grease and time, and the specification changes that keep food arriving the way it left.
- Packaging the Whole Order, Not Just the Burger Fries, sauces, drinks and bags decide as much about how an order arrives as the burger box does. What to specify for each, and why one run beats four suppliers.
- Window Burger Boxes: When the Cut-Out Earns Its Cost A window shows the product without opening the box. What it costs in structure, heat and grease, and the situations where it pays for itself.