ASC Direct vs Kite Packaging: Which Is Best for Custom Boxes?
26th Sep 2025
ASC Direct and Kite Packaging are both established UK packaging suppliers – but if you're looking for custom-sized cardboard boxes, there are some important differences to consider.
Search for cardboard boxes online in the UK and there's a good chance you'll come across both ASC Direct and Kite Packaging.
But the two businesses have traditionally approached packaging from slightly different directions.
Kite Packaging offers an enormous range of packaging products, including stock cardboard boxes, postal packaging, tape, protective packaging and warehouse supplies.
ASC Direct specialises in manufacturing custom-sized corrugated cardboard boxes, with our online Box Builder designed to make made-to-measure packaging accessible even when you only need a small quantity.
Kite now also offers an online custom box builder.
So if you're looking for a cardboard box manufactured to your dimensions, which should you choose?
The answer depends on what you actually need.
Let's compare them.
ASC Direct vs Kite Packaging: what's the main difference?
Perhaps the easiest way to understand the difference is to look at where each company is particularly strong.
Kite Packaging has an extensive range of stock packaging products.
If you're looking for a common cardboard box size and can find something that closely matches your product, buying a mass-produced stock box can be an extremely cost-effective option.
ASC Direct takes a different approach.
Our main focus is right-sized, made-to-measure corrugated cardboard boxes.
You tell us the internal dimensions you need and we manufacture the box around them.
And you can start from just:
25 custom boxes.
That's an important distinction for businesses that want made-to-measure packaging but don't necessarily want to commit to a large production run.
Does Kite Packaging sell custom-sized boxes?
Yes.
Kite isn't simply a stock-box supplier.
It now offers an online box builder that allows customers to enter their required dimensions, select options such as wall type and colour and receive an online price.
So if you're comparing ASC Direct and Kite Packaging specifically for custom boxes, both companies should be considered.
The more useful question is:
Which custom-box service is better suited to the quantity and type of packaging your business actually needs?
ASC Direct custom boxes start from just 25
This is where ASC Direct's approach becomes particularly useful for smaller and growing businesses.
Our Box Builder allows you to manufacture boxes to your chosen internal dimensions from just:
25 boxes.
You don't need to commit to hundreds or thousands of boxes simply because you want a custom size.
That can make a significant difference if you're:
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Launching a new product
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Testing a new box size
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Running a small ecommerce business
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Selling a low-volume product
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Introducing a seasonal range
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Sending an unusually shaped item
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Short of warehouse space
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Unsure how quickly you'll use your packaging
Rather than buying a large quantity to access made-to-measure packaging, you can start small.
If the box works, order it again.
Why does a low MOQ matter?
MOQ stands for Minimum Order Quantity.
It's simply the smallest quantity a supplier will allow you to order.
Imagine you need a custom-sized box but only expect to use 50 per month.
If your chosen supplier requires you to order several hundred boxes, you're immediately committing to months of packaging.
That means spending more money upfront.
You also need somewhere to store it.
And what happens if your product changes?
Or you decide the box could be 20mm smaller?
Or your branding changes?
Or the product doesn't sell as quickly as expected?
A lower MOQ gives you more flexibility.
At ASC Direct, you can test the box with 25 units rather than making a substantial commitment from day one.
When could Kite Packaging be the better choice?
We're obviously ASC Direct.
But that doesn't mean ASC is automatically the best option for every cardboard box purchase.
Sometimes Kite could make more sense.
The most obvious example is stock boxes.
Kite has an extensive range of standard cardboard boxes and packaging products.
Mass-produced boxes can be extremely inexpensive because they're manufactured in very large quantities.
If Kite already has a stock box that's the right size and strength for your product, there may be little reason to have one manufactured specifically for you.
Why pay for custom packaging when an inexpensive stock box already does exactly what you need?
The same applies if you're trying to consolidate lots of different packaging products with one supplier.
If you need boxes, tape, pallet wrap, labels, warehouse equipment and a wide range of other packaging consumables, Kite's breadth of range can be a genuine advantage.
Custom isn't automatically better simply because it's custom.
When could ASC Direct be the better choice?
ASC Direct becomes particularly relevant when the box you need isn't sitting on a shelf somewhere.
Perhaps the nearest stock box is too long.
Too wide.
Too deep.
Or just completely unsuitable for your product.
You could still use it.
But then you're making your product fit the box rather than making the box fit your product.
ASC Direct's Box Builder is designed around the second approach.
Choose the box style.
Choose the cardboard grade.
Enter the internal dimensions you need.
Choose your quantity.
Get an instant price.
We then manufacture the boxes to your specification.
What if the Kite stock box is cheaper?
There's a good chance it will be.
And that's something worth being transparent about.
A mass-produced stock box can cost considerably less per box than a custom-sized box manufactured specifically for your order.
If it fits your product properly, that's great.
Use it.
The comparison becomes more interesting when it doesn't fit properly.
Imagine your product needs a box around:
300mm × 200mm × 100mm
but the closest economical stock size you find is:
400mm × 300mm × 200mm
The stock box might be cheaper.
But you've now got considerably more empty space around the product.
That could mean more void fill.
More storage space.
More cardboard.
More time spent packing.
More room for the product to move.
And potentially a larger finished parcel.
At that point, comparing the price of the empty boxes alone doesn't tell you the whole story.
The cheapest box isn't always the cheapest parcel
This is something we talk about regularly at ASC Direct.
When comparing packaging costs, don't stop at:
Box A costs 80p.
Box B costs £1.10.
Look at what happens after you've bought it.
How much protective packaging do you use?
How long does it take someone to pack the product?
How much warehouse space do the flat-packed boxes occupy?
How big is the finished parcel?
Does the product move around inside it?
Could its dimensions affect the courier service you're using?
Does the box provide the protection the product actually needs?
Sometimes the cheaper box will still be the obvious winner.
Sometimes paying more for a better-fitting box can make the complete packing process more efficient.
What about storage space?
This is another reason minimum quantities matter.
Five hundred flat-packed boxes might not sound like a huge amount until a pallet of cardboard arrives and you have to find somewhere to put it.
For a large warehouse, that's probably not a problem.
For a small ecommerce business operating from a modest unit, workshop, garage or stockroom, it can be.
Now imagine you need five different custom box sizes.
Large minimum order quantities can quickly turn into a significant amount of packaging stock.
Ordering in smaller batches allows you to hold quantities more closely aligned with what you're actually using.
Buy what you need. Use it. Reorder it.
Low quantities can also help when testing a new product
Imagine you're launching a completely new product.
You've designed the product.
You've created the website.
You've prepared the marketing.
Now you need packaging.
But you don't actually know whether you're going to sell:
Or 5,000.
Ordering a large quantity of custom packaging immediately creates another commitment.
Starting with 25 boxes gives you an opportunity to test the product and the packaging together.
You might discover that you want another 10mm around the product.
You might decide to add additional protective packaging.
You might change the product itself.
Or sales might take off and you simply order more of exactly the same box.
For new products, flexibility can be valuable.
What about seasonal businesses?
The same principle applies to seasonal products.
Perhaps you only sell a particular product at Christmas.
Or during summer.
Or around a particular event.
You might only need 50 or 100 boxes.
Buying several months or years of packaging simply to access a custom size may not make sense.
Low-volume custom production lets you order packaging more closely aligned with your actual requirements.
Which offers the best choice of stock boxes?
Kite Packaging.
This is one area where the comparison is straightforward.
Kite carries a very large catalogue of ready-made packaging.
ASC Direct also sells packaging products, but custom-sized corrugated cardboard boxes are at the heart of what we do.
If your priority is browsing a huge catalogue of standard sizes and finding the closest match, Kite is well worth looking at.
If your priority is saying:
"This is the exact internal size I need – please make it."
That's where ASC Direct's service is designed to fit.
Which is best for small quantities of custom boxes?
This is where we'd recommend looking particularly carefully at the minimum quantities offered for the exact specification you require.
ASC Direct manufactures made-to-measure boxes from just 25 units.
That means you can access custom-sized packaging without committing to hundreds of boxes.
When comparing that with Kite's custom service, check the minimum quantity and price generated for your particular box size and specification.
Don't just compare the price per box.
Compare:
How many boxes do I actually have to buy?
A lower unit price isn't necessarily useful if you have to purchase far more packaging than your business needs.
What about larger quantities?
Low MOQ doesn't mean ASC Direct is only for small orders.
Our Box Builder can also handle significantly larger quantities.
As your requirement increases, compare both suppliers.
At higher volumes, the economics of packaging manufacture change considerably and it's worth comparing the total cost for your particular dimensions, board grade and quantity.
The best supplier for 25 boxes isn't necessarily the best supplier for 10,000.
And that's fine.
Choose the supplier that fits the requirement.
What about printed custom boxes?
Both ASC Direct and Kite Packaging offer printed packaging options.
Printed cardboard boxes can turn something you already need – the shipping box – into part of the customer experience.
You can add:
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Your logo
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Branding
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Instructions
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Handling information
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Marketing messages
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Social media details
At ASC Direct, printing can be combined with made-to-measure packaging, allowing you to create a box around both your product and your brand.
Again, compare the minimum quantity, printing method, available colours, artwork requirements and overall cost for your particular project.
Which is more sustainable?
Be careful with simple claims that one cardboard box is automatically "greener" than another.
Sustainability involves more than the supplier's name.
Consider the materials.
Consider recycled content.
Consider certification.
But also consider how much packaging you're actually using.
At ASC Direct, the boxes we manufacture are supplied as FSC® Mix 70% under our FSC® Chain of Custody certification, and our corrugated board contains a minimum of 70% recycled material.
Right-sizing can also help reduce unnecessary material.
If you're putting a small product into a large box and filling the remaining space with packaging, you're potentially using materials that wouldn't have been necessary with a better-fitting box.
That doesn't mean custom packaging is automatically the sustainable choice.
If a stock box already fits perfectly, use it.
The objective should be the right amount of the right packaging.
ASC Direct or Kite Packaging: which should you choose?
It really comes down to what you're trying to buy.
Consider Kite Packaging if:
You want to choose from a huge range of ready-made packaging.
You can find a stock box that fits your product well.
You need lots of different packaging and warehouse consumables from one supplier.
Or its custom-box service suits the quantities and specification you require.
Consider ASC Direct if:
You specifically want a box manufactured to your dimensions.
You only need a small quantity.
You want to test a new size without committing to a large production run.
You regularly struggle to find a suitable stock box.
You want an instant online price for made-to-measure corrugated boxes.
Or you want to order custom-sized boxes from just 25 units.
Neither approach is right for every business.
Stock box or custom box? Start with the product.
Our advice is simple.
Measure the product you're trying to package.
Work out how much room it needs for appropriate protection.
Then look at the stock-box market.
Can you find a reasonably priced box that's the right size and strength?
If you can, buying a stock box from a supplier such as Kite Packaging could be the most economical solution.
If you can't, don't assume your only option is to compromise with an oversized box or order hundreds of bespoke cartons.
That's exactly the problem ASC Direct's Box Builder was designed to solve.
Compare before you commit
If you're considering ASC Direct vs Kite Packaging, don't take our word for it.
Get a price from both.
Enter the dimensions you actually need.
Choose comparable cardboard specifications.
Look at the minimum quantities.
Look at how many boxes you genuinely need.
And consider what happens after those boxes arrive – storage, void fill, packing time and the finished parcel.
Then make the decision that works for your business.
If that turns out to be a stock box from Kite, that's a perfectly sensible packaging decision.
But if the stock sizes don't quite work, or the custom quantity is more than you want to commit to, try the ASC Direct Box Builder.
You can start with just 25 made-to-measure boxes.