How to ship a laptop in Canada
Pack a laptop in two boxes, ship it with the battery installed and switched off, and pick a carrier whose battery and electronics rules fit.
Updated
Short answer. Back up the data, switch the laptop off and leave its battery in. Pack it in its original box if you have it, inside a second box with at least 7.6 cm (3 in) of cushioning all round. Canada Post and FedEx accept laptops with installed batteries, while Purolator treats any lithium battery as dangerous goods.
Before you pack
- Back up anything you can’t afford to lose, and sign out of accounts you don’t want the recipient to see.
- Note the serial number and photograph the laptop, front, back and screen. A damage claim needs photos.
- Shut it down fully rather than putting it to sleep, so it can’t wake in transit.
- Pack the charger in the box. A spare battery can’t go with a ProtonShip label on its own.
Packing it in two boxes
UPS recommends two boxes for fragile goods. Put the laptop in its original box, or wrap it in anti-static bubble wrap inside a snug box. Then set that box in an outer one about 15 cm (6 in) bigger each way, with 7.6 cm (3 in) of cushioning on every side. UPS warns that foam peanuts build up static that can damage electronics, so use anti-static materials.
The battery and your carrier
- Canada Post accepts a device with up to 4 cells or 2 batteries installed by air or ground, which covers most laptops.
- FedEx accepts lithium batteries that meet IATA Section II.
- Purolator treats a lithium battery inside a device as dangerous goods. Book a laptop on another carrier.
- UPS classes batteries as dangerous goods, and its battery page sets out US rules for devices. Ask us before choosing UPS for a laptop.
- UniUni hasn’t published a rule for batteries within Canada.
Shipping lithium batteries in Canada
Size and billable weight
Double-boxed, a laptop might measure 22 × 16 × 7 in and weigh 10 lb:
| Carrier | Billed as | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Canada PostRegular Parcel | 14.8 lbSize sets it (÷ 166) | Fits |
| Canada PostOther services | 17.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 139) | Fits |
| UniUni | Limits and divisor not published. A quote asks UniUni directly. | |
| PurolatorGround | 17.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 139) | Fits |
| PurolatorExpress | 21.4 lbSize sets it (÷ 115) | Fits |
| UPSStandard | 17.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 139) | Fits |
| UPSExpress | 21.4 lbSize sets it (÷ 115) | Fits |
| FedExGround | 17.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 139) | Fits |
| FedExExpress | 17.7 lbSize sets it (÷ 139) | Fits |
Canada Post
UniUni
Purolator
UPS
FedExEvery carrier with published limits takes it, and size sets the bill: about 15 lb at Canada Post Regular Parcel, 18 lb at most ground services and 21 lb at UPS air services or Purolator Express. The cushioning that protects the laptop is most of what you pay for, so keep the outer box no bigger than the two-box method needs.
Tablets and phones
The same rules apply to tablets, phones, cameras and game consoles: battery installed, device switched off, and packed so it can’t move. Canada Post sells its own packaging for electronics, including tablets and smartphones, and counts it for its damage cover.
A phone packed in a 12 × 9 × 4 in box at about 2 lb bills at 3 to 4 lb at every divisor in use. If you’re sending a device for repair, put a note inside with your name, how to reach you and what’s wrong, and keep the charger unless the shop asks for it.
If it arrives damaged
Keep the box and all the packing until the claim is settled, and photograph the damage before anything is moved. With ProtonShip, a claim is paid up to the carrier’s liability and any extra coverage you bought. How coverage and claims work
Ship a laptop with a carrier that takes it
Compare every carrier and speed for your box, then book one whose battery rules fit.
Related reading
Electronics with the right carrier
See every carrier and speed for your box, and pick one whose rules take a laptop.