FAQ

ROKBOX crates are designed to be reused over and over again, making the cost per use low over time.

No matter what your role in the art world, when you ship art in a crate that can be used multiple times, you save money.

ROKBOX can save money in two ways. Through purchasing your own ROKBOX to use time and time, or through renting a ROKBOX from a fine art shipper or through ROKBOX LOOP instead of paying for a traditional wooden crate to be made and destroyed soon after.

There are other cost savings too.
1. ROKBOXs are independently tested and verified to reduce the risk of damage in transit and storage (see testing data)
2. ROKBOXs save time as the internal hardware systems can be quickly and easily adapted to pack different types of artwork
3. Insurers are now lowering premiums for using ROKBOX and ROKBOX LOOP.

ROKBOX Original can be reused tens if not a hundred times, whereas ROKBOX Lite can be reused up to 10 times. Of course, like with most things, the better it is looked after, the longer your ROKBOX will last.

ROKBOX Original was designed to be the most robust, long-lasting and protective art shipping crate possible. Think of it as a museum spec crate ‘plus’.
ROKBOX Originals can be used 100+ times.

ROKBOX Lite is a very lightweight, more economical and even more sustainable option. Some think of it as a commercial crate equivalent, but with more protective qualities.
ROKBOX Lite can be used 10+ times (many more with sensible handling).

ROKBOX LiteHD is our latest and most sustainable crate. It is the largest, lightest reusable crate on the market.
Made with 15% recycled ocean plastic and made with reinforced yet fully recyclable materials, it can be reused 50+ times.

For more info about the differences between ROKBOX Original and ROKBOX Lite, please refer to their respective Product Guidelines

Email info@rok-box.com with further questions on the ROKBOX range.

ROKBOX Nest is the ultimate form of protection for your art during shipping and storage. By combining a ROKBOX Lite inside a ROKBOX Original, art receives double the protection. `

While both ROKBOX Original and Lite are scientifically proven to provide superior protection compared to traditional shipping crates, together they add an even greater layer of safety and reassurance.

Yes, absolutely. Plastic has a high strength to weight ratio, meaning it has a high resistance to breakage from falls and tumbles as well as rogue forklift operators. Moreover, unlike the wood used in standard shipping crates, plastic does not absorb water, so it provides a waterproof skin, and it does not contain any acidity, making your art safe from potential chemical damage.

ROKBOX Original includes a number of materials in addition to plastic, which together comprise a complex system achieving far greater protection than wood and foam alone can provide. ROKBOX Lite is made from the same lightweight but super strong material that is found inside crash helmets designed to protect life itself! If you’d like to know more about the benefits of using plastic materials over the problems associated with wood, we suggest taking a look at the National Gallery of Art Washington’s ‘Art in Transit’ study, which can be found here.

Yes. There will occasionally be an artwork which isn’t suitable for ROKBOX but please contact the team and we can advise.

ROKBOX crates were developed to match or exceed best practice guidelines for the safe handling of artworks as laid out in the National Gallery of Art Washington’s ‘Art in Transit’ study, which can be read in full here.

To ensure they perform correctly, both ROKBOX Original and Lite case ranges have completed comprehensive independent testing at the facilities of TUV-SUD. This testing programme was to validate mechanical and climatic performance, and to reproduce the wear and tear effects of both long journeys and repeated re-use.

In terms of certification, ROKBOX crates meet the following standards:
· Water standards
BS EN 60529: 1992+A2:2013 IPX3 (Protection against Spraying Water)
BS EN 60529: 1992+A2:2013 IPX8 (Protection against the effects of Continuous Immersion in Water)
· Fire standards
ROKBOX Lite: Fire resistance rating UL94-V2

We can customise the front and rear lid panels with a logo or symbol of your choice. We are also able to change the colour of the corners for large orders. Please email info@rok-box.com for more information.

The internal hardware systems make the crate customisable internally to suit different artworks. Fine art shippers and skilled packing technicians can utilise their knowledge and apply additional materials such as foam, wooden battens, card, etc. within a ROKBOX, if required.

Currently, customisation of size is only available for bulk orders numbering in the hundreds. However, we are continuing to bring out more sizes of ROKBOX. To let us know the sizes / shapes you are most interested in, please email info@rok-box.com.

We have a full range of product guidelines which are available on our website here. Alternatively, please email info@rok-box.com if you’d like us to email them to you.

We are also available to provide online demonstrations. Please email us at info@rok-box.com with the subject “ROKBOX walkthrough” and we’ll be in touch to schedule a session.

We publish the maximum artwork dimensions for each model and size of ROKBOX in our Product Guidelines. Please check to see if your artwork is compatible with these maximum dimensions before purchasing. If you need more assistance, please get in touch with us via email info@rok-box.com.

Plastics, when sourced carefully, reused many times over, then recycled responsibly, are actually considerable better for the environment than single use wood, cardboard and paper.
Single use plastic (foams, bubble wrap and other soft wrapping) should be avoided at all costs.
By utlising robust and easily recyclable Polypropylene (PP) we can reduce not just carbon emissions but also other environmental impacts through reuse.

If you would like more information on this topic, Julie’s Bicycle wrote a guide to using plastics responsibly, which features ROKBOX. Read it here.

Additionally, we have two independent Life Cycle Assessments that illustrate the environmental benefits of reusable ROKBOX crates compared to other fine art crating.
1. STiCH LCA, 2022
2. Northeastern University 2025 LCA

STiCH (Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage) are a team of cultural heritage professionals, engineers, and conservation graduate students who provide a clear path to reducing the carbon footprint from cultural heritage activities worldwide.

STiCH have studied the CO2e impact of different styles of wooden crates to that of reusable crates, including ROKBOX Original and Lite. ROKBOX products were proven to enable the greatest CO2e saving of all crating options, including other reusable crates. Furthermore, STiCH also measured additional environmental impacts such as carcinogenics, ecotoxicity and ozone depletion results which are produced as a result of crate making, usage and disposal. Again, ROKBOX crates were found to produce the lowest degree of pollutants of all crating options that STiCH compared.

GCC Active Members are entitled to a 10% Discount on Original, 10% Discount on Lite, unless buying over 5, then 20% discount. Offer available until August 2024 to all GCC Active Members.

Yes we do! Please contact orders@rok-box.com for more info.

Please complete this ROKBOX Hardware Order Form and we’ll be in touch about payment and shipment, thank you!