Polystyrene Boxes (EPS)

Buy EPS boxes — polystyrene & tempex insulated boxes from our own production

EPS boxes — also known as polystyrene boxes, tempex boxes, insulation boxes or in English styrofoam boxes — have been the standard for decades for the chilled and frozen shipping of temperature-sensitive products. We produce these insulated boxes ourselves in the Netherlands and deliver them within two working days throughout the Netherlands and Europe. Above you'll find all standard sizes with direct prices, from a compact 5-litre box to a 173-litre model, in thin-walled and thick-walled versions.

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Own production

Dutch manufacturer with own production. Shorter lines, sharper prices.

Available now

Standard sizes in stock. Order before 2:00 pm and it's usually delivered the next day.

No standard size fits?

We have an extensive range of existing moulds. Request a quote — and we'll help you look.

What is an EPS box?

EPS stands for expanded polystyrene. In practice everyone just calls it polystyrene, the older brand name tempex, or styrofoam in English. It's the same material: a white, lightweight plastic that consists of about 98% air and 2% polystyrene.

That air is the whole trick. Thanks to the millions of small, closed cells that make up the material, heat can barely pass through. An EPS box therefore works exactly like a woollen jumper in winter: it keeps the temperature in, whether cold or warm.

That's why you'll find EPS boxes in every corner of the cold chain — from a fish stall at the market to a transatlantic vaccine shipment in the cargo plane.

You'll come across the EPS box under many names: polystyrene box, tempex box, insulation box or insulated box, and eps box. As packaging material it's also called eps packaging or polystyrene packaging, and in English a polystyrene box or styrofoam box. Smaller, open versions with a lid are often called polystyrene trays or tempex trays. It's always the same thing: a lightweight, insulating packaging of expanded polystyrene.

Performance of EPS (polystyrene) insulated boxes

EPS insulated boxes are widely used for the chilled shipping of temperature-sensitive products. Thanks to the closed-cell structure and high insulation value, they are suitable for a wide range of applications within food, pharma and logistics.

• Cooling time: up to approx. 48 hours, depending on wall thickness, gel packs and outside temperature.
• Insulation: built up of ±98% air, which ensures a high insulation value.
• Applications: suitable for meat, fish, meals and pharmaceutical products.
• Use in practice: widely used by e-commerce food companies and logistics parties.

How does an EPS box work in practice?

The insulation comes from two things at once: the material itself and the way you fill it.

The material. The thicker the wall, the longer the contents stay at temperature. A thin-walled EPS box of 20 mm keeps products cool for about eight to twelve hours; a thick-walled one of 40-50 mm, combined with gel packs, easily reaches 24 to 48 hours.

The way of filling. Empty space is your enemy. The less air left in the box, the less heat can circulate. So fill the box as tightly as possible and place gel packs on top of the product — cold air sinks and cools evenly that way.

Other factors that play a role: the outside temperature, how long the box is in transit, and the number of cooling elements you use. For most parcel shipments in the Netherlands, a thick-walled EPS box with two gel packs is more than sufficient.

Own production & directly from stock

We are a Dutch EPS manufacturer with our own factory. You see this reflected in two places: in our own factory where the boxes are made, and in the warehouse where the standard sizes are ready for delivery within two working days.

Standard orders received before 2:00 pm usually leave the premises the same day. Full pallet orders are ready for agreed delivery, even when it concerns several pallets at once.

Why choose EPS insulated boxes?

High insulation value

The closed air cells of EPS provide an insulation value that cardboard or paper cannot match. Products stay at temperature for a long time — chilled and frozen.

Perfect combination with gel packs

EPS boxes work best together with cooling elements. Gel packs on top of the product keep the temperature stable for hours to days, depending on the wall thickness.

Sturdy and shock-resistant

The sturdy structure protects fragile products against pressure and knocks during transport. Suitable for fragile goods such as fish, glass or medical samples.

Lightweight — low shipping costs

EPS is surprisingly light. That directly saves on the shipping invoice, especially for subscription services and e-commerce where every gram counts.

What EPS boxes are used for

EPS boxes are designed for one thing: protecting products against temperature fluctuations and against knocks during transport. That makes them suitable for a wide range of sectors.

• Meat, fish and game. Butchers and fish wholesalers have used EPS boxes for decades. For fish, boxes with drainage holes are often chosen so meltwater drains away.
• Meal kits and meal prep. For subscription services and weekend meals. The low weight keeps shipping costs down.
• Dairy, cheese and delicatessen. For products that are just a little too fragile for a paper cooling solution.
• Flowers, plants and cuttings. Protection against temperature peaks in summer and frost in winter.
• Medicines, vaccines and biological samples. Pharmaceutical distribution with strict cold-chain requirements. For blood samples, packing is often done according to ADR P650.
• Frozen products. Combined with dry ice, the contents stay frozen for over 48 hours.
• E-commerce food and drink. From craft beer to patisserie.

Not sure whether EPS is the right solution for your product? Send us an email with your product type, desired temperature and transport duration — and we'll advise which size and wall thickness works.

Which EPS box do you need?

Three choices determine which box suits best:

1. The size

Choose a box that's just big enough for your product plus your cooling elements. Too much empty space reduces the cooling performance — less space means less warm air inside. So rather use a smaller box with suitable gel packs than a large box that leaves half empty.

2. The wall thickness

Thin-walled (20-30 mm) is suitable for shipments of a few hours up to half a day, for example local delivery or next-day delivery within the Netherlands. Thick-walled (30-50 mm) is the choice for 24 hours or longer, international shipping, or products with a narrow temperature window such as pharma.

3. With or without drainage holes

Drainage holes are handy for products that release meltwater (fish on ice, some frozen products). For pharma or dry products you choose a sealed version — no risk of leakage.

Not sure? We send samples for your own practical test.

How long does an EPS box stay cold?

In practice: somewhere between 12 and 48 hours, sometimes longer. The spread is large because the cooling time depends on several things at once. The indicative times below come from practical tests with our own boxes at an outside temperature of about 20 °C.

These figures are guidelines, not absolute guarantees. The actual cooling time depends on the outside temperature, how full the box is and the starting temperature of the product. Want to be sure? Order a data logger and measure your shipping route yourself.

EPS box or insulated bag — which suits better?

Not every cooling packaging is a box. For some applications, an insulated bag, a foldable thermal box or a honeycomb cardboard box works better. For insulation and sturdiness the EPS box wins; for space efficiency and recyclability the alternatives win. The table below sets the properties side by side.

Brief conclusion. If protection and sturdiness are as important as insulation — meat, fish, fragile pharma — an EPS box remains the safest choice. If you mainly want to save on storage space and transport costs of empty packaging, an insulated bag or honeycomb box is probably smarter.

Why EPS boxes from Cooled Solutions?

We are a Dutch EPS manufacturer with our own production. Our polystyrene boxes are used daily by major names in food, pharma and logistics. Companies such as Bayer and Janssen Pharmaceutica choose our cooling packaging for temperature-sensitive transport of medical products. KLM, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Emirates use them in their cargo logistics, and Ahold in the retail chain.

• Short lines, own production. Because we produce ourselves, you speak directly with someone who knows how an EPS box is made and what works best in your situation.
• Own production + stock. Standard sizes are available immediately. Thanks to our own production capacity and extensive range of moulds, we often find a box close to your desired size — even if it's not in our standard range.
• Fast delivery. Standard orders within 2 working days, even for full pallet volumes.
• Advice that goes beyond the box. We think along about the entire packaging: box + cooling elements + outer box + label. We often save customers 10-20% on packaging costs through smarter choices in the composition.