Volumetric weight
Volumetric weight is a pricing measure based on a shipment's size rather than its actual weight, used when goods are bulky but light.
Last reviewed 16 July 2026.
Volumetric weight (dimensional or 'dim' weight) is a way carriers price shipments that take up a lot of space relative to their mass. It converts the volume of a package into a notional weight using a standard divisor, and the carrier charges on whichever is greater — the actual weight or the volumetric weight.
It matters most in air freight and courier shipping, where space is at a premium, but the same volume-versus-weight logic drives LCL sea-freight pricing (billed per cubic metre). Light, bulky products — cushions, empty containers, packaging-heavy goods — are the ones caught out.
Reducing volumetric weight through better packing, flat-pack designs or denser configurations can cut freight cost significantly without changing the product itself.
How it affects your landed cost
For bulky-but-light goods, volumetric weight — not actual weight — sets the freight bill, and that freight is a core part of landed cost. If you price freight off actual weight for a product that cubes out, your landed cost will be badly understated. Entering the freight figure the carrier will actually charge into our calculator keeps the per-unit cost realistic for light, bulky items.
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