Wall mounted letter box?  Post box for gates?  Or maybe through the wall solution? If you still not sure about your letterbox choice, please visit the blog "As Seen Through The Letterbox". You will find few helpful pointers and information about different types of letterboxes available. As a matter of good business practice, every business owner visits their competitors’ websites to see what new products are on offer and how they are being presented to clients.

I have noticed, while browsing through these websites and visiting eBay and Amazon, that there are hundreds of suppliers and thousands of different external post boxes available for purchase. That gave me the idea to share a few tips about choosing the right letterbox. This is not an article that will help you decide if you need for example a wall-mounted letter box or one that goes through the wall. I will concentrate purely on the features, quality and security of your future post box. I will also ignore the price factor, as how much you would like to spend on your letterbox would be your own personal choice.

Manufacturing

The first question I would ask is where the particular post box was manufactured. Was it made in Europe or on another continent? Is it a particular brand, or just a mass-produced product with no name? There are several quality control measures for letterboxes and their manufacturers, which should contribute to the quality and security of your product. For example, the ISO9001 management quality certificate and EU regulations for post boxes ensure your letterbox is manufactured in the right environment and to certain standards.

Material

We are living in a country of constant rain and wind, plus very often close to the sea as we are an island. Therefore, there is a high chance of a high salt content in the air, and that could affect your letterbox. A galvanised steel and powder-coated letterbox is a must. Ask your supplier if the steel under the paint layer is galvanised or not. What is the point of buying a wall mounted letter box which will rust in a year’s time? Run a simple comparison between the letterboxes you are considering, and check the weight of each of them. Chances are that if they all look similar and have similar dimensions, the lightest ones may be made of tin steel and will not last. On the other hand, the heaviest one will probably have the thickest "skin" and may give you a few more years.

Dimensions of the large post box and the letter slot

We all get more and more letters and advertising these days, and you don't want them to fill your letterbox quickly. You also don’t want your important documents in A4 format to arrive squashed or be sticking out of your letter slot. Check the dimensions of the letterbox and the letter slot itself. Take an A4 piece of paper and piece of cardboard, cut the cardboard to the dimensions of the letterbox (width and length) and compare them both. It will give you an idea of the capacity and ability to hold larger letters. Cut the opening in your cardboard according to the dimensions of the letter slot on the letterbox you are considering. Check if your A4 page fits easily or if you need to fold it to put it through.

Security

Use the same opening in the cardboard to test how difficult is to reach through and potentially grab your letters from inside. There is no point of having a wall mounted letter box with a big letter slot only to find that someone can help themselves to your bank statements. Enquire about the make of the lock used – again, is it a "no name" product or a lock manufactured in Europe according to certain standards of security for the industry? You can always ask your local locksmith about the brand if you are not sure.

Looking for suitable post boxes for sale is a long process. You may think it is only a letterbox, but you are buying a product that should really last a good few years and keep even the most important letters secure. Any supplier of good-quality letterboxes will either display all of the above information or will have no problems with answering your questions. Happy shopping!

Dominic
Founder&Director of Letterbox4you

P.S.
My personal choice- Wall mounted letter box Serenissima 🙂