Freight Class for Furniture
Furniture runs from about class 100 to class 250 on the current NMFC scale, the widest spread of any common freight. Flat-packed desks on a pallet measured 9.5 lb/ft³, which is class 100. A boxed upholstered armchair measured 3.3 lb/ft³, which is class 250. How the piece is built and packed decides the class, so quote each piece from its own size and weight.
The widest class range in general freight
Furniture spans more of the NMFC scale than almost anything else that moves LTL — from flat-packed case goods around class 100 to assembled upholstered pieces at 250 and beyond. The spread comes from two independent axes. Construction: a knock-down desk is boards in a slab-flat carton, while the assembled version is the same boards arranged around working-height air. Upholstery: foam and cushioning are engineered softness, which is to say engineered low density, and no packing decision changes what a finished sofa is.
Because the range is so wide, furniture is the commodity where quoting off the category instead of the piece hurts most. "Furniture, class 175" as a standing assumption overbills every flat-packed case-goods shipment and underbills every assembled sofa — the first wastes money quietly, the second gets rebilled loudly. Quote each configuration from its own measured density.
Worked examples
Measured as shipped: the outside of the carton, crate or loaded pallet, and the total weight.
Flat-packed desks, palletized — class 100
KD desk cartons stacked 36" high on a 48" × 40" pallet, 380 lb.
48 × 40 × 36 = 69,120 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 40.0 ft³. Density = 380 lb ÷ 40.0 ft³.
9.5 lb/ft³ → class 100 — the favorable end of the furniture range.
Boxed upholstered armchair — class 250
An assembled armchair in a carton, 36" × 34" × 36", 85 lb.
36 × 34 × 36 = 44,064 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 25.5 ft³. Density = 85 lb ÷ 25.5 ft³.
3.3 lb/ft³ → class 250. Upholstery is engineered air — packing can't change it.
One desk, two configurations — class 250 vs class 100
The same desk: assembled in a 62" × 32" × 32" crate at 140 lb, or knocked down in a 62" × 32" × 12" carton at 130 lb.
Assembled: 36.7 ft³ → 140 ÷ 36.7 = 3.8 lb/ft³. Knocked down: 13.8 ft³ → 130 ÷ 13.8 = 9.4 lb/ft³.
Assembled = class 250 · knocked down = class 100. Same product, class 250 versus class 100.
Flat-pack arbitrage, and what to do when you can't
For hard furniture the class decision is made at the packaging line, not the loading dock. The same desk ships as an assembled crate at class 250 or as a knock-down carton at class 100 (the worked example above is exactly this pair) — a spread big enough that many manufacturers' entire logistics model is built on never shipping assembled. If your product line allows KD packing at all, it is worth engineering for.
Upholstered and finished pieces that must ship assembled play a different game: protect without inflating. Blanket-wrap-plus-strapping on a skid measures the piece nearly at its own dimensions; a boxed sofa carries carton clearance on all six faces; a full crate adds more still. Each protection tier costs measured cube, so match it to the lane — a one-stop regional move may not justify the crate that a cross-country LTL journey does. Sectionals earn a special note: shipped as separate sections banded upright on one skid, they cube dramatically tighter than one assembled footprint.
Check your furniture's class
Enter the carton, crate or pallet size and the total weight. Measure at the widest and tallest points, including any skid.
Density-based estimate. Some commodities carry a fixed NMFC class — check our freight class by commodity pages.
Estimated Freight Class
Density
9
lb/ft³
Volume
53.33
ft³
Weight
480
lb
8–10 lb/ft³ → Class 100
NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1, effective July 19, 2025)
Free PDF includes a watermark. Pro removes it & adds your brand.
Estimates only — verify freight class/NMFC and chargeable weight with your carrier.
Uses the 13-tier NMFC density scale (Docket 2025-1). See the full freight class chart.
Frequently asked questions
What freight class is furniture?
Most furniture ships between class 100 and 250. Flat-pack (knock-down) furniture on pallets sits near class 100 to 125. Assembled and upholstered pieces, like sofas and armchairs, sit near 175 to 250. Some furniture has its own NMFC item, so confirm with your carrier.
What freight class is a sofa or couch?
Assembled upholstered sofas typically measure 3–5 lb/ft³ → class 175–250 boxed on the current NMFC scale. Sections shipped separately, or frames shipped KD for local assembly, measure considerably denser. Measure the actual carton or crate at its extremes.
What freight class is flat-pack furniture?
Palletized knock-down furniture commonly measures 7–10 lb/ft³ → class 100–125. It's the single biggest class advantage in the furniture category — the same pieces assembled rate 175–250.
Should I crate or blanket-wrap assembled furniture?
Blanket-wrap on a skid measures closest to the piece's own dimensions and rates best; boxing adds clearance on every face; full crating adds the most protection and the most cube. Match the tier to the lane's handling risk — and price the difference with the calculator before deciding.
What freight class is office furniture?
It depends on assembly. Flat-packed desks measure around 9.5 lb/ft³, which is class 100. Assembled chairs stacked on a pallet can measure under 2 lb/ft³, which is class 300, while the same chairs knocked down flat measure about 5.4 lb/ft³, which is class 175.