Choosing Glass Bottle Shape: 11 Major Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing Glass Bottle Shape: 11 Major Mistakes to Avoid

Glass Bottle Shapes
Choosing the right glass bottle shape for your product is a critical decision that can impact the product’s stability, branding, and labeling. In this article, we will explore some common mistakes that business owners make when choosing a glass bottle shape and how to avoid them.

Before that, let us explore the different glass bottle shapes available for product packaging.

Round: A classic, traditional shape for liquids like beverages, sauces, and oils.
Square: Often used for solid products like spices, candles, and cosmetics. Provides stability and maximizes shelf space.
Rectangular: Similar to square, but with rounded corners, often used for personal care products.
Bulbous: A rounded bottle with a large waist that tapers to a narrow neck, often used for specialty liquids and decorative purposes.
Cylindrical: A straight-sided bottle with a round cross-section, often used for juices, syrups, and sauces.
Taper: A bottle that narrows gradually from the base to the neck, often used for wine and spirits.
Hourglass: An inverted taper shape, wider at the middle and narrow at both ends, often used for sauces and condiments.
Bordeaux: A classic wine bottle shape, with a rounded shoulder and a straight or slightly angled body. Example: Château Margaux Wine Bottle.
Oblong: These bottles often have a long and narrow shape, allowing for a comfortable grip and easy pouring.
Lets us now explore some common mistakes that business owners make when choosing a glass bottle shape and how to avoid them. This article will mainly cover round and square shaped glass bottles.

1. Not considering the product type:
One of the most common mistakes business owners make is not considering the type of product they are packaging when choosing a glass bottle shape. Different product types may require different shapes of bottles.

For example, a round bottle may be best for packaging a beverage, while a square bottle may be best for packaging a food item. It is important to consider the product type and the packaging requirements before choosing a glass bottle shape.

Glass bottles online
Juices being packed in Round Shaped Glass Bottles
It is important to consider the product type and the packaging requirements before choosing a glass bottle shape.

Glass Jars
Square glass jars being used for packaging dry products
2. Ignoring labeling requirements:
The shape of the bottle can impact the amount of labeling space available. Business owners should consider the labeling requirements for their product and choose a glass bottle shape that provides enough space for labeling without sacrificing stability.

Glass Packaging for Liquor
Label sizes and designs on various types of glass bottles. Pic source: Freepik
3. Not considering product stability:
The stability of the product within the bottle is another important factor to consider when choosing a glass bottle shape. Business owners should choose a glass bottle shape that provides enough stability to prevent the product from spilling or tipping over.

4. Ignoring storage requirements:
The shape of the bottle can also effect the efficiency of storage. Business owners should consider the storage requirements for their product and choose a glass bottle shape that can be stored efficiently, such as a square bottle that can be stacked.

5. Choosing a novelty shape for the wrong reasons:
juice in wine bottlePic source: Freepik

Specialty glass bottle shapes, such as a wine bottle or a beer bottle, can be an effective way to differentiate a product from the competition. However, business owners should avoid choosing a novelty shape for the wrong reasons, such as because it looks cool or unique, without considering the impact it may have on the product’s stability, branding, and labeling.

6. Underestimating the importance of bottle strength:
The strength of the bottle is critical to ensure that it can withstand the demands of the packaging process, shipping, and storage. Business owners should choose a bottle shape that provides sufficient strength and stability to prevent breakage and protect the product. Generally, a round bottle helps equalizes pressure across its surface. On the other hand, due to uneven pressure, square shaped bottles have a high probability of getting cracks at corners.

7. Ignoring compatibility with automation and conveyor handling:
Automated packaging and conveyor handling can increase efficiency and reduce costs, but not all bottle shapes are compatible with these systems. Business owners should choose a bottle shape that is compatible with the automation and conveyor handling equipment they plan to use, to ensure smooth and efficient operations. Machine filling of a product in round shaped bottles is much faster and efficient compared to square ones.

8. Not considering bottle orientation:
The orientation of the bottle during handling and packaging can als