Better packing than paper or styrofoam Pnut?

[WtGreg]

So I have always shipped using paper (and occasionally packing peanuts) to cushion the box. I recently heard a suggestion of pillow stuffing (the polyester or nylon kind (can't remember it's actual material)) being used for cold months because it supposedly holds heat better. Never heard this before, so was wondering if it is worth implementing... Any body have any thoughts, concerns, or experience with this?

If no health concerns, I'm almost tempted to take identical boxes and test the stuff side by side to paper to measure how well, if at all, it works as it makes some sense in how it would trap some warmer air better than paper or peanuts.... but not sure that is even worth my time and costs of supplies. Thoughts?

[Robyn@SYR]

I would guess it would have a limited insulation improvement, but it would certainly nest and fit in well.

[RobNJ]

because it supposedly holds heat better. Never heard this before, so was wondering if it is worth implementing...

I don't think holding heat is the idea behind the pillow fiber, but rather better transfer of heat throughout the box. That being said, I've tested a 7x7x6 box outdoors overnight at less than 25 degrees, packed with shredded and whole newspaper with a heat pack, and was plenty happy with the temperature inside the box the following morning.

[WtGreg]

I don't think holding heat is the idea behind the pillow fiber, but rather better transfer of heat throughout the box. That being said, I've tested a 7x7x6 box outdoors overnight at less than 25 degrees, packed with shredded and whole newspaper with a heat pack, and was plenty happy with the temperature inside the box the following morning.

I have done the same with my boxes, lol. When I get a new size I am not sure of I test it outside while the heat pack is fresher, then move indoors the next morning to see what it does with the warmer indoor temps. This helped immensely figuring the best use of double heat packs for cold, or when they would heat too much in warmth. Since I did use a variety of boxes and insulation thickness, I found some big differences and if I didn't test, I would have certainly shipped a poorly-or-overheated snake by now... Luckily I haven't.
Now I have too many, so I have standardized my boxes down to a couple sizes that I am familiar with so I don't have those concerns anymore, but back when I got the odd boxes for free and cut my own side insulation, this was a big thing for me.

Anyways, I now use a similar sized box to yours all the time for my smaller shipments since the switch to standard box sizes. If I were to test this stuff, I would use that box and a medium sized one. I had the same thought as you about the transfer of heat versus holding heat. In the smaller box the merit of something like that is less concerning to me from my experience with it, but in the medium and larger boxes I think there is some merit in getting better heat transfer around the box, so perhaps there's something to it.

[coldbloodaddict]

Polyfill is all I use in the winter...It allows the heat to travel all through the box...Paper can stop the flow of the heat pack...It can be hot on top the paper and just below still really cold.