Nested Heights

What Nest Height Does

Plant pots, cups, buckets, trays and bowls sit inside one another when they are packed together, so a stack of ten is far shorter than ten single units piled on top of each other. Nest Height tells Helm how much height each extra unit adds, so when several units go into one parcel, Helm works out a realistic parcel height instead of multiplying the single-unit height by the quantity.

You set it once on the item, and Helm applies it every time that item is packed in quantity. Couriers price on size, so a parcel measured correctly gets the right service and avoids oversize charges it should never have had.

Example scenario

A garden centre sells plastic plant pots that are 10 cm tall. Each extra pot sits inside the one below and adds 3 cm. An order for ten pots goes out in a parcel measured at 37 cm tall, not 100 cm, so the label and the courier charge match the box that actually leaves the warehouse.

Before You Start

• Fill in the single unit’s dimensions. Nest Height is added on top of the item’s Height (cm), so Length (cm), Width (cm) and Height (cm) need to be set for one unit first.

• Measure a real stack. Stack ten units, measure the stack, take away the height of one unit and divide by nine. This gives a more accurate figure than measuring two units, because small differences add up.

• Only set it for items that nest. Leave Nest Height empty for anything that does not sit inside itself, and Helm measures parcels for that item in the usual way.

How to Set Nest Height in Helm

1. Go to Inventory and open the item.

2. Scroll to the Dimensions section.

3. Under Product Dimensions, find the Piece row and check that Weight (kg), Length (cm), Width (cm) and Height (cm) are filled in for a single unit.

4. Enter the extra height each additional unit adds in Nest Height (cm). Hover over the info icon next to the column heading for a reminder of what the field means.

5. Click Save Changes.

How Helm Uses It

When a parcel holds more than one unit of the item, Helm works out its height like this:

Parcel height = Height + Nest Height × (number of units − 1)

The first unit counts at its full height, and every unit after it adds only the nest height. Length and width stay the same, because nesting items grow upwards. A parcel holding a single unit keeps the item’s stored length, width and height exactly as they are.

Helm uses this whenever it works out parcel dimensions at despatch, whether a shipment is created on its own, as part of a batch, or with its label generated in advance.

Example

A plant pot is set up with Height (cm) of 10 and Nest Height (cm) of 3:

Without Nest Height, the same ten pots would be measured as a 100 cm stack.

Best Practices & Notes

Start With Your Highest-Volume Nesting Items

The items most often sent in multiples are where accurate parcel sizes make the biggest difference to courier costs. Set Nest Height on those first, then work through the rest of the range.

Check the First Few Shipments

After setting Nest Height on an item, compare the parcel size Helm calculates on the first few multi-unit orders with the box actually used. If they differ, re-measure the stack and adjust the figure.

Re-Measure When Packaging Changes

If a supplier changes a product’s shape, thickness or packaging, update both Height (cm) and Nest Height (cm) so parcels keep being measured correctly.

FAQ

Still stuck? Get in touch with the team through Contacting Support.