A 40-foot high-cube container holds about 68–76 CBM of internal space, but furniture almost never fills more than 65–75% of it. To estimate piece count, take your realistic usable volume — roughly 48–52 CBM after fill loss — and divide by the packed CBM of each item. A mixed Bali load usually lands between 150 and 400 pieces.
That single division is the whole method, but the numbers you plug in decide whether your quote and your booking match reality. Here is how to size a container properly for rattan (rotan), teak (jati), mahogany and mixed wood-and-metal mebel headed for export.
What is the real usable volume of a 40ft container?
Container spec sheets quote gross internal volume — the space between the walls with nothing in it. You will never load to that number. Doors, corner posts, the need to keep stacks stable, and the plain fact that furniture is full of gaps mean the loadable figure is lower.
Here is how the three common boxes compare, as of 2026 (dimensions are typical; verify against your forwarder’s actual units):
| Container | Gross internal volume | Typical usable volume | Realistic furniture load (65–75% fill) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft standard | ~33 CBM | ~25–28 CBM | ~17–21 CBM |
| 40ft standard | ~67 CBM | ~55–58 CBM | ~37–44 CBM |
| 40ft high cube (HQ) | ~76 CBM | ~68–70 CBM | ~46–52 CBM |
The 40ft HQ is the workhorse for Bali furniture because the extra ~30 cm of height lets you stack one more layer of chairs or nest another tier of case goods. When you plan furniture wholesale container orders, the number that actually drives your piece count is that right-hand column — realistic load — not the headline capacity printed on the container door.
How do you calculate CBM per furniture piece?
CBM (cubic metre) is length × width × height in metres, measured on the packed carton, not the bare item. Export packing — corner protectors, cardboard, shrink wrap, sometimes a light crate for glass or stone tops — adds a few centimetres on every side, so always cube the packed dimension.
Example: a rattan dining chair packed at 0.55 m × 0.55 m × 0.95 m = 0.287 CBM. Round to clean working figures to estimate fast.
Typical packed CBM ranges for Bali export mebel (indicative, spec-dependent):
| Item | Packed CBM (each) |
|---|---|
| Dining chair / side chair (rattan or teak) | 0.15–0.30 |
| Bar stool | 0.10–0.25 |
| Armchair / lounge chair | 0.35–0.60 |
| Dining table (knock-down top + legs) | 0.30–0.80 |
| Sideboard / console / buffet | 0.50–1.10 |
| Sofa (2–3 seat) | 0.90–1.80 |
| Bed frame (knock-down) | 0.40–0.90 |
| Coffee table / nesting set | 0.20–0.45 |
Knock-down (KD) construction matters. Tables and beds that ship flat with legs detached can cut per-piece CBM by a third or more, which is why experienced importers ask workshops to KD wherever the design allows.
Why does fill rate matter more than raw volume?
Fill rate — sometimes called stowage or cube efficiency — is the share of usable volume you actually turn into product. Furniture is a low-fill cargo. A container of identical, stackable, rectangular cartons might reach 85–90% fill. A mixed load of curved rattan armchairs, a few sofas, and irregular carved pieces can drop to 55–65% because curves and odd shapes trap air.
Three levers move your fill rate:
- Assortment. Nesting chairs, stacking stools and KD case goods pack tight. Bulky upholstered sofas and fixed-shape lounge pieces waste space. A container that “cubes out” (fills on volume) before it “weighs out” is normal for wood and rattan — this furniture is light for its size.
- Packing discipline. Uniform carton sizes, flat tops shipped separately, and cushions bagged and slotted into voids all raise fill.
- Stack height. The HQ’s extra height only pays off if items are stackable to the ceiling without crushing.
Plan on 65–75% for a well-assorted wood/rattan load, and closer to 55–65% if sofas and irregular carved pieces dominate.
Worked example: estimating a mixed Bali container
Take a 40ft HQ with ~68 CBM usable and an expected 70% fill rate, giving ~47.6 CBM of product to allocate. A sample mixed order:
| Item | Qty | CBM each | CBM subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rattan dining chairs | 110 | 0.22 | 24.2 |
| Bar stools | 40 | 0.18 | 7.2 |
| Dining tables (KD) | 15 | 0.50 | 7.5 |
| Sideboards | 6 | 0.80 | 4.8 |
| Coffee tables | 10 | 0.30 | 3.0 |
| Total | 181 | — | 46.7 |
That is roughly 180 pieces in one 40ft HQ, sitting just under the 47.6 CBM ceiling. Swap sofas in and the count falls fast — ten 1.4-CBM sofas eat 14 CBM, the space of about 60 dining chairs. The lesson: your piece count is set by the assortment, not the box.
How freight and cubing-out change your piece count
Sea freight on Bali/Jawa export routes is priced by CBM on LCL and by the box on FCL. A Bali sourcing guide cites indicative sea freight of USD 80–200 per CBM on shorter routes and USD 150–350 per CBM on longer ones (examples only, as of 2026, subject to change). Once you commit to a full 40ft, the freight is fixed whether you load 40 CBM or 50 — so cubing the box out is how you drive down cost per piece.
MOQ here is not a fixed unit count. The practical minimum is one mixed container that cubes out — you fill a 20ft or 40ft HQ with an assortment rather than ordering 500 of a single SKU. FOB is quoted from Jawa/Bali ports (Semarang or Surabaya). Every wood piece needs SVLK/V-Legal timber-legality documentation in the export pack, and EU-bound buyers should prepare geolocation and due-diligence records for deforestation rules — prepare the documents, and treat customs and EUDR clearance as outcomes to confirm, never as guarantees.
Prices stay quote-based per item and spec. A sourcing guide’s example FOB chair sits at IDR 1,700,000–2,800,000 (about USD 105–175 each at its exchange rate) — indicative only, with your real number coming from the item list you send.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dining chairs fit in a 40ft container from Bali?
At a realistic 65–75% fill rate, a 40ft high-cube gives about 47–52 CBM of product space. Stackable rattan or teak dining chairs packed at 0.20–0.25 CBM each work out to roughly 190–260 chairs if the container is chairs-only — fewer once tables, sideboards or sofas share the load.
Should I order a 20ft or 40ft HQ for my first Bali furniture order?
A 20ft holds ~17–21 CBM of furniture; a 40ft HQ holds ~46–52 CBM — more than double for far less than double the freight. If you can assemble an assortment that cubes out a 40ft HQ, cost per piece drops. For a small test order, a 20ft or an LCL consolidation keeps risk lower.
Does knock-down packing really fit more pieces per container?
Yes. Shipping tables, beds and some case goods knock-down — flat tops with legs detached — can cut a piece’s packed CBM by a third or more, and it lets flat components slot into voids. On a 40ft HQ that difference can mean dozens of extra pieces, which is why workshops KD wherever the joinery allows.