LightInTheBox Shipping & Delivery: A Complete Guide

Last Updated: September 18, 2022

This is a complete guide to the shipping and delivery of LightInTheBox.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How long does LightInTheBox take to deliver?
• What are the shipping methods offered by LightInTheBox?
• How much does LightInTheBox charge for shipping?
• Does LightInTheBox ship worldwide?

Let’s get started.

How Long Does LightInTheBox Take To Deliver?

LightInTheBox’s total delivery time is primarily dependent on three things: 

1. Processing time
2. Shipping time
3. Order destination country

1. Processing Time

Processing time is the time taken in the preparation of your buying item, checking its quality, and packing it for shipping before it leaves LightInTheBox’s warehouse.

The processing time varies from category to category.

2. Shipping Time

The shipping time is the time it takes for your order to reach your destination address after it leaves LightInTheBox’s warehouse. 

Remember, the shipping time is dependent on the shipping address and shipping methods.

3. Order destination country

The total delivery time also depends upon your destination country.

LightInTheBox has warehouses in China, North America, and Europe. 

If your product is delivered by one of these warehouses near your country, it will definitely take a short time to deliver and vice versa.

Hence, to sum up:

 Total delivery time  = Processing time + Shipping time + Order destination country

Simply, take processing time, shipping time, and your order destination address into consideration and you will have an estimated delivery time.

In case you don’t know, here is:

How To Calculate An Estimated Delivery Time?

To calculate, you will need to find two things: Processing time and Shipping time.

First, let’s find out the processing time for your preferred item(s):

1. Since the processing time varies from category to category, select the product you want to purchase and choose your preferred details such as color, size, etc. 
2. Under the “Add to Cart” button, you will have the processing time for your preferred item(s). In our case, it is  1-3 business days .

For now, just follow the steps below to find out an estimated shipping time depending on the available shipping methods and your shipping address:

1. Click on “Add To Cart.”

2. On the next page, click on “Checkout.”

3. At the checkout page, add your shipping address and LightInTheBox will show you the available shipping methods with an estimated shipping time depending on your shipping address.

That’s how you can find out an estimated Processing time and Shipping time. 

To calculate an estimated delivery time, add these two (processing time + shipping time).

For example:

According to LightInTheBox, the estimated processing time for our preferred item was  1-3 business days :

And an estimated shipping time was  5-9 business days  if we choose USPS as a shipping method:

Let’s add these two:

Processing time (1-3 business days) + Shipping time (5-9 business days) = 9-12 business days

So according to LightInTheBox, my estimated delivery time will be in  9-12 business days .

However, the estimated processing time and shipping time LightInTheBox shows you are mostly inaccurate based on my research and analysis. It usually takes much longer than what you are shown while ordering.

If you ask me:

How Long Does LightInTheBox Usually Take To Deliver?

Based on my research and analysis, LightInTheBox usually takes 3-5 weeks to deliver items to most countries.

For some countries, it takes up to 1-2 months as well for orders to be delivered to the customers.

Why does LightInTheBox takes so long to deliver?

The reason why it takes so long to deliver your orders is because of the fact that it doesn’t ship directly when a customer places an order.

Since LightInTheBox works as an intermediary between suppliers and buyers, whenever they receive an order from a customer, they source products from suppliers, process them, and then pass them on to the shipping courier which ultimately results in a longer delivery period.

Another reason why their delivery time is too long is because of international cross-border shipping as it involves customs clearance procedures.

LightInTheBox Shipping Methods

Now let’s learn about all the shipping methods LightInTheBox offers and which one is right for you.

But before we get into the details, take a look at this table to get the most important information right away.

Now let’s get into the details of each shipping method.

Global Postal Service – No Tracking

Global Postal Service – No Tracking is carried by National Postal Service and it is the cheapest shipping method among all provided by LightInTheBox. 

While using this service, the National Postal Service will not charge you any extra shipping charges.

You will pay as per your item’s weight only. 

Though its shipping time varies from country to country, it usually takes  15 to 35 business days  to deliver orders. 

The major downside of using this service is that you can’t track your order and the risk of your order being damaged or lost exists. 

Therefore, it is highly recommended that you should use Global Postal Service – No Tracking for only cheaper items. 

Global Postal Service – Tracking

Global Postal Service with a tracking facility is also carried by the National Postal Service.

It’s the same shipping method as the previous one (Global Postal Service – No Tracking), but it provides tracking for a slightly higher shipping fee.

Its shipping time also varies from country to country but it usually takes  15 to 35 business days  to deliver orders.

It is also recommended for cheaper items only.

Global Expedited Postal

Global Expedited Postal is carried by international Couriers such as Express Mail Service (EMS) and others.

Shipping with Global Expedited Postal usually takes  15 to 25 business days .

This shipping method is reliable for overweight items and items having shipping restrictions that cannot be carried with other expedited shipping methods. 

Hence, if your order is expensive and you want it to be shipped in a short time, this service is highly recommended to you. 

Global Expedited Express

Global Expedited Express is much more expensive than Global Postal Service but it is one of the fastest shipping methods available in LightInTheBox as it is carried by well-known shipping companies such as DHL, UPS, FedEx, and TNT

With this shipping method, your order will usually take  15 to 25 business days  to deliver your items.

Furthermore, you will have tracking updates available on your order.

Global Expedited Express is recommended for fast and safe delivery, and for expensive items costing more than $100. 

Priority Line

Priority Line is a faster shipping method than Postal Expedited, but cheaper than Express Expedited.

This shipping method is balanced between speed and cost.

With the priority line, your order will usually take  10 to 20 business days  and it is carried by Yunexpress and other local couriers.

Does LightInTheBox offer free shipping?

Yes, LightInTheBox offer free shipping as well but for a very specific items. Generally, you won’t see the free shipping option while ordering.

How Much Does LightInTheBox Charge For Shipping?

LightInTheBox doesn’t have a fix shipping charges.

The shipping costs of LightInTheBox vary with the item(s), destination address, and shipping method.

Prior to buying any items, you can easily calculate the shipping costs for your preferred item(s).

To calculate the shipping costs, follow these 3 simple steps:

1. Add your preferred item(s) to your shopping cart.

2. On the shopping cart page, click on “Checkout” to proceed.

3. On the checkout page, enter your shipping address and you’ll see different shipping methods each with its own shipping costs.

One thing I want to point out here is that LightInTheBox’s shipping costs are typically high.

Does LightInTheBox Ship Worldwide?

As an international e-commerce company, LightInTheBox ships to nearly every country. 

It is partnered with international and local courier companies to deliver products to almost every corner of the globe.

Although it ships to almost all the countries, just to confirm whether it ships to your country, visit the LightInTheBox website and from the top right corner, click on “Ships to” and enter your country.

If your country appears in the search, it means it ships to your country.

Final Words

The total delivery time of LightInTheBox is dependent on processing time, shipping time, and destination address.

However, LightInTheBox usually takes 3 to 5 weeks to deliver products to customers in most countries.

In some cases, it takes even longer than that, probably 1 to 2 months.

Two of the major downsides of ordering products from LightInTheBox is that their delivery time is too long and its shipping costs are usually high.

I would say you should only consider purchasing from LightInTheBox if you are not in a rush to get your products and can bear the shipping costs easily.

That’s All!

Hopefully, this guide has covered everything you need to know about the shipping and delivery of LightInTheBox.

If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments below.