The telescoping rigid box is characterized by how the lid and base interact with one another. The lid encases the box itself and is a separate piece from the base, an example of this is commonly seen in chocolate boxes. Sometimes the seal between the lid and the box tightly spaced to give a vacuum effect commonly associated with luxury packaging and custom packaging. The most famous example of this is the iPhone box.

Other variations of the telescoping box include partial telescoping, the classic shoe box, neck and shoulders, and the tray and sleeve box. The most notable of these variations is the neck and shoulders box. Like many of these boxes, its name suggests the form of this box. A portion of the box protrudes from the inner chipboard of the rigid box, this is the “neck” portion. This allows for the rigid box base and its lid to have a flush look that is often desired by many within the custom packaging industry. In some cases, however, the neck is made extra long to create a break between the lid and the base where the “neck” becomes visible. This is done mainly for an aesthetic reason, the neck itself can be colored which adds an additional element of design to the box.