I have checked them as is. I would recommend taping around the whole bin to secure lids. However, I have had them crack as well and would not use most of them on arrival. For less weight and maximum volume, we checked cardboard shipping boxes on our last move to Africa. We had access to some boxes used by Brooks running shoes to ship to a retail shoe store that had dimensions marked on the box right at the maximum size. Weight is easily a problem - be mindful of southwest's restrictions. In our case, a few hundred dollars in overweight fees was much cheaper and faster than any other international shipping option.