Walmart Ships 165 Pool Noodles in 165 Separate Boxes

A Walmart customer got much more packaging than expected after ordering a large batch of pool noodles online.

According to a viral post shared on Reddit, the customer ordered 165 pool noodles from Walmart.

Instead of arriving in one or two large cartons, the order showed up in 165 separate boxes—with each box containing a single pool noodle.

The image of the delivery quickly made the rounds online, showing a front porch completely covered in identical cardboard boxes.

Commenters were stunned by the inefficiency.

One joked that the delivery driver was probably thrilled to discover all 165 boxes were going to a single address and weighed almost nothing.

Others suggested the issue was likely caused by an automated packaging system.

Former shipping workers explained that large retailers often rely on software to determine box sizes and shipping methods. In some cases, warehouse employees simply follow what the system tells them and are unable to override the packaging instructions.

That means an algorithm somewhere apparently decided that the most efficient way to ship 165 foam pool noodles was one box at a time.

The story also sparked memories of similar Walmart shipping mishaps, including customers receiving partial birthday party supplies or overly large boxes containing tiny items.

Walmart has not publicly commented on the viral pool noodle order.

For now, the internet remains fascinated by what may be one of the least efficient deliveries ever documented.