There is a wide range of moving boxes and professional packing materials available for purchase to help you organize and safeguard your belongings before, during and after moving day. Many moving companies will sell these items upon request. Home Depot and U-haul are major chains that also sell packing materials, boxes, and equipment in a retail setting.
Here is a list of the most commonly found boxes and what they are used for:
- Dish Pack (aka China Barrel): Heavy duty moving box used for packing dishes, china, crystal, pots, pans and glassware
- Double-wall Box: Double thick cardboard for extra protection designed especially for fine china, crystal, collectables, and other high-value fragile items
- 1.5 Cubic Foot: Small cart0n for heavy items such as books, files, CDs, DVDs, or small knick knacks
- 3.1 Cubic Foot: Medium utility box often used for pots and pans, toys, shoes, or small appliances
- 4.5 Cubic Foot: For large and bulky items, such as linens, towels, sweater, jackets, or toys
- 6.1 Cubic Foot: For large and lightweight articles, such as pillows, lampshades, sleeping bags
- Wardrobe Box: Tall box designed to keep clothes hanging on a built-in bar like a portable closet. The bottom can be filled with pillows, dust covers, or shoes
- Mirror Box: Several sizes of boxes for packing framed pictures, wall décor, mirrors or glass
- Shrink Wrap: Similar to consumer plastic wrap, shrink wrap is a plastic covering that safely adheres to furniture protecting it from snags, tears, rips, and dirt
Packing tape, tape dispensers, packing paper, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap are other packing materials commonly used to protect and secure your belongings while in transit.
Key to Remember: You might be able to fit every book you own into one wardrobe box but that does not mean it is a good idea. Select the box size that comfortably allows you to lift and move the boxes around your home. Remember when you are all moved into your new place and the movers leave, you are the one that needs to move and unpack all of those boxes. Always pack a box to a comfortable weight that you can handle. Check out our other blog posts on tips for packing as well as for packing your kitchen dishes, the family heirloom fine china, and also where to get used moving boxes for less!