The right boxes
Two or three box sizes are enough for most households. What matters more than variety is that the boxes are sturdy and as uniform as possible: boxes of the same size stack neatly, in the van and in storage.
| Box | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Small box (book box) | Books, files, dishes, tools | Everything heavy goes here, so the box stays liftable |
| Standard moving box | Most things: kitchen items, toys, decorations, mixed contents | Double-wall for anything heavier |
| Large box | Light, bulky things: bedding, cushions, clothes, lampshades | Never fill with heavy items: a large box full of books is almost impossible to carry |
| Wardrobe box | Hanging clothes | Worth it mainly for suits and dresses that shouldn’t crease |
Used boxes: check first, then pack
Used boxes aren’t automatically bad. A sturdy, dry box that has been through one move can handle a second. But cardboard gets weaker with every move, every brush with moisture and every time the flaps are opened and closed. A box that survives a day of carrying won’t necessarily hold up for months at the bottom of a stack.
Before a used box goes back into service, check it quickly:
- Corners and walls: still stiff, not soft or dented.
- Flaps: all there, none hanging on by a strip.
- Condition: no water stains, no musty smell.
- Construction: double-wall if it’s for heavy items.
If a box fails, recycle it. If it passes, use it for light things, and put new boxes where the load is highest: for heavy items and at the bottom of the stack. You can order new boxes and packing materials when you reserve your storage unit.
What you need for packing
Besides the boxes, you don’t need much, but you need the right things:
- Packing tape: wide tape made for packing, not thin office tape. The bottom of a box is the wrong place to save.
- Packing paper: for wrapping dishes and fragile items. Newspaper works at a pinch but can leave ink marks.
- Soft padding: towels, tea towels, bedding, jumpers. You have to take them with you anyway.
- Marker and labels: a thick, waterproof marker is enough.
- Small bags: for screws, cables and small parts, so nothing slips out through a gap.
Boxes of similar weight: mix by room and by weight
Most guides recommend packing room by room. That’s right, because it means you’ll find everything again when you unpack. But if you only sort by type, you end up with one box full of books that’s far too heavy and one full of towels that weighs next to nothing.
Better: sort by room, but mix heavy and light within each room. The books from the living room go at the bottom of a small box, with throws or cushion covers from the same room on top. The box stays liftable, the gaps are filled, and the light things don’t end up in a huge box that barely weighs anything.
The goal: all boxes weigh roughly the same. Then they’re all equally easy to carry and to stack.
From our experience: when we pick up boxes, we see two problems again and again: boxes filled only with books that split at the bottom when lifted, and used boxes that have already been through several moves. Left as they are, their walls give way in storage within a few weeks, and the whole stack starts to lean.
How heavy can a moving box be?
The rule of thumb: one person should be able to lift and carry a box comfortably. For most people, that means about 15 to 20 kilos. If you can only get it up with a swing, it’s too heavy.
If you store individual boxes with SaveSpace, there’s a fixed upper limit: no more than 25 kilos per box. That’s the limit, not the target. A box that heavy needs a sturdy double-wall box and a properly taped bottom.
No parcel scale? Step on your bathroom scale holding the box and subtract your own weight.
Step by step: how to pack a box
This turns a box into a solid block where nothing moves:
- Tape the bottom: fold in the two short inner flaps first, then lay the two long outer flaps flat on top so they meet in the middle. Don’t tuck the flaps into each other, as that makes the bottom uneven. Then tape it: once along the centre seam and once along each of the two edges, so the tape forms an H.
- Pad the bottom: for fragile items, start with a layer of crumpled paper or a towel.
- Heavy at the bottom: books, dishes and heavy things first, flat and close together.
- Light on top: lighter things from the same room go on top.
- Fill the gaps: fill every empty space with towels, clothes or crumpled paper.
- Up to just below the rim: the lid must close flat, without bulging and without sagging. Keep the handholds free.
- Shake test: lift the box slightly and tilt it. If anything slides or rattles, add more filling.
- Tape the lid: just like the bottom, with an H of packing tape.
- Label it: room and contents on at least two sides, not just the lid: in a stack you only see the sides. Add arrows pointing up and a clear note if the contents are fragile.
What does “packed for transport” actually mean?
A box is packed for transport when it survives normal carrying, an emergency stop in the van and months at the bottom of a stack, without anything moving inside and without the box giving way.
The biggest risk is the half-empty box. In an emergency stop, the contents slide against the wall, and in a stack the lid sags under the weight above. The other extreme is the overfilled box with a bulging lid: it splits along the taped seams and can’t carry anything.
This is more than a formality. With many moving companies, if you pack yourself, you carry the risk for damage caused by poor packing. Check your provider’s terms before deciding whether to pack yourself or have it done.
Transport and storage: two different kinds of load
When we pick up your boxes, we usually stack them in columns in the van, corner on corner and close together. That way the strong box edges carry the weight. In storage, on the other hand, we stack crosswise: two boxes side by side, the two on top turned 90 degrees and laid across them, and so on, layer by layer. This locks the stack together and keeps it stable against tipping for months, but it means every box also carries the layer above through its lid.
For your boxes, that means two things: intact, firm walls for transport, and packed full and flat for storage. Boxes of the same size make both easier.
When the boxes go into storage for longer
A neatly packed box is enough for a day of transport. If it then stands in storage for months, two more things matter: the condition of the box and what’s inside it.
Our storage is dry. What counts is the condition a box arrives in: a soft box that has been used several times won’t become stable again in storage. If you store boxes yourself in a basement or attic, moisture comes into play too. Cardboard absorbs it and becomes much less stable, so never put boxes directly on the floor there.
A box that stands for a long time shouldn’t contain anything that can leak, spoil or attract pests: no open liquids, no food, no damp or unwashed textiles.
To see how storing boxes works at SaveSpace, read about moving box storage.
Checklist: packing a moving box
The same for every box:
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Common mistakes
These are the mistakes we see most often:
- Flaps folded into each other, not taped: the classic reason boxes open at the bottom.
- A box of nothing but books: too heavy to carry, and its walls give way in storage.
- Half-empty boxes: the contents slide, and in a stack the lid sags.
- Large boxes filled with heavy items: almost impossible to carry, and they tear easily.
- Only the lid labelled: in a stack, nobody can see it.
- Old, soft boxes at the very bottom: that’s where the load is highest.
Frequently asked questions
How heavy can a moving box be?
As a rule of thumb, about 15 to 20 kilos, as much as one person can carry comfortably. For boxes you store individually with SaveSpace, the upper limit is 25 kilos.
How do I tape a moving box properly?
With wide packing tape in the shape of an H: once along the centre seam and once along each of the two edges. That goes for the bottom and the lid. Just folding the flaps into each other won’t hold.
Can I use second-hand moving boxes?
Yes, if they’re still stiff, dry and complete. Use them for light things, and use new boxes for heavy items and at the bottom of the stack.
What should I do with half-full boxes?
Fill them up: with towels, clothes, cushions or crumpled paper. A half-full box is unstable, in transport and even more so in a stack.
How many moving boxes do I need?
As a rough rule of thumb, 10 to 15 per room, more for the kitchen and bookshelves. What to do when before your move is in our moving checklist.