What is the Best Size Box for Moving? Quick Tips

What is the best size box for moving house for the average home mover? Getting the right size moving box can seem daunting at first. Many times you are bulk buying and it can be hard to estimate if the majority of your household items will fit well.

Using the largest size of box can seem tempting at first, but if we think about the amount of space we have to transport these boxes, and the means we have of carrying them, we quickly realise that this can make moving and storing them very awkward. Additionally loading such heavy boxes to their full capacity can make carrying them dangerous as they can quickly creep up to very heavy weights. The items size and shape are factors in deciding what sized box is best to pack them into.

We also need to consider how well these boxes hold up when they’re fully loaded with items. Boxes need to be strong and sturdy enough to hold a full load of items regardless of their size.

Lets take a look at the best size box for moving home.

Medium Sized Boxes for General Use

Medium boxes strike the great balance between having a nice amount of volume for interior packing and being able to handle the weight of items packed.

If we take a closer look at the strength ratings of single walled boxes we will see the most common type is ECT-32. This means 32lbs of force can be applied to sidewalls without crushing of box leading to failure. This also impacts the maximum weight carrying capacity of the box.

ECT Rating	Maximum Weight Capacity	Number of Corrugated Walls
ECT-32	65lbs	Single
ECT-44	95lbs	Single
ECT-48	100lbs	Double
ECT-51	120lbs	Double
ECT-90	280lbs	Triple
ECT-155	300lbs	Triple

For an extra small sized box rated ECT-32 and an extra large size boxed rated ECT-32 their maximum weight carrying capacity is the same. Clearly this severely limits the number and weight of the items you can safely put in the largest size of boxes, effectively making their larger size unusable if the items are particularly weighty.

The medium sized box strikes a great balance between size and this maximum weight limit. It allows you to load your common household items with little fear the maximum weight limit will be reached when the box becomes full.

Large Boxes and Double Walled Boxes Should Be Used For Leftover Items

Some of the items you need to move will not physically be able fit inside a medium moving box. For these cases it is useful to complement your medium moving box bundles with a few large or extra large sized boxes.

These boxes are great for packing:

Electrical kitchen equipment such as blenders, microwaves, and air fryers
Awkwardly shaped objects
Large lightweight items such as pillows and coach cushions

Moving Box Size	U-Haul Dimensions (L x W x H)	U-Haul Volume	Home Depot Dimensions (L x W x H)	Home Depot Volume	Lowes Dimensions (L x W x H)	Lowes Volume
Small	16-3/8" x 12-5/8" x 12-5/8"	1.5 cu/ft	17" x 11" x 11"	1.19 cu ft	16" x 12 " x 12"	1.33 cu ft
Medium	18 1/8" x 18" x 16"	3 cu/ft	21" x 15" x 16"	3.05 cu ft	18" x 16" x 18"	3.0 cu/ft
Large	18" x 18" x 24"	4.5 cu/ft	27" x 15" x 16"	4.13 cu ft	24" x 18" x 18"	4.5 cu/ft
Extra Large	24" x 18" x 24"	6 cu/ft	24" x 20" x 21"	5.83 cu ft	22" x 21.5" x 22"	6 cu/ft

*Dimensions and volume of popular hardware store moving boxes

Improvements Made By Using Thicker Walled Boxes

Safety is an important factor when you’re selecting the most appropriate sized moving boxes. If you have several large and heavy items that need to be packed together, using a heavy duty box is very advantageous.

By going from single walled to a double walled box, you increase the maximum weight carrying capacity from 65lbs to over 100lbs. Triple walled boxes can increase this further to 280 – 300lbs.

These higher weight limits make these boxes inappropriate for a single person to carry safely. There is danger from this to hurting your back and arms from attempting to carry this by hand.

Tools such as hand trucks and dollies should be used to safely move such heavy boxes around.

Increasing wall thickness adds a stronger barrier of protection to your items from outside hazards. Thick sidewalls are less prone to bending and can take far more abuse before they begin to fail.

Small Size Boxes Should Be Used for Fragile Items

Small boxes are best used for moving your delicate items such as books, ceramics, or glassware. The small sized boxes have many advantages over larger sizes when packing fragile items prone to being damaged easily, namely:

Allows for a more compact fit of items within the box, restricting possibility of excess movement that leads to damage
Less packing materials are required around the box
Boxes sidewalls will be tougher with smaller dimensions, less prone to bending

For these items to reach their destination successfully they require the best protection possible. While void fill packing materials are great at providing cushioning, the effect is doubly effective when limiting the free movement of these items inside the box as much as possible.

Small boxes simply allow for a more compact fit for items within them and lend well to be carried around by hand, removing the need for other packing tools such as hand trucks and dollies.

Conclusion – What is the Best Size Box for Moving

So just what is the best size box for moving? In general get an idea of how many of your items you have that is larger than the size of a medium moving box. Estimate the number of extra large or large boxes that your items will likely need and add them to the bulk of medium sized boxes.

Your most fragile and delicate items should be fitted in the smallest box possible. This restricts the amount of movement the item can have within the box. Additionally it makes the best use of cushioning and void filler.

Large boxes should be used for your largest and lightweight items. If a heavier items are required to be loaded then it is good practice if you get thicker walled boxes. An example includes using double and triple walled boxes.