Sizing your boxes correctly when packing boxes with books is extremely important. Almost equally as important is using the correct ECT rating of the box. Boxes can become surprisingly heavy when full with many books packed together tightly. The excessive weight can cause bottom end of boxes to fail. Additionally cause the handles in the sidewall can rip or tear as a result of these heavy loads.
Size of Books and Volume of Boxes
Packing of delicate and valuable items inside boxes requires some thought and care. Precious items that can become easily damaged require extra care and protection if we wish to keep them in the same great condition.
How Best to Protect Books During Packaging
To best protect books we need to limit their ability to move within the moving box as best as we can. Limiting movement allows for items to be kept in place and no impacts can take place inside with sudden movements of the moving box. This stops the books from banging against each other and against the boxes inside sidewalls.
To do this we can estimate how many books can fit when stored flat within the length and width dimensions. Its best practice to try and take up as much space within the box, as close to the sidewalls as possible. The rest of the space should be filled with box void fill of your choice.
Using honeycomb packaging wrap protection is especially good for keeping books unharmed. Honeycomb wrap provides added protection for books prevents soft cover and pages becoming caught and creased.
With this knowledge it is clear the smallest possible boxes are best for full protection. The more heavily loaded the box is will require increasingly more cushioning from the packing materials we decide to use.
How to Decide on Box Size to Pack Books
In short, you’ll need to take measurements of the largest size books in your collection and fit them inside the smallest box possible.
It is more advantageous to the condition of your books to package them in several smaller sized boxes, than in fewer large sized boxes.
Why Its Best to Use Smaller Sized Boxes
We use boxes of small size to restrict the excess movement of books within the boxes as much as possible. The more movement inside the box, the greater the chance of damage occurring inside.
Books will rub against each other and the neat layout placement of the books done when first packaged will become undone if the box is turned on its sides or thrashed around during transportation.
Small boxes with tight packing of books inside holds them in position no matter the orientation or movement of the box during transit.
Prevents tears, folds, creases, rips and scuffs on the packaged books inside.
As stated your books should take up as much space within the box to prevent movement. This is easiest when using smaller sized boxes regardless of the total number of books you need to pack. Only larger size boxes should be used if the books physically cannot fit within a closed box when laid flat inside the box.
Average Size of Small and Medium Boxes for Books
Main hardware stores small and medium sized boxes are listed below. In general these sizes apply across all box manufacturers give or take a few inches.
| 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 |
How Books Weight Affects Size of Box Used
We eluded to it earlier, large boxes with a low ECT rating are not appropriate for carrying books. To fully understand why we need a bit more information regarding the ECT rating system.
| 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 |
From the table above a standard box is rated at ECT-32, capable of carrying 65lbs of weight. That goes for single walled boxes of any size, small, medium, large, or extra large.
Larger boxes allows you to store more books inside. However unfortunately the larger size does not increase the total weight carrying capacity of the box. What this means is that once the large box is at their maximum weight capacity, very little of its total space will be taken up in terms of the cubic feet volume of the interior.
This means that the suggested advice earlier that the books should be packed tightly together with very little free space inside the box will be almost impossible to achieve here. You will reach the maximum weight limit with too much free space in the boxes. It will lead to them knocking around inside as they slide and move about during transportation. The result as shown above will be damaged books once you unpack them after they’ve been transported.
Using High Strength Boxes to Pack Books
The way to get around this is to use either double walled and triple walled boxes. As the ECT table shows these boxes have a far higher total weight carrying capacity. The problem though is these heavy loading of books to these high weights causes issues of carrying and transporting them in a safe manner.
The last thing you want when transporting books is for the bottom end of the box to fall out leaving all your books in an unsightly pile on the floor. A sure way to make your home move an infuriating one. For successful move planning ahead for measurements of the items you need to pack. Take good estimates of the weights loaded to each box ensures overloading is avoided.
From there split items into reasonably sized segments to pack into separate boxes. Keep the weights of each box as low as reasonable possible.
What Is the Best Size Box for Packing Books?
Small sized boxes do not suffer from these issues as the total weight of a full tightly packed box will always be lower. The small size means the weight of the boxes will always be reasonable and more manageable for lifting and transporting without strain. The best size for packing box is then the smallest possible box that can fit your books while laying flat.
Conclusion – What Size Box Do I Need To Pack Books
Use the smallest box possible to pack books. This allows you to fully load the box using all the space that tightly packs the books in the box preventing excessive movement. This prevents damage, scuffs, page tears, creases, and folding of the books inside the box package during transportation.
Using additional protection such as honeycomb packaging around the books for added protection is also a great idea. Fill in the rest of the space with void fill packaging to reduce excessive movement even further.
High strength boxes should be used if the large heavy books packaged start to exceed the 65lbs limit of regular single walled boxes. Double walled boxes can hold in excess of 100lbs, ideal for carrying large heavy books.
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