How to Pack Boxes for Moving

How Heavy Should My Boxes Be? Here’s how to pack a box!

Got a big move coming up? You’re probably packing most of your belongings into boxes for the move, but how do you know if the boxes are too heavy? If you’re moving yourself, it’s a pretty simple equation, but what if you’ve decided to hire movers? Shouldn’t professionals be able to move boxes much heavier than you can?

Yes and no.

Remember, no matter how strong the movers might be, the boxes are still only made of cardboard, and gravity is a cruel mistress. If you pack all your books into a wardrobe box, when the mover lifts the giant box to move it, the weight of the books will push through the cardboard. And the books will fall all over the floor and the box will be useless.

Also, even if the box stays together, it’s still a nightmare to carry a giant book box up to the 4th floor in the North End or Allston

Divide and Conquer

Here’s another tip about movers — if the boxes are light, they can safely take two or three on a single trip. If the boxes are too heavy, on the other hand, they can’t divide a single box into multiple trips. The best they can do is to have two movers lift a single box, which is far less efficient than having the entire crew move all the boxes downstairs and onto the truck.

Also, unless you’re paying the movers to stick around and unpack all of your boxes, it’s very likely you’ll need to move them around yourself at some point. So do your back a favor and keep them reasonable.

Finishing Touches

Make sure all boxes are taped. Never fold the bottom of the box! It’s tempting, when building a box to be packed, to simple fold the bottom flaps in on themselves. Don’t fall for that trap! It’s definitely not how to pack a box. The weight of the contents of the box can simply push the flaps back out, causing everything to spill out onto the floor. That’s no good!

Make sure to tape the tops as well — this allows them to be easily stacked in the truck or when carrying them.

Did this help you learn how to pack a box? Get a quote from Boston’s Best Movers today!