Cardboard boxes?

May 21, 2015 6:37 PM

I previously had access to chemical supply boxes, which made for excellent moving boxes. They're 15" x 15" x 17", with 1/4" thick double wall sides. The bottoms are glued, they have hand holes (some staggered for ergonomics), and they can hold an incredible amount of heavy stuff. I can't get new ones any more, so I'm wondering about sources for similar boxes.

The closest I've found so far is these Uline boxes, which I could punch hand holes in using one of these.

That's not bad, but are there any other box suppliers I should look at?

posted by vibratory manner of working to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

I love bankers boxes for moving. They're a little smaller but they're very strong, and they have the handles. You can also get away with not taping the lids for many items, which saves time.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:15 PM on May 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

I like banana boxes. Most grocery stores will give you them for free. They are a great size for books, sturdy, and they have handles, plus a lid.
posted by lollusc at 8:21 PM on May 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Apple boxes are also great and often come with packing material inside!
posted by rubster at 10:25 PM on May 21, 2015

Printer paper boxes are great--check schools this time of year for them, maybe?
posted by shortyJBot at 3:38 AM on May 22, 2015

Best answer: Just as a general suggestion, if you live in an urban area you might check whether there's a local packaging supply company. I wanted very specific boxes to facilitate selling some things on eBay, and found it much cheaper to order them from a local supplier where I could pick them up in person. My local packaging company sells that same box that U-Line offers at almost a dollar less per box, and local pickup means no silly shipping charges.

If you're buying new boxes (as opposed to re-purposing used ones) then they'll come flat-packed. If you want the bottoms glued, pick up a hot-melt glue gun.
posted by jon1270 at 4:01 AM on May 22, 2015

Call your grocery store or stop by the service desk, tell them you're moving, and ask when is a good time to pick up produce boxes before they break them down. Sometimes meat boxes can be awesome - double-walled, waxed cardboard, handle holes, lids that set on top, can be folded down for storage and reassembled later. My mom's craft/sewing room/office was full of chicken boxes.
posted by aimedwander at 7:22 AM on May 22, 2015

The best boxes, IMO, are liquor store boxes or wine store boxes. They are made to transport and protect liquid in heavy glass bottles. The internal cardboard baffles (?) are useful and the boxes often have hand holes on two sides. If you approach a store, specify that you want ones with tops. They will give you ones that have been box-cutter-opened along three sides. No fruit flies or chance of unexpected imported spiders.
posted by Morrigan at 5:06 PM on May 22, 2015

Seconding getting boxes from the liquor store. They're super-strong and small enough that you can fill them with books and they won't be ridiculously heavy. The divider things are great for dishes and glasses. If you're working with movers they'll carry two or three at a time.
posted by bendy at 5:55 PM on May 22, 2015