What size moving boxes should I use for different items?

Match box size to item weight and fragility. Use small boxes for your heaviest items, such as books, canned goods, tools, files and dense kitchen items. Use medium boxes for everyday goods, and large boxes only for lightweight, bulky items such as pillows and blankets. Keep every box light enough to lift safely.

Medium boxes are the workhorse of any move: toys, shoes, small appliances, pots and pans, folded clothing and game collections. Large boxes suit pillows, comforters, blankets, lampshades and lightweight clothing. Overfilling a large box with heavy items is a common packing mistake and creates unstable loads.

Specialty boxes serve specific purposes: wardrobe boxes hold hanging clothing and avoid refolding, dish packs with cell dividers protect glasses and plates, mirror and picture boxes encase flat glass and artwork, and TV boxes fit flat screens that cannot go in standard boxes.