Moving Box Strength

When determining which moving boxes you need, size should not be the only consideration. Also, you get what you pay for when it comes to strength. The corrugated cardboard industry provides edgewise compression strength testing to help you. This process determines the capacity of the walls parallel to the flutes of a short column of corrugated fiberboard. The flute shape will improve or decrease this number. The higher the number, the stronger the storage boxes. For the most part, professional movers will use cardboard shipping boxes with an ECT of at least a 32 ECT: which is a 200 lb. test. This is important to keep the boxes from being crushed when stacked upon each other. Not all moving boxes and supplies are the same! Some places will sell moving boxes with a test of only 150 lbs. and label them as strong That’s more than 45% less than what you need. They are not the same.
To tell the testing weight and strength of the moving supply kits you purchase, look at the bottom flap of the box. There should be a manufacturers seal stating what you need to know. If it doesn’t have a minimum ECT of 32, then run; don't walk, to the exit. Cheap boxes can be like wrapping your goods in paper bags. But, beyond that, you will need a higher rating of strength for heavy items: dishes, pots, urns, tools, etc.
A large wardrobe box doesn’t mean it holds more weight: do your homework and look at the seal to determine the loading capacity of every box. Cheap boxes you think are for moving are not the same as cheap moving boxes from a reputable vendor. If you are looking for good boxes at cheap prices, don’t be tempted to run into the local storage or rental place for the quick solution. Remember the old caveat: buyer beware.

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