13 Best Moving Supplies (for New Homeowners and Serial Renters Alike)

July 25, 2024 Off By

Few words strike such fear into my heart as “moving day.” It combines the endurance of the Boston Marathon, the urgent puzzle-solving of Tetris, and the pure abuse of cardboard cuts.

I’ve moved 19 times as an adult, and that’s not counting when I’ve traded my labor to help friends move in exchange for donuts and beer. What I’ve learned is that you don’t have to carry every heavy thing and ruin your back. And you don’t have to write off any amount of damage to your belongings as the inevitable cost of moving. 

Over two decades of restless relocation, I’ve also learned that moving supplies matter. These are the most essential, best-value moving supplies—because moving day is stressful enough without having to figure out everything on your own.

Quick Look at the Best Moving Supplies

What We Looked At

Every item we recommend is to reduce frustration. It needs to make your move easier than the usual collision of poorly packed boxes and long, overly frequent trips between home and moving van. Simplicity tends to work best here rather than complicated gadgets. 

And then there’s “backbreakability.” Moving is profoundly exhausting, so if good gear can reduce the physical strain, you’ll be grateful. Know the proper techniques for lifting, too. As Allied Van Lines say, keep your back straight, don’t twist it, and carry items close to your chest. For furniture, empty drawers then take them out to lighten the load. 

Lastly, every piece of gear needs to be either useful enough to continue using or cheap enough that you don’t feel bad throwing it out or giving it away after the move is over. Much of our favorite gear can be used long after your move’s but a bitter memory far away in your mind’s rearview mirror.

Best moving boxes - Home Depot Heavy-Duty Moving Boxes

“Did you know our cardboard boxes are made from 100 percent recycled paper,” Home Depot says of their lineup of heavy-duty moving boxes. “And by paper, we mean things like newsprint, tissue product, and other cardboard – including (other) The Home Depot boxes…” 

Returning unused boxes is easy, too, since there are Home Depots all over the US. Figure out how many you think you’ll need, and then buy 30 percent more. I’ve always used more boxes than I thought I would. Maybe that’s a sign for me to stop hoarding so much crap.

You can also choose from a variety of specialized moving boxes, such as Wardrobe Boxes, TV Boxes, Dish and Glassware Boxes, and more. While plastic moving boxes can be reused, it’s likely to be many years until you need them again, and until then you have to store them in your home. I recommended just buying cardboard that can be recycled.

Tip: Pack books into small-size boxes. Yes, this requires more boxes, but book boxes get heavy fast. 

Best floor protection - X-Protector Furniture Sliders Variety Pack

These furniture sliders alone have saved me from more than a few hernias when moving bulky furniture. It’s far easier to shove appliances, tables, and sofas on these than for two people to clumsily carry them. 

This variety pack includes four sliders with smooth plastic sides for gliding over carpets and rugs, plus four sliders with felt slides for gliding over wood floors and tile. Using the former over carpeting, I’m able to move around a full-sized sofa alone, which would be impossible without them. And using the latter on hardwood, white tile, and black slate floors, I’ve never received any damage or scuff marks. I’ve been using and reusing mine for years. 

“Alternatively,” says X-Protector, you can “leave them beneath the furniture for convenient movement and cleaning,” which is exactly what I do with them for my coffee table.

Best tape - Scotch Heavy Duty Packing Tape

Tape is a must. This packing tape is perfect for moving, but shipping tape works fine, too. Buy what you can get ahold of easily, rather than getting caught up on the semantics. And grab two or three rolls. You’ll use a lot more of it than you think you will.

Tip: Use an H-pattern to tape the top and bottom of each box for added strength. That means every seam of the box will be sealed. It’s much cheaper and less time-consuming than picking up the busted shards of stuff that’s broken through a flimsily-taped box.

Best utility knife - Craftsman Utility Knives Two-Pack  

Have you thought about how you’re going to open all those boxes? Don’t say “my teeth.” Scissors are clumsy for this purpose, and you’ll ruin your kitchen knives if you’re slicing cardboard and packing tape. 

Buy a two-pack of utility knives (which have inexpensive, replaceable blades) so that you and your moving buddies won’t have to constantly pass the knife back and forth. Being red, it’s easy to spot in a sea of beige boxes, and unlike most utility knives, their cases are metal. I’ve dropped these onto concrete more than a few times, stepped on them, and even ran one over with a plastic-wheeled moving cart. Aside from a few scratches, they remain as good as new.

Best hand truck - Milwaukee 800-Lb. Convertible Hand Truck

Hand trucks drastically speed up moving, letting you move larger appliances and larger quantities of boxes than you could ever carry, all while saving your back. I’ve used the Milwaukee 800-Lb. Convertible Hand Truck to carry items as big and heavy as washing machines and dryers, and the solid build quality never had me worried. I prefer its steel construction to the lighter-duty plastic models. It also converts to a horizontal cart for when stability trumps the need for maneuverability. 

If you don’t have anything too heavy and don’t have room to store it later, stick with a slimmer, cheaper Franklin Padded Dolly that you can stash behind the couch or give away later without much financial pain.

Best markers for labeling - Sharpie King Size Permanent Markers

Get the four-pack of assorted colors. That way, you can color-coordinate boxes destined for different rooms. I like these King Size markers because they write over anything, even slick packing tape. Their thick tips make writing big, bold, and easy to see when you’re hustling boxes from the moving van to indoors.

Tip: Write the destination room on each box: “Master Bedroom,” “Kitchen,” “Downstairs Bathroom,” and so on. Better than, say, putting all electronics into one box, this will make locating stuff in the days after your move much easier.

Best tool kit for moving - Bondhus Allen Wrench Set

Proper tools are essential for a successful move—for breaking down furniture, don’t overlook this Allen wrench set. And grab a Wiha 6-in-1 Screwdriver, too. I once had an entire move derailed for two hours because we didn’t have the right screwdriver to take the legs off a couch to fit it through the front door. Poorly made Allen wrenches (AKA hex keys) can slip and strip the heads of bolts, which can render them useless. 

I’ve relied on Bondhus for years because they fit tightly and securely into all manner of hex bolts. You’ll need them regularly throughout life to assemble flimsy, Scandinavian fürnitur and periodically tighten up the screws when it gets wobbly, so it pays to keep a good set around.

Best padlock - Brinks Combination Disc Lock

Keys are easily lost on moving day. The amount of time I’ve spent searching for the keys so the move can proceed would’ve been better spent by just choosing a combination lock. Disc locks are, all else equal, more secure than padlocks because their largely hidden shackles and round bodies make it harder for thieves to fit bolt cutters around them. You’ll only need this if you plan to rent your own moving van, because rentals don’t come with locks to secure the cargo area. If you’re hiring movers, skip the lock.

Best protection for odd-shaped items - U-Haul Stretch Plastic Wrap

Wrapping desks, dressers, nightstands, and cabinets with plastic wrap will keep drawers from opening during the move. It also keeps hoses and electrical cords bundled up tight next to appliances so that nothing loosens during the ride in the moving truck. You can also bundle loose items, such as silverware, together before you pack them away in boxes. One roll has always been enough for each of my past moves. Unless you’re tying cargo down to the roof rack of an SUV or the bed of a pickup truck, it’s also an easier-to-use substitute for rope. 

Best for fragile stuff - U-Haul Bubble Wrap

Electronics always get bubble-wrapped before they go in their boxes, along with lamps, pictures, dishes, glassware, and other very delicate objects. To be honest with you, I’ve never noticed much of a difference between bubble wrap brands. The bonus with U-Haul is that you can pick it up together with the rest of your packing supplies, and every foot there are perforations that let you tear sheets off without scissors. I’ve always used much more bubble wrap than I’d anticipated. My recommendation is to estimate how much you’ll need to buy and then double it.

Best for filling empty spaces - U-Haul Packing Peanuts

These packing peanuts are used to fill in empty spaces inside boxes after you’ve packed them. You want as little open space in boxes as possible in order to keep things like your totally, definitely valuable beer mug collection from shifting around during movement and breaking. 

Unlike the Styrofoam peanuts of our childhoods, these are biodegradable. Made from potato and corn starch, they dissolve in water. “Not only does this simple and natural formula have minimal environmental impact, but it also makes packing peanuts 100% non-toxic for people and pets,” says U-Haul.

Best material for packing books - U-Haul Acid-Free Packing Paper

Wad this acid-free packing paper up and use it to fill open gaps in packed boxes, similarly to packing peanuts. For very delicate goods, such as glassware, I prefer the greater cushioning of peanuts. But for packing semi-robust items, such as books, packing paper is much easier to clean up once you’re done with it. Unlike peanuts, they don’t have a tendency to spill during unpacking or escape garbage bags when you’re tossing them in a dumpster. You want acid-free so that acids in the paper don’t react with your books and damage them over time. One box of packing paper goes a long way.

Best mattress protection - U-Haul Mattress Cover (With Handles)

Mattress covers are crucial to protect your mattress from getting absolutely filthy in the moving van and from being picked up and put down on sidewalks and dirty floors. You should consider a Couch Cover, too, for the same reason. The downside is that every sofa and mattress cover I’ve used makes them slippery as hell, like holding onto ice with gloves made of butter, so carrying them is a pain in the ass. I’ll admit, I’ve never used the version of U-Haul’s mattress cover with built-in handles, but it looks like the solution to the only real downside of mattress bags.

Tip: Moving blankets to pad delicate items are great to rent along with your moving truck, but not worth buying. They’re bulky items that’ll just sit in your home, taking up precious storage space until your next move.

CategoryMoving shopping-home