Packing Supplies Guide: Boxes, Tape, Paper, and Wardrobe Boxes

Good packing is 70% supplies. The right box sizes, paper that doesn't disintegrate, and tape that holds are the difference between a clean move and a box-bottom failure on the stairs. Here's the complete kit, sized for real Ottawa homes.

Boxes: the four sizes that matter

Small boxes (about 2 cubic feet) are for heavy things — books, tools, canned goods, dishes. Medium (about 3 cu ft) are the generalists: kitchenwares, toys, small appliances. Large (about 4–4.5 cu ft) are for light and bulky — bedding, pillows, lampshades; never fill a large box with heavy items or it becomes a two-person lift and a bottom-failure risk. Banker's/file boxes deserve a mention for offices and archives. One pro tip: uniform sizes stack better in the truck than a flea-market assortment.

How many boxes do you need?

Rules of thumb (your mileage will vary with how much you own): a studio or one-bedroom typically uses 20–35 boxes; a two-bedroom, 35–55; a three-bedroom home, 55–80; four bedrooms and up, 80+. Kitchens eat boxes faster than any room — see why in our kitchen packing guide. Order about 10% more than your estimate: running out of boxes the night before is a classic, avoidable crisis. We deliver supplies ahead of moving day when you book — ask when you request a quote.

Paper vs. bubble wrap

Packing paper is the default for dishes, glassware, and general cushioning — clean, cheap, and used in volume. Bubble wrap earns its cost on delicate items: stemware, figurines, artwork, electronics screens. Don't substitute newspaper for paper on anything you eat from — ink transfers. For the full wrapping technique, see our fragile items guide.

Wardrobe boxes: the underrated hero

Wardrobe boxes are tall boxes with a metal hanging bar — clothes go straight from closet rail to box to new closet, no folding, no ironing marathon. For anyone with a closet of suits, dresses, or just a lot of hangers, they're worth every penny. They also double as storage for long items like floor lamps without shades.

Tape, wrap, and protection

Buy wide, quality packing tape — the thin bargain rolls split, stick to themselves, and cost you time on every box. You'll want stretch wrap for bundling and keeping drawers shut, mattress bags for every bed (non-negotiable in an Ottawa winter move), furniture pads if you're DIY-ing the truck, and zip bags for hardware — every bed frame's bolts in one labelled bag taped to the frame.

Labels: the system is the supply

Two thick markers and a roll of painter's tape for labelling finished floors' sake. Label each box on TWO sides: room, contents, and handling (FRAGILE / THIS SIDE UP / HEAVY). Colour-coding by room with tape or stickers speeds up unloading enormously. Your future self — and your crew — will move faster for it. This is week 6–5 territory in our moving checklist: supplies first, then the first boxes.

Free and cheap boxes, honestly assessed

Free boxes from grocery and liquor stores have one virtue (price) and several vices: mixed sizes that stack badly, unknown strength, and the occasional produce smell or pest hitchhiker. Liquor boxes earn a partial pass — they're strong with built-in dividers, genuinely good for glassware — but for the bulk of your move, uniform purchased boxes stack tighter, carry safer, and survive the truck. A sensible hybrid many Ottawa households use: buy the kitchen and fragile boxes new, scavenge sturdy freebies for clothes and linens, and never pack anything heavy or breakable in a box you wouldn't trust over a staircase.

Frequently asked questions