LIOO Moving · Packing Guides
Moving Box Guide: Sizes, What Goes in Each, and How Many
Most box failures are size mismatches: heavy things in big boxes (bottoms blow out, backs get hurt) and light things in small boxes (wasted trips). Match the box to the density and the whole move gets faster.
The four standard sizes And what belongs in each
Small — 1.5 cu ft (16″×12″×12″): books, records, dishes, pantry, tools, files. If it’s dense, it goes here. This should be a third or more of your total count.
Medium — 3.0 cu ft (18″×18″×16″): the general-purpose box — pots and pans, toys, shoes, decor, small appliances.
Large — 4.5 cu ft (18″×18″×24″): bedding, towels, pillows, lampshades. If you can’t lift it comfortably, it’s overpacked.
Extra-large — 6.0 cu ft: comforters and stuffed animals. Almost nothing else — a full XL of anything dense is unliftable.
Specialty boxes Worth every dollar
Dish pack (double-walled): the kitchen box — see packing dishes & glasses.
Wardrobe box: closet rod inside; clothes move on hangers. One per ~2 feet of rod.
Picture/mirror box: telescoping, for framed art — method in packing artwork & mirrors.
How many you need By bedrooms
Studio / 1-bedroom: 20–40 boxes (roughly 15 small, 15 medium, 8 large).
2-bedroom: 40–60 (20/20/12 plus specialty).
3-bedroom: 60–90 (30/30/18 plus specialty).
4-bedroom+: 90–120 — and consider whether professional packing beats two weekends of DIY at that scale.
Packed-right test
Flat lid, no bulge, under ~50 lbs, no sound on a gentle shake, labeled on two sides with room + contents. Boxes that pass stack cleanly in the truck — which is most of what makes a load fast. Full supply quantities (paper, tape, wrap) are in the packing supplies checklist.
LIOO packing crews bring the full box mix — dish packs, wardrobes, picture boxes — and pack room by room, billed hourly with the quote in writing.