Your literary collection deserves the very best moving boxes for books. For bibliophiles preparing for a move, it might be tempting to speed up the packing process by heedlessly tossing each volume into random boxes…but careless packing can result in a lot of damage.
There’s an art to packing up paperbacks and hardcovers so they arrive at your new home in the same condition they left your old place. This chore might be daunting, so a lot of Chicagoans choose to hire professional packers. However, if you prefer to box up your own books, you can learn to pack like a pro by choosing the right supplies.
How to Choose the Best Moving Boxes for Books
The right box for your most prized possessions isn’t just any old box. Different boxes are well-suited for different contents, and it’s important to choose your containers carefully…especially when it comes to choosing the best moving boxes for books.
For example, since a stack of books gets very heavy very quickly, use small boxes to keep the weight down. If you opt for cardboard boxes, try to find something in the 18”x12”x12” ballpark. Bonus points if they’re double-walled for enhanced structural integrity!
Packing a bunch of small boxes with books might sound tedious, but when your collection arrives at your new dwelling in great condition—and when you don’t have a pulled muscle from picking up an overfilled box—you’ll thank yourself.
Sometimes oversized books are just too big for small boxes. In those cases, consider using larger boxes or eco-friendly plastic moving bins instead. To keep the weight of these larger containers manageable, only put a couple of books into each tote and fill the rest of the box’s interior with lightweight, bulky materials like comforters or winter coats.
Adding padding to the best moving boxes for books will prevent your collection from sliding around inside the containers. It’s one of the most effective packing methods there is to protect your books from damage during the move.
Tips for Effectively Packing Your Books
Once you’ve equipped yourself with the best moving boxes for books, you can start packing. Here are a few pro packing tips to help you along the way:
- Determine how you’ll organize your books. Do you want to pack them by size, genre, or author? Organize the books into stacks before you start boxing them up.
- Dust off each book before you place it in a box. Don’t bring your old home’s dust into your new place! Clean each book first.
- Keep tabs on each box’s weight. After every couple of books you pack, pick up each box to make sure the weight is manageable.
- Pack the book you’re currently reading into your first night kit. During your packing process, put things like your toiletries, snacks, and other must-haves—including the book you’re currently obsessed with—into an essentials box.
- Label the top and sides of each box. Write “BOOKS”, “HEAVY”, and the room you want the box to go in at your new home. This might be your living room, primary bedroom, or children’s room.
As you pack up your books and the rest of your home, keep in mind that careful packing is one of the best ways to set yourself up for a smooth and stress-free move. To help keep you on track, learn what to pack first and what should wait until you’re closer to your move day.
Specialty Packing Materials for Antique or Rare Books
Your love of books has likely taught you that some are more valuable (whether it’s monetary or sentimental value) and delicate than others. Maybe you have a collection of first editions or other rare or antique books. These will likely need more specialized materials than hardcovers or paperbacks that you picked up at your local bookstore.
Fragile, old, or particularly sentimental books require more protection than run-of-the-mill books that you can buy at any old store. In addition to finding the best moving boxes for books, one of the best ways to treat these during a move is to carefully cover each one in acid-free or archival-quality paper. Then, carefully wrap it in a piece of clean cloth like a towel or a shirt. Place the wrapped books carefully into your moving boxes for books and fill any voids with other soft items like linens or crumpled up packing paper so they won’t slide around inside the box during transport.
Keep in mind that in most cases, movers can’t pack or transport antiques or high-value items. This includes special or rare books that fall into those categories. To protect your most prized and valuable editions as best as possible, plan to pack them on your own and bring them to your new place in your personal vehicle on move day. If you have questions on whether your local movers are legally allowed to handle certain books, just contact the experts on their customer service team.
Let Us Provide—and Pack—the Best Moving Boxes for Books!
Bookworms greatly value their collections, and with good reason. Maybe you’ve spent much of your life finding rare editions of your favorite titles, or perhaps your favorite reads are family heirlooms. However you might’ve built your collection, you want to give them the utmost care and protection when you move, including the best moving boxes for books.
We’re the experts in all things moving and packing in Chicago, and we’re here to provide your hardcovers and paperbacks with the white-glove service they deserve.
Contact us today for more information on the best moving boxes for books and to get an obligation-free estimate for your upcoming move!