Moving Supplies: The Complete List

Reviewed by Joey Padgett · Last reviewed September 2026

What follows is organized into three tiers: what you cannot move without, what's useful but not essential, and what you can skip. Rough estimates on how much to buy, and where to get things cheaply or for free.

The Essentials

These are the items that, if you run out, everything stops.

Boxes (Various Sizes)

You need a mix:

Small (1.5 cu ft): Books, tools, canned goods. Dense and heavy items go in small boxes.
Medium (3 cu ft): Clothes, pantry items, kitchenware, toys. Your most-used size.
Large (4.5 to 5 cu ft): Pillows, comforters, lampshades. Light and bulky items only.

Budget roughly 10 boxes per room, skewed toward medium. See the full box guide for detailed estimates by home size.

Where to get them: Home Depot, Lowe's, U-Haul (unused boxes can be returned). Free from liquor stores, bookstores, grocery stores, or Facebook Marketplace after a neighbor's move.

Packing Tape and a Tape Gun

Don't buy cheap tape and don't skip the tape gun. Tape without a dispenser is its own kind of slow torture.

How much: 6 to 8 rolls for a 2-bedroom, 10 to 12 for a 3-bedroom. You'll go through more than you expect. Buy a 6-pack minimum.

Packing Paper

Unprinted newsprint, sold by the pound. Wrap fragile items, fill voids in boxes, protect surfaces. See the full packing paper guide for how much to buy and where to find it.

Do not use newspaper. The ink transfers onto everything.

Bubble Wrap

Reserve this for genuinely fragile items: crystal, antique glass, electronics, irreplaceable ceramics. A 12x100 ft roll or a standard small bubble roll pack handles most homes. You're not trying to bubble-wrap everything.

Permanent Markers

Buy 4 to 6 thick black Sharpies. They will disappear. Keep one in every room as you pack.

Label on the side of the box, not the top. Boxes get stacked and you'll never see the top. Write the destination room and a brief description on at least two sides. If the box contains fragile items, write FRAGILE in large letters on three sides.

Specialty Boxes

Not every move needs these, but when you do, there's no good substitute.

Wardrobe Boxes

Tall boxes with a built-in hanging rod. Clothes move straight from closet to box on their hangers and straight back into the new closet. Best for suits, blazers, dresses, coats. Budget 2 to 3 per bedroom with a full closet. They run $12 to $25 each.

Picture and Mirror Boxes

Adjustable flat boxes for framed artwork and mirrors. If you have anything framed that you care about, these are not optional. Always transport upright, never flat. See the full box guide for packing instructions.

Dish Boxes

Heavy-duty boxes with pre-formed cardboard dividers, designed for glasses and stemware. They run $10 to $20 each and are worth it for good china or stemware. For standard everyday glasses, proper packing technique with paper works fine.

Genuinely Useful

Not strictly required, but you'll be glad you have them.

Mattress Bags

Plastic bags that seal around a mattress and protect it from dust, moisture, and the scrapes of loading and unloading. They're cheap ($8 to $15) and your mattress will spend some time on a truck floor. Worth it.

Furniture Pads and Moving Blankets

Thick woven pads that protect large furniture during transit. If you're renting a truck yourself, get a stack of these from U-Haul. If you're hiring movers, they typically bring their own and will pad your furniture as part of the job. Confirm when you book.

Stretch Wrap

The wide plastic wrap (not kitchen plastic wrap) is useful for:

Keeping dresser drawers closed without removing contents
Binding furniture legs together
Keeping cabinet doors shut
Bundling oddly-shaped items

One roll handles most moves.

Ziplock Bags

When you disassemble furniture, put all hardware immediately into a labeled ziplock bag. Tape it to the underside of the furniture piece or pack it in the same box as the components. Skip this step and you'll be hunting for screws in every box on the other end.

Furniture Sliders

Small plastic discs that go under furniture legs so you can slide heavy pieces across floors instead of lifting them. Protect your floors and your back. A pack of 8 runs under $10. Especially useful for positioning heavy furniture once you're in the new space.

Tools You'll Actually Use

Box cutter or utility knife: For breaking down boxes on the other end. Bring at least two. They get packed accidentally.

Scissors: One pair per room being packed. You reach for scissors constantly.

Power screwdriver or drill: For disassembling and reassembling bed frames and furniture. A manual screwdriver works but takes considerably longer for anything with more than a few bolts.

Dolly or hand truck: For stacks of boxes and heavy appliances. If you're hiring professional movers, they bring their own. If you're renting a truck, U-Haul and similar companies offer dollies as an add-on rental. Worth every dollar.

What to Skip

Packing peanuts: Packing paper fills voids better, costs less, and doesn't end up stuck to everything in the new home for weeks.

Color-coded moving label systems: Useful in theory. In practice, people abandon them around hour two of packing. A Sharpie and the room name works.

Large bubble wrap kits: Unless you have a significant collection of fragile valuables, a standard small roll covers what you need.

Dish box dividers for everyday glasses: Only worth the cost for good stemware. Proper wrapping technique with packing paper handles standard glasses just fine.

The Open-First Box

Pack this last, move it in your car, not the truck:

Phone charger
Medications (never put these in the moving truck)
Change of clothes
Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant
Snacks and water
Coffee maker and filters (optional, but highly recommended)
Any documents you'll need right away: lease, ID, insurance cards
Pet food and supplies if applicable

One box per person. This is the box that makes the first night in the new place bearable.

Estimated Supply Costs by Home Size

Home Size	Boxes	Tape	Paper	Bubble Wrap	Other	Approx. Total
Studio / 1 BR	$20 to $40	$15	$15 to $20	$10	$15 to $25	$75 to $110
2 Bedroom	$40 to $80	$15	$25 to $35	$15	$20 to $35	$115 to $180
3 Bedroom	$80 to $160	$20	$35 to $50	$20	$25 to $50	$180 to $300
4 Bedroom	$120 to $200	$25	$50 to $70	$25	$35 to $65	$255 to $385

These estimates exclude specialty boxes and rental equipment. According to HomeGuide, professional packing materials alone typically run $180 for a 1-bedroom and up to $750 for a 3-bedroom. Buying your own supplies runs meaningfully less. If you're weighing DIY packing against hiring help, the price calculator can give you a fuller picture of overall moving costs.

Where to Buy

Cheapest for boxes: Free from liquor stores, bookstores, grocery stores, and Nextdoor or Craigslist from recent movers.

Best for bulk supplies: Amazon for large orders of packing paper, tape, and bubble wrap with a week or more of lead time.

Best for one-stop shopping: Home Depot, Lowe's, or U-Haul. U-Haul's box buyback program lets you return unused boxes.

Best for same-day needs: Walmart, Target, or a UPS Store. More expensive per unit but available fast.