Best Reusable Moving Boxes

There are many factors––like cost, design, and portability––to consider when selecting the right reusable moving boxes for your move. We’ve looked at dozens of the most popular reusable moving boxes and recommended options ranging from cheap, reusable boxes to environmentally friendly bags and totes.
Best overall
VENO moving bag
VENO Moving Bag
Average price
$5.50
  • Icon Yes  Light
    Durable woven materials
  • Icon Yes  Light
    23 gal. capacity
Most popular
A cardboard Bankers Box filled with a football, baseball glove, shoes, and a toaster
Bankers Box
$2.90 avg. price
  • Icon Yes  Light
    Cardboard
  • Icon Yes  Light
    15 gal. capacity
Cheapest
Pratt cardboard box
$1.00 avg. price
  • Icon Yes  Light
    Cardboard and recycled paper
  • Icon Yes  Light
    2 gal. capacity
Heavy-duty
Rubbermaid Brute Tote
$40.00 avg. price
  • Icon Yes  Light
    Plastic
  • Icon Yes  Light
    19 gal. capacity
Big items
A Homz plastic bin filled with bedding
Homz Plastic Storage Bin
$43.13 avg. price
  • Icon Yes  Light
    Plastic
  • Icon Yes  Light
    28 gal.capacity
Kurt Manwaring
Apr 13, 2021
Icon Time To Read7 min read

Our top pick: The VENO Moving Bag is tough to beat. In addition to high quality and low prices, it’s also easy to carry.


The 5 best reusable moving boxes


Compare reusable moving boxes

Company
Average price
Holds more than 40 lbs.
No tape required
Details
VENO$5.50
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Bankers Box$2.90
Icon No  DarkNo
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Pratt cardboard box$1.00
Icon No  DarkNo
Icon No  DarkNo
Rubbermaid Brute Tote$40.00
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Homz$43.13
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon Yes  DarkYes

Data as of January 19, 2021. Offers and availability may vary and are subject to change.


What should you look for in a reusable moving box?

  • Low prices. You could customize a titanium moving box to last forever and hold hundreds of pounds, but it would cost a fortune. Find a balance between high quality and low costs (reusable moving boxes range from about $1–$45). You probably want about 5 large, 8 medium, and 10 small moving boxes per room.
  • High quality. Look for a reusable moving box that can hold plenty of your belongings. This includes the box’s construction materials (plastic is usually better than cardboard), how much stuff you can fit, and how heavy your items can be.
  • Easy to use. You often have to break down cardboard boxes between each use—and that’s time-consuming. Pre-assembled boxes are a cinch. They don’t require any tape, and many plastic container options are stackable, so you don’t need a whole room just for your empty boxes.
  • Fits your needs. Don’t get a box or container just because it’s cheap or popular. Find one that fits your needs. For example, you want different moving bins for heavy books than you do for fluffy clothing.
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VENO Moving Bag—Best overall

VENO Moving Bags are affordable, foldable, and durable. While the $5.50 price tag is about twice what you pay for cardboard boxes, VENO bags hold more stuff and handle more weight. The bags also come with handles and backpack straps, so they’re easy to carry. Since you’re dealing with a high-quality rectangular bag instead of a box, you can also fold it up when you finish (no big boxes taking up space). The VENO box is well suited for most moves.

pro
PROS
pro High-quality materials
pro Holds up to 50 lbs.
pro Handles and backpack straps
pro Foldable
con
CONS
con Twice the price of cardboard

What sets VENO apart?

Heavy-duty quality

The VENO Moving Bag is one of the strongest options on the market. It can hold up to 50 pounds and has plenty of space. Its 23-gallon capacity is larger than most cardboard boxes and plastic moving bins. For context, that’s about half the size of a bathtub and big enough to fit about 12 basketballs.

You can fold it

VENO Moving Bags save you space at the end of the move. Instead of stacking your empty boxes or storage bins, you simply fold it up and set it aside until you move again. It’s one reason the bag is popular with college students. There’s only so much space in a dorm.

(Almost) no muscles required

VENO Moving Bags come with handles and straps. Rather than strain your muscles carrying a moving box in your arms, you can either carry it like a gym bag—or wear it like a backpack. And, hey, if you’re used to carrying around textbooks, you know the drill.

Looking for high-quality and low costs?


Bankers Box—Most popular

The Bankers Box is a proven favorite. It’s tough to find lower prices, and they’re easy to use. The boxes come with lids (no tape required) and have built-in handles that make them easy to carry. You can even use them for storage after you unpack. On the downside, the boxes can’t hold more than 30 pounds.

pro
PROS
pro Low prices
pro Tape-free assembly
pro Built-in handles
pro Cardboard lid
con
CONS
con Holds only 30 lbs.
con Less durable than plastic

What sets Bankers Box apart?

Low costs

The Bankers Box costs an average of $2.90, and you can buy them in sets of 10, 20, and 30. That’s about half the cost of woven fabric containers—and almost 20 times less expensive than the strongest reusable plastic moving box. They’re pretty affordable.

Easy assembly

The Bankers Box is easy to assemble and doesn’t require tape like cheaper boxes. Your boxes arrive flat, and you follow instructions printed on the boxes to put them together. It’s a bigger hassle than pre-assembled plastic containers but easier to use than super cheap cardboard boxes.

Lift-off lids

Each Bankers Box comes with a lid, so you don’t have to worry about taping the top of your box. It’s a big time saver, and you don’t have to deal with the annoying mess of repeatedly touching sticky tape.

Badge Definition
What does ECT mean?

ECT stands for Edge Crush Test and represents a container’s strength. Standard cardboard boxes are 32 ECT, meaning they can hold no more than 30 pounds.

Want the most popular moving box?


Pratt—Cheapest

The biggest thing going for the Pratt cardboard box is the price: you pay only $1 per box. However, what you save in money you pay for in extra effort and less quality. You have to tape the boxes together. They don’t come with lids. And they hold only 30 pounds, so you’ll need more boxes than larger alternatives. The Pratt cardboard box is a good choice if you have to move on a tight budget.

pro
PROS
pro Low costs
con
CONS
con Holds only 30 lbs.
con Tape required for assembly
con No lids

What sets Pratt apart?

Super cheap

You can’t beat Pratt’s price of about $1 per box. These cheap moving boxes are three times less expensive than the popular Bankers Box, but they’re also a pain to put together and take apart. Plan to spend a little extra money on packing tape to assemble them.

Need to move on a dime?


Rubbermaid Brute Tote—Heavy Duty

The Rubbermaid Brute Tote can hold up to 400 pounds, fits easily on a hand truck, and even has ribbed construction so you can drag it without causing damage. If you’re strong enough to carry it, the crate has ergonomic handles that perfectly fit your hands. The containers also fit inside each other, so you can stack them without taking up tons of space. But the Rubbermaid Brute tote is expensive (about $40). Not to mention it’s overkill for most moves. Use this tote for moving things from your garage that are small but heavy (like tools and weights).

pro
PROS
pro 400-lb. weight limit
pro Ergonomic handles
pro Stackable storage
pro Ribbed construction
con
CONS
con High prices
con Unnecessary for most moves

What sets Rubbermaid Brute Tote apart?

Seriously high weight limit

The Rubbermaid Brute Tote can hold up to 400 pounds. That’s enough to carry a full-grown gorilla if you could somehow shrink it down to size.

Flexible carry options

Rubbermaid knows that most people can’t carry 400 pounds and designed the Brute Tote with that in mind. The container’s dimensions (27.88 x 17.38 x 15.13 inches) make it easy to fit on a dolly. It also has ribbed construction, which basically means you can drag the sucker without ruining it.

Don’t need the full 400-pound weight limit? The Rubbermaid Brute Tote has ergonomic handles that fit nicely into your hands.

Stackable design

Rubbermaid Brute Totes fit inside of each other so you can stack them before and after your move. You can also use the tote as a storage container that you can easily stash in your attic or garage.

Need a box for the heavy stuff in your garage?


Homz Plastic Storage Bin—Big items

The Homz Plastic Storage Bin is a great option for extra-large items like pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals. It’s the highest-rated supersized plastic container we’ve found (customers give it an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars). The Homz Plastic Storage Bin also comes with lockable ergonomic handles and transparent plastic. But it’s also super pricey (about $43) and holds a maximum of only 40 pounds.

pro
PROS
pro Extra large size
pro Transparent plastic
pro Ergonomic latch handles
con
CONS
con High prices

What sets Homz Plastic Storage Bin apart?

It’s enormous

The Homz Plastic Storage Bin can hold up to 28 gallons. With dimensions that measure 28.75 x 18.25 x 16 inches, it can fit about 15 times as much stuff as a cheap cardboard box. That makes it perfect for storing big and fluffy items like winter coats and comforters.

Transparent plastic

Clear plastic construction lets you see what’s inside your Homz Plastic Storage Bin without needing to open it. That can save time when bringing new boxes into your new home. For example, you can instantly see if the plastic moving boxes should go in the bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen. No need to mess with labels.

Ergonomic handles

Each Homz Plastic Storage Bin comes with ergonomic handles that latch into place. Not only does this make them easier to carry than old-fashioned cardboard boxes, but it helps keep out nasty things like dust and bugs.

Trying to find an extra-large plastic container?


Top 5 reusable moving boxes

  • VENO Moving Bag: Best overall
  • Bankers Box: Most popular
  • Pratt cardboard box: Cheapest
  • Rubbermaid Brute Tote: Heavy-duty
  • Homz Plastic Storage Bin: Big items

Reusable moving boxes FAQ

What are the best plastic moving boxes?

The best plastic moving boxes are the Rubbermaid Brute Tote (it holds up to 400 pounds) and the Homz Plastic Storage Bin (it’s ideal for large items), according to Move.org.

What are the benefits of reusable plastic moving boxes?

The benefits of reusable plastic moving boxes include saving time (you don’t have to put them together) and money (you don’t need to pay for tape). Plus, green moving is good for the environment.

Where can I get plastic wardrobe boxes?

You can get plastic wardrobe boxes from Homz. The Homz Plastic Storage Bin is one of Move.org’s Top 5 reusable moving boxes and is ideal for clothing items like dresses, shirts, and coats.

What moving supplies do I need?

Most people use moving supplies like packing paper, bubble wrap, and tape when they move.

Where can I find help to pack and load my moving boxes?

You can find help to pack and load your moving boxes through a moving labor company. The best moving labor companies are HireAHelper, Dolly, and TaskRabbit, according to Move.org.

Is a plastic crate better than a cardboard box?

A plastic crate is typically better than a cardboard box. Plastic crates are more expensive than flimsy cardboard boxes, but they generally hold more weight, last longer, and are stackable.

What makes good reusable boxes?

Good reusable boxes are strong, easy to use, and affordable. You also want to look for reusable boxes that fit your size and weight needs (for example, you often want different boxes for bedding than you do for books).

Can I rent moving boxes?

Yes, you can rent moving boxes. Companies like U-Haul, BungoBox, and Boxbee let you rent plastic moving boxes. However, most stores have only plastic containers (they don’t rent cardboard moving boxes).

Does Rubbermaid make good plastic packing crates?

Yes, Rubbermaid makes good plastic packing crates. The Rubbermaid Brute Tote can hold up to 400 pounds and is one of the best reusable moving boxes on the market, according to Move.org.

What is the cheapest moving box?

The cheapest moving box is the Pratt cardboard box, which costs approximately $1.


Recap

The VENO Moving Bag is the best reusable moving box on the market. It’s affordable, strong, and easy to use. It even comes with handles and straps so you can carry it like a bag or wear it like a backpack.

Kurt Manwaring
Written by
Kurt Manwaring
Kurt Manwaring brings nearly a decade’s worth of research experience as a business consultant to the Move.org team. He specializes in taking complicated issues (like moving) and presenting them in a way that everyone can understand. His writing has been featured in hundreds of publications, including USA Today, Martha Stewart Living, Country Living, Good Housekeeping, Heavy, Slate, and Yahoo! Lifestyle. He brings a BS in sociology and an MPA (masters of public administration) to the Move team. He would love to hear about your moving experiences and questions at kurt@move.org.