Zippy Shell 2024 Review: Pricing & Services

We analyzed more than 16,000 reviews and 300 prices over 3 years to select Zippy Shell as one of the nation’s best moving container companies.
zippyshell
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1
  • pro
    Low prices
  • pro
    Flexible storage options
  • con
    Limited availability
Company
Industry leader average
Learn more
$2,926$3,948
Kurt Manwaring
Jun 05, 2023
bullet6 min read

Bottom line: Zippy Shell costs about $1,000 less than the average quote of the rest of best moving container companies. At the same time, it’s available in only half the country and gets poor customer reviews.

pro
Pros
pro Low prices
pro Strong containers
pro Temperature-controlled storage
pro Flexible moving and storage options
con
Cons
con Limited availability (34 states)
con Poor customer reviews

Zippy Shell is available in 34 states.


How does Zippy Shell compare to other companies?

Company
Least expensive quote
Median quote
Most expensive quote
# of states
Details
$962
$5033$14,712 46
$973
$4349$870837
$1151
$3065$787650
$1170
$2887$657230
$1111
$2743$624334

Data as of 6/2024. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Average cost calculated by comparing moving costs for four home sizes across six distances.

Zippy Shell has the nation’s best moving container prices. However, it also has only one container size and gets rough customer reviews. Be sure to check out some negative Zippy Shell reviews depicting things like communication failures and delivery delays to see if you’re comfortable with the risks.


Zippy Shell pricing

The average cost to move with Zippy Shell is approximately $2,925—or about $1,000 below the industry average. Zippy Shell costs include transportation, basic liability coverage, and 30 days of storage (for long-distance moves). In addition, you can purchase additional storage and insurance protection on a monthly basis. Zippy Shell can also connect you with third-party moving services if you need help packing and loading.

Zippy Shell moving container prices

Distance
100 miles
1,000 miles
2,000 miles
Learn more
1 room
$1220
$3420
$3320
2 rooms
$1220
$3420
$3320
3 rooms
$1220
$3420
$3320
5 rooms
$2350
$5980
$5790

Data as of March 2022. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Average cost calculated by comparing moving costs for four home sizes across six distances.

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Move like a pro

Ask Zippy Shell about packing/unpacking & loading/unloading labor. They can coordinate local mover help during your container moves.

Zippy Shell protection options

Coverage package
Cost
Coverage amount
Deductible
Standard
$0
$50000
$5000
Plus
$149
$50000
$2500
Premium
$399
$50000
$1500

Data as of May 2022. Individuals should review their rental contract—including addendums—for a complete description of the policy’s terms, conditions, and exclusions.


What to know about Zippy Shell

Low prices

No company has lower moving container prices than Zippy Shell. Its average price tag of approximately $2,925 is about 25% below the industry average. In dollars and cents, that’s an average savings of almost $1,000.

If you compare its prices to some of the more expensive competitors on our list of the best container companies, things get even rosier. For example, Zippy Shell is nearly $400 cheaper than U-Pack. That’s enough savings to purchase moving supplies, hire moving help, or purchase their content protection plan (insurance) for some extra peace of mind.

Zippy Shell prices compared to other moving container companies

Company
Avg. moving container price
Amount above or below industry average
zippyshellZippy Shell
$3480
$390 ↓
uhaulU-Haul U-Box
$3700
$170 ↓
podsPODS
$3810
$60 ↓
1800packrat1-800-PACK-RAT
$3850
$20 ↓
upackU-Pack
$4500
$630 ↑

Data as of March 2022. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Average cost calculated by comparing moving costs for four home sizes across six distances.

Zippy Shell can save you an average of $400

Multiple storage options

Zippy Shell moving containers can also be used as portable storage units. That means you can store your moving containers at your home—or reserve a storage space at a Zippy Shell warehouse. It’s an ideal solution if you don’t have time to unload everything all at once. Similarly, if space is tighter than planned after moving in, you can leave your extra stuff in the Zippy Shell container rather than renting a storage unit. No extra hassle.

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How much does Zippy Shell storage cost?

Zippy Shell’s monthly storage fees depend on local rates (usually around $160–$220).

Real drawbacks

Zippy Shell’s moving container prices are to die for—but there’s a catch. Two catches, actually:

  1. Poor customer reviews. Zippy Shell gets some of the lowest customer review scores. We crunched the numbers on more than 16,000 reviews and found that Zippy Shell’s average rating of 2.4 out of 5 stars is one-half star below average. We suggest reading 5 or 10 negative Zippy Shell reviews before placing an order. See if you’re comfortable with the risks customers mention.
  2. Limited availability. It’s good that Zippy Shell plans to extend its service area. Right now, it’s available in only about half the country (28 states). That puts your odds of finding a Zippy Shell around 50-50.

Zippy Shell availability

Geographic region
States
WestCA, CO, ID, NV, OR, UT, WA
SouthwestAZ, NM, NV, OK, TX
MidwestIA, IL, IN, MI, MO, MN, OH, WI
NortheastCT, DC, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA
SoutheastAL, FL, GA, KY, LA, NC, SC, TN, VA

Zippy Shell location information as of August 2024.


Features and services

Zippy Shell offers a variety of services pertaining to moving and storage including:

  • Local moves
  • Long-distance moves
  • Mobile storage
  • Facility storage (includes temperature control)
  • Loading, unloading, and packing referrals

Learn more about how to work with Zippy Shell to coordinate your move.

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Zippy Shell at a glance

DescriptionZippy Shell information
Average price
$3480
At-home storage
bulletYes
Facility storage
bulletYes
Container materialsSteel frame
# of containers2
# of states34
Average customer review score (out of 5)
2.4 out of 5 stars
2.4

Zippy Shell international services

Zippy Shell does not offer international moving services. We recommend contacting one of our best international moving companies if you need to transport your household belongings to another country.


Zippy Shell long-term review


Zippy Shell has improved more than any other moving container in the last three years. It jumped from fifth to third in our rankings for several reasons, including:

  • Price. Money talks. Zippy Shell’s costs did a 180 from 2020 to 2022. The company went from having prices 10% above average to 25% below. While its competitors raised prices by about 35%, Zippy Shell kept its price hikes to around 7%. It’s hard to overstate how important it is when a company like Zippy Shell can save you hundreds of dollars.
  • Storage options. Part of the reason Zippy Shell improved is that we changed our rankings. Each year, we carefully research what matters most to customers. We'll update our approach if we see a noticeable shift in what defines quality. That’s what we learned here: flexible storage options are a big deal right now. Zippy Shell’s score got better as a result.

Our recommendation

Zippy Shell has the lowest moving container rates in the nation. The moving container company can save you hundreds on the average move. We’d recommend Zippy Shell without reservation if that were the end of the story.

Consider Zippy Shell if you can answer yes to these three questions and feel good about it:

  1. Is saving money a priority for you?
  2. Can you find a Zippy Shell in your area?
  3. Have you read the company’s reviews?

Moving container FAQ

How much is a Zippy Shell storage container?

A Zippy Shell storage container costs about $2,925. However, costs vary depending on home size and distance. For example, it costs only about $1,111 to move a one-bedroom home 100 miles.

What do Zippy Shell movers do?

Zippy Shell movers deliver, pick up, transport, and store your belongings. However, you do the packing and loading (unless you hire third-party movers to help).

How big is Zippy Shell?

Zippy Shell containers are 15 feet long, 7 feet wide, and 7 feet tall. That’s usually big enough to fit belongings for a three-bedroom home.

Is Zippy Shell climate-controlled?

Zippy Shell offers climate-controlled storage if you keep your container at one of its storage facilities. Its prices are sometimes more affordable than traditional climate-controlled storage unit companies.

Does Zippy Shell have free moving boxes?

No. However, Zippy Shell sells moving boxes at its facilities and can connect you with a third-party moving company to help pack and load your belongings.

Is a PODS container cheaper than Zippy Shell?

It depends. A PODS container is generally cheaper than Zippy Shell for small homes and short distances, while Zippy Shell has better prices for most everything else.

What is the phone number for Zippy Shell customer service?

You can reach Zippy Shell customer service by calling 888-947-7974. The company’s representatives can answer questions about your local move or long-distance move and provide cost estimates.

Is Zippy Shell in North Carolina?

Yes, Zippy Shell is in North Carolina (but not South Carolina). You can also find Zippy Shell movers in seven other southeastern states, including Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.

How much does a Zippy Shell hold?

A 15-foot Zippy Shell container can hold up to three rooms worth of belongings. It’s important to pick the right size moving container

Does 1-800-PACK-RAT own Zippy Shell?

1-800-PACK-RAT and Zippy Shell merged shortly before the turn of the decade. However, the partnership left both company names intact.

Who owns Zippy Shell Incorporated?

Gareth Taylor founded Zippy Shell in 2007. The company merged with 1-800-PACK-RAT in 2018 and provides moving container services across the United States.

Who are PODS' competitors?

PODS and 1-800-PACK-RAT are the industry’s best moving container companies. They face competition from lesser quality companies such as U-Pack and U-Haul.

Are Zippy Shell and 1-800-PACK-RAT the same?

Zippy Shell and 1-800-PACK-RAT merged in 2018, but each company does something unique. 1-800-PACK-RAT specializes in premium moving services, while Zippy Shell is tailored towards those who need to move on a budget.

What is a ReloCube container?

A ReloCube is U-Pack’s version of a moving container. You can find U-Pack ReloCubes in all 50 states.


Methodology

Move.org follows a five-step process to identify the nation’s best moving container companies:

  1. Compare quotes. We collected over 100 quotes from seven of the nation’s largest moving container companies to identify pricing trends.
  2. Mystery shopping. We do a top-to-bottom analysis of each company’s website and even call posing as customers. It helps us get a feel for what real-life customers experience.
  3. Analyze reviews. We read dozens of reviews for each company to see what most impresses (and turns off) customers. We also ran the numbers for more than 16,000 total reviews to calculate an industry customer review average.
  4. Site visits. We invite industry experts and company executives to visit our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT. We grill them on everything from pricing and customer reviews to insurance coverage and the latest industry trends.
  5. Annual review. Every year, we repeat the process to ensure that our list of the best moving container companies stays current. That means things like our top recommendations and industry prices may change from year to year.

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.