How Many Moving Boxes Do I Need? Complete Room-by-Room Guide

The question we hear most often isn't about price — it's "how many boxes do I actually need?" Order too few and you're making panic runs the night before the move. Order too many and you've paid to move air. Here's the guide we use ourselves.

The rule of thumb

One of our large totes holds roughly what 2–3 standard cardboard boxes hold. So when you see cardboard estimates, divide by two and you're close to a tote count.

By home size, this is what years of moves look like:

• Studio: about 20 totes
• 1 bedroom: about 35 totes
• 2 bedrooms: about 50 totes
• 3 bedrooms: about 75 totes
• 4 bedrooms: about 100 totes
• 5 bedrooms: about 125 totes

Those are exactly the sizes of our rental packages — they're not arbitrary numbers, they're what real homes take.

Room by room

Kitchen (8–12 totes)

The kitchen eats more boxes than any other room. Dishes, glasses, pots, pantry goods, small appliances — and it's all heavy or fragile. Pack plates vertically like records, wrap glasses individually, and keep each tote under what you can comfortably lift.

Bedrooms (4–6 totes each)

Clothing, shoes, linens, and personal items. Clothes on hangers go faster in a wardrobe box — one per closet keeps everything wrinkle-free. Use medium totes for books and heavy items so they stay liftable.

Living room (4–6 totes)

Books, media, decor, and electronics. This is where medium totes shine: a large tote filled with books can top 75 pounds.

Bathrooms (1–2 totes)

Toiletries and towels. Toss a "first night" tote with toilet paper, medication, and chargers — and label it clearly.

Garage and storage (5–10 totes)

The wildcard. Tools, sports gear, holiday decorations, and everything you've been meaning to sort. A move is the perfect excuse to purge first and pack second.

Adjust for your household

These numbers assume an average household. Add 10–15% if you have kids (toys multiply), work from home (files and equipment), or have lived in the same place for five-plus years. Subtract a bit if you're a committed minimalist.

The easy button

Don't want to do the math? Our box calculator sizes a package for your home in under a minute, and every package includes dollies, labels, and zip ties. Two weeks is our most popular rental — long enough to pack at a human pace, unpack without rushing, and still have the empties picked up free when you're done.