4 of the Best Packing Materials

Published: December 15, 2022

If you’re planning to store some of your belongings, you’ll need to pack them securely first. No matter how far they’re going, you want them to stay in one piece during transport. But how can you make sure they’ll be safe? Using the best packing materials will give you the best chance of success.

You have several choices for packing up your belongings. Let’s investigate the best packing materials and whether their benefits outweigh any negatives.

Packing Paper

While you can use leftover newspapers, packing paper is better because it’s thicker than newspaper. Packing paper will also help protect your items from getting scuffed or chipped. Furthermore, ink from the newspaper can sometimes transfer if the paper gets wet.

Advantages

Packing paper is low-cost and multipurpose. You can use it for wrapping breakable items, padding empty spaces in boxes, or stuffing drawers to prevent them from rattling around during transport.

Disadvantages

While paper is excellent for providing a smooth surface that prevents friction, it won’t do much to prevent breakage if your items are fragile. To be certain your china arrives unscathed, use packing paper in conjunction with bubble wrap or foam.

Bubble Wrap

Small air bubbles cushion your items in bubble wrap or bubble cushioning, which comes in sheets and rolls of different sizes to fit your needs.

Advantages

The two primary advantages of bubble wrap are that it is very light and offers excellent protection for delicate items. As the material consists of tiny air pockets, it does not weigh much. These air bubbles provide significant cushioning, making bubble wrap ideal for wrapping breakables such as antiques and fine glassware.

Disadvantages

Although it is pricier than most packing materials, bubble wrap is essential for protecting your breakables. Packing paper alone isn’t sufficient. You’ll need to wrap your items in bubble wrap too.

Foam and Packing Peanuts

Packing foam is not only one of the most popular packing materials but also shipping. It comes in diverse shapes and sizes, like packing peanuts, rolls, pouches, sheets, and corner guards. You can protect all sorts of valuables with foam–from jewelry to appliances and picture frames. 

Advantages

Using foam is a breeze, especially if you use pouches. Simply place your item in the pouch, and it’s good to go. And, because foam comes in many sizes, filling up space in empty moving boxes will be a cinch.

Disadvantages

Packing foam both protects your items and fills up space. While this is mostly positive, it also means you might need bigger boxes to accommodate the extra bulk. Additionally, packing foam doesn’t offer much cushioning by itself, so it’s best used in combination with other types of packing material.

Specialty Packing Kits

Some possessions are tougher to pack than others, like dishes, mirrors, and stemware. But that’s what specialty packing kits are for! These kits include dividers and other materials meant specifically to help protect your items from breaking during the move. 

Advantages

Custom-built kits help you secure your belongings better than a regular cardboard box, and they also help you pack more efficiently.

Disadvantages

Specialty packing kits come at a heftier price tag than traditional moving boxes, and you’ll likely have to assemble them yourself. These tasks generally require some time and effort.

Pack for Success

Use high-quality packing materials to prevent your belongings from becoming damaged during transport. Packing paper, bubble wrap, packing foam, and specialty packing kits are good options to consider. For optimal protection of your items, use a combination of these packing materials. If you need storage after you’ve packed up your belongings, UNITS of Louisville has got you covered!