When moving to a new home, it's necessary to put most of your belongings into specific containers to make them easier to move and to protect them from damage while in transit. The two most common types of moving containers are plastic and carboard boxes. These two distinct materials carry a specific set of advantages and disadvantages to each other; understanding the differences between the two types of moving containers can help you choose the best one for your moving day.

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes are extremely common and can be obtained for free from many different stores (though heavy-duty cardboard boxes will have to be purchased from moving and storage supply stores). This means that you can easily acquire more packing materials as you need them. Cardboard boxes can be folded, bent, and otherwise manipulated to conform to space considerations, which means that they are fairly easy to fill and pack into a moving truck.

However, cardboard boxes do require quite a bit of work, requiring packing tape to be sealed individually. This also means that when unpacking, you'll have to cut them open, which can take a bit of elbow grease and time to accomplish. Further, while cardboard boxes can help cushion against minor physical damage, they are not able to stand up to water damage and are susceptible to pests, which makes them less than ideal for fragile items.

Plastic Containers

Plastic containers, on the other hand, are much more durable than cardboard boxes and will hold up to water exposure and to various pests much better. Plastic containers can also be easily sealed with locking lids that can help keep your things secured while in transit and reducing the amount of time that it takes to pack them. Further, you won't have to worry about overloading a plastic container and it ripping open because it was improperly taped or simply not strong enough to carry whatever it has inside. This makes plastic containers better suited for long term storage and for transporting heavier items like weights and small appliances.

However, plastic containers do have a few considerations. Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, is cost. Plastic containers have to be rented or purchased from moving supply stores, which represents an added expense to your moving budget. Further, while plastic containers are more durable than cardboard, they are also extremely rigid, which means that packing a moving van can be slightly more difficult.

For more information, contact a moving company like Wheaton World Wide Moving.