The Best Tape for Packing and Moving

When you’re set to move a lot of items, furniture, and other essentials, the first thing you think of is the type of box. And most often, cheap moving boxes are your go-to winner for holding all your precious items.

However, a lot of people fail to realize that the tape is almost just as important when moving and using boxes. You need to keep all of those boxes secured and closed, right? There are a number of factors that affect which tape is best, including the adhesive, the material, if it’s waterproof, and even how tearable it is.

With that said, let’s look at some of those factors and talk about the best (and worst) tapes for each.

Packing tape

Packing tape, also called packaging and shipping tape, is designed to have a strong-stick to it in order to hold boxes together during bumpy rides. Without a doubt, it serves the best role when moving. It also comes in different thicknesses strong enough to withstand heavier loads.

In addition, packing tape is waterproof in that the back is plastic and the adhesive isn’t water soluble. This is a big win over a lot of other types of tape because condensation, humidity, and weather can break them down a lot more easily than packing tape.

Duct tape

One of the most commonly seen tapes, duct tape, is actually not the best for moving. While it’s easily torn off at the length needed, making packing and moving a lot quicker, it doesn’t adhere too well to cardboard. The “old wrap the entire box once” trick can solve this, but it isn’t the best solution considering it leaves a residue on cardboard.

With that said, duct tape is an okay alternative if you didn’t care too much about the boxes.

Masking tape

Masking tape is best left for labeling boxes. It sticks well to cardboard and is great for writing on, but its strength leaves something to be desired when sealing boxes. Additionally, it’s not nearly as strong as the other tapes mentioned when it comes to keeping boxes held together.

Electrical tape

This tape is great for insulating power cords that have been torn, thus its name. However, it falls short when it comes to packing. Its small width typically makes it impossible to seal boxes, and it doesn’t adhere to cardboard all that well, much like duct tape. This is best left to the electronics.

It’s pretty clear that packing tape takes the crown when it comes to sealing your cheap moving boxes. It’s practically in the name, especially when referred to as packaging or shipping tape. This strong, highly adhesive waterproof tape is king for all things moving and shipping. Get yourself a tape gun for quicker, more accurate use of packing tape!

Best Moving Tips For Valuable Items

Valuable items offer an entirely different challenge when it comes to shipping in order to keep everything safe and secure in route to its new destination. Things such as fine china, jewelry and electronics are a whole new arena as compared to something like books and magazines. It is important that small businesses get this part right to keep customers satisfied and costs at a minimum.

One of the first considerations is the moving supplies, and there are many varied options which can all be the right fit depending on the particular type of items being sent. Cheap moving boxes abound in the marketplace and it is important that they are strong and dry so that the valuable items will be good to go there. Most of the time it is wise to use either brand new boxes or the original containers as the package, but used boxes might work as well as long as they are in good condition with no visible damage. Packing paper and bubble wrap as well as the integral tape are further shipping items that can be used with the cheap moving boxes in order to get everything snug and situated properly.

Transportation damage can then be reduced through the use of extra protection that one might not otherwise for something simple and basic. High-quality packing tape is a necessity, and it should be used to double tape the bottom of all of those boxes which will be vessels for the high value items. Some initial cushioning is always a good idea, and so a few sheets of bubble wrap can be placed into the bottom of those boxes to help with shock absorption. This can be especially important when the shipping carrier uses tumultuous methods and routes which are not totally shock-free.

It is important that particular types of items get their own treatment. For example, framed art can be placed into specialized picture boxes which are able to adjust to art of all sizes. Marking any glass portions of framed art with a masking tape X will help to keep any shards in a retrievable location so that they will not affect the other items in a shipment. Jewelry also has its own containers, or jewelry boxes, which go that extra mile to keep everything in shape. However, even some lower cost methods such as using drinking straws and toilet paper rolls to protect things like necklaces and bracelets can go a long way. Pill organizers are great for shipments which contain numerous sets of earrings. Finally, egg cartons and hard sunglasses cases are great for expensive rings.

One final great way to insure that everything gets to the destination safe is to utilize the service of a luxury moving company who makes it their job to do just that. You can count on such a company to reimburse the monetary cost if by chance they do happen to damage or lose the valuable product, but it can also be expected that the chance of that happening is much lower when it is placed in their hands rather than those of a less experienced and less capable handler. By following some of the advice just outlined above it will be no problem to get everything where it needs to be in the good condition that everyone deserves.