Are single walled boxes strong enough for books?

Cardboard boxes have many great uses, including moving house, storage and shipping. They are used by the public as well as businesses throughout the UK, and are the most environmentally friendly option of box because they are often made from recycled paper and are fully recyclable too. There are different types of cardboard box available, and choosing the right type of box for your task can be tricky. It can become a bit of a minefield if you don’t know what you’re looking at. 

The main two categories of removal boxes:

• Single walled cardboard boxes. These are made with a single layer of cardboard sheet, as the name suggests. They are low cost boxes that are often the cheapest available. They are easy to find from most box makers, and can be purchased in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They are not typically the strongest boxes, so if you are packing particularly heavy items, they are not ideal. They won’t be able to protect the items you put into them as well as other types of box which are stronger.
  
  

• Double walled cardboard boxes. These are made with two layers of cardboard sheet. They are slightly more expensive than single walled boxes, but they are much stronger. This makes them perfect for moving very heavy weights inside of them, and they will help to protect whatever you put into them too. They can be stacked on top of one another without breaking too, so they are great for house moving. They also come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

So if you are moving house for example, you are going to face many huge costs. The cost when you buy house removal boxes is something which you won’t want to spend much money on, so you might be trying to use single walled boxes for as many household items as you possibly can. One question that people often wonder is; are single walled boxes strong enough for moving books?

Factors to consider

• The number of books will affect the weight of the books. If you have twenty books, they are going to weigh more than ten books. The weight is the thing that determines whether a box is suitable or not.
  
  
• Some manufacturers of cardboard use stronger and thicker cardboard than others. This means that the strength of their single and double walled boxes are going to be tougher than others. There is no industry standard, unfortunately.
  
  
• The method of how you are going to lift the box and transport the box is also a factor to consider. If you are hiring a removal company, then you need to ensure the boxes are fully secure and unbreakable because you are relying on somebody else to do the transportation. If you are moving the boxes yourself, then you are able to take more care with transportation, so you can get away with more.

Are single walled boxes strong enough for books?

• Generally speaking, we always recommend using double walled boxes for moving books. Single walled boxes on average are not strong enough to hold the weight, and will just break under the pressure put onto them. This is a general rule of thumb; it is possible to get single walled boxes that are strong enough to hold the weight if the cardboard is thick enough, but it is rare to find. Double walled boxes are always going to be strong enough.
  
  
• The size of the box and the number of books you are putting into that box is also a determining factor. If you are moving twenty books and putting them into a medium to large sized box, then double walled cardboard is a must. This is because the weight will be very heavy. If you are packing just two books into a small box, then a single walled box will do because the weight won’t be too heavy, however the box won’t offer much protection to the books inside.
  
  
• If you lift the house removal packing boxes yourself while transporting, and you are very careful and lift the box from underneath, and store the box in a very safe place, then you can just about get away with a single walled box for moving books. It is not recommended and will be very tricky. It is a much safer option to use double walled cardboard boxes for moving books, because you can rely on them to be strong enough and to protect the books inside.

Extra tips

• Make sure you use the strongest type of packing tape to fully secure the boxes that you use to move books. The more tape that you use and the stronger the adhesive tape is, the better secured your books will be. No matter what type of box you use, tape is a great addition.
  
  
• There is not much of a price difference between single and double walled boxes in reality. It is always worth spending that little bit extra to purchase the better quality boxes.
  
  
• Bubble wrap will do a great job of protection for your books. The bubbles will protect from knocks, bumps and scratches of the outside of the books, and the bubble wrap will also protect from water damage if it rains because that could ruin your books. Make sure you wrap each book individually and secure them with tape too.
  
  
• If you pack too many books into a box then the box may become too heavy to carry. It doesn’t matter how strong the box is, is you are unable to carry the boxes easily, then it will make your job of moving much harder. It is therefore recommended that you use medium sized boxes when it comes to moving books.
  
  
• Books are a rectangular shape, so it is best to purchase boxes for house removal that are a rectangular size, so that you can fit more books into them.