Boxes for Packing Books: Sizes for Moving and Storage

The best boxes for packing books are small ones. A double wall cardboard box of 12 x 9 x 9" (305 x 229 x 229mm) or 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm) holds a useful stack of books and can still be picked up by one person when it is full, which a big box of books cannot.

This guide is for anyone boxing up a bookshelf for a house move, a loft or a storage unit. It covers why the box has to be small, which of our sizes fit paperbacks, hardbacks and large-format books, whether single wall board is enough, how to lay the books in the box, and how many boxes to order. If you are posting one book to a buyer, that is a different job and our guide to posting books without bumped corners covers it.

Quick picks for packing books

Three things do most of the work: a small strong box, tape for the base and paper for the gaps.

Best for most book collections

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes

Small double wall boxes that stay liftable when full and stack well in a van or a storage unit.

• Book sizes: 12 x 9 x 9" (305 x 229 x 229mm) and 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm)
• Two layers of fluting, stronger than single wall and better for stacking
• Sold per box, minimum 5 for most sizes, delivered flat

From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)

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Best for paperbacks on a budget

Single Wall Cardboard Boxes

Lighter boxes that do the job for paperbacks in small sizes and short moves.

• Small sizes include 10 x 8 x 6" (254 x 203 x 152mm) and 12 x 9 x 6" (305 x 229 x 152mm)
• Single wall corrugated board, supplied flat
• Sold individually, minimum 5 per size

From £0.35 ex VAT (£0.42 inc VAT)

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Best for sealing book boxes

Brown Packing Tape

Buff polypropylene tape that matches brown boxes, in packs of 6 rolls.

• Standard roll is 48mm x 66m, acrylic adhesive on 42 micron film
• Wide Proloc 72mm x 66m roll for heavier cartons
• Every option is a pack of 6 rolls

From £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT)

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Why do books need small boxes?

Books need small boxes because paper is dense, so the weight of a box of books climbs much faster than the box looks like it should allow. A large moving box filled to the top with books is more than most people can carry safely, and the base of the box is carrying that same load every time it is lifted.

We will not quote a weight that a box can carry, because that depends on how the box is taped, how it is lifted and how damp it has been. The practical rule is that a book box should be small enough that you can lift it, full, from the floor to waist height without straining. If you cannot, the box is too big or too full.

Small boxes help in three other ways when you are moving or storing a collection:

• They stack. A small box packed solid with books makes a firm block. You can build a tidy column of them in a van or against a storage unit wall, and the boxes underneath are supported by their contents.
• They fit through the house. A 12 inch box goes up loft ladders and round stair turns that a 24 inch box will not.
• They limit the damage. If one box is dropped or gets wet, you have a couple of dozen books at risk instead of a whole bookcase.

The big boxes still have a place in the move. Use them for duvets, pillows, lampshades and toys. Our moving boxes guide goes through which size suits which room and how many boxes a whole house needs.

Which size cardboard boxes for packing books do you need?

For most shelves the right cardboard boxes for packing books are 12 x 9 x 9" (305 x 229 x 229mm) for paperbacks and 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm) for hardbacks and mixed shelves. Both come in our double wall range, and the 12 x 9 x 9" and 12 x 12 x 12" sizes are also sold in single wall.

Book sizes vary by publisher, so measure a few of yours before ordering. As a rough guide, a standard UK paperback is about 129 x 198mm, a typical hardback novel is about 156 x 234mm, and an A4 book is 210 x 297mm. The table matches those against the box sizes we stock. Box sizes are length x width x height.

The 12 x 9 x 9" box has the same footprint as the 12 x 9 x 6", so the two sizes stack on each other neatly and you can use the shallower one for the last few books off a shelf. The 14 x 14 x 14" and 18 x 12 x 11" boxes are there for books that will not physically fit in a 12 inch box. They get heavy quickly, so fill them with books to about two thirds and finish with something light such as cushions or scarves.

For every size we sell in both ranges, with dimensions in inches, mm and cm, see the cardboard box sizes chart.

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Do books need double wall boxes or will single wall do?

Double wall boxes are the safer choice for books, and single wall is fine for paperbacks in the smaller sizes on a short move. Double wall board has two layers of fluting, which makes it stronger than single wall and better at holding its shape under a stack.

Choose double wall boxes, from £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT) per box, when any of these apply:

• Hardbacks and textbooks. They weigh more per book and their corners press into the board.
• Stacking more than two or three high. In a van, a garage or a storage unit, the bottom box carries everything above it.
• Long-term storage. A box that will sit for a year or more needs to keep its shape.
• A removal firm is doing the lifting. Boxes get handled faster and stacked higher than you would do yourself.

Single wall boxes, from £0.35 ex VAT (£0.42 inc VAT) per box, are lightweight corrugated boxes for everyday orders, storage and light moving. They are a reasonable saving if your collection is mostly paperbacks, you are using sizes up to 12 x 9 x 9", and the boxes will go in your own car and straight onto shelves at the other end. Do not use the larger single wall sizes for books.

Best for hardbacks and storage

Double Wall Cardboard Boxes

The box we would use for a bookcase that is going into a van or a storage unit.

• 11 sizes from 9 x 6 x 6" (229 x 152 x 152mm) to 24 x 24 x 24" (610 x 610 x 610mm)
• Two layers of fluting for strength and stacking
• Mix sizes on one order, and the price per box falls as you buy more

From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)

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You may already have boxes that will do. Clean, dry supermarket or delivery boxes of about the right size are fine for paperbacks if the board is not creased or softened. Avoid anything that has held food or has been damp. If you want the background on board grades, we compare them in single wall vs double wall cardboard boxes, and the heavy duty cardboard boxes guide covers packing other heavy items.

How do you pack books in a box: flat, upright or spine down?

Pack books lying flat where you can, because a flat stack spreads the weight evenly and puts no strain on the bindings. Standing them upright as they sit on a shelf is also fine, and so is spine down with the page edges facing up. The one position to avoid is spine up, where the weight of the pages hangs from the binding and can pull it out of shape.

Each of the three safe positions suits a different kind of book:

• Flat. Best for hardbacks, large-format books and anything valuable. Put the biggest and heaviest books at the bottom and work up to the smallest.
• Upright. Works for books of similar height packed snugly, so none can lean. A leaning book ends up with a warped cover.
• Spine down. Useful for filling the gap beside a flat stack with a row of paperbacks. The spine takes the weight and the page edges stay clean.

This is how we would pack a 12 x 9 x 9" or 12 x 12 x 12" box.

1. Tape the base. Fold the short flaps in, then the long flaps, and run one strip of tape along the centre seam so it comes at least 5cm up each end of the box. Add a strip either side of the first, overlapping it. For heavier boxes, add one strip across the middle at right angles.
2. Line the base. Lay a sheet of kraft paper in the bottom. It keeps the lowest covers off the tape and the board.
3. Sort by size. Group the books into piles of the same footprint before you start. Mixed sizes in one stack leave edges overhanging, and overhanging edges get bent.
4. Build the stacks. Start with the largest books flat on the base, covers square to the sides of the box. Alternate the spines left and right every few books so the stack stays level.
5. Use the side gaps. Slide paperbacks spine down into the space beside the stacks. Do not wedge them in. If you have to push, the box is full.
6. Fill what is left. Crumple kraft paper into any gap at the sides and across the top so nothing can slide when the box is tipped. Stop the books about a centimetre below the rim.
7. Lift it before you seal it. If it is too heavy, take a few books out now and replace them with paper or something light.
8. Seal and label. Tape the top the same way as the base. Write the room and the contents on a side as well as the top, so you can read the label when the boxes are stacked.

What tape and packing paper do book boxes need?

Book boxes need a proper polypropylene packing tape on the base and plain paper for lining and filling. Tape matters more here than on most boxes, because the base seam is carrying the full load and thin stationery tape will let go.

Our brown packing tape starts from £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT) for a pack of 6 rolls. The standard roll is 48mm x 66m with an acrylic adhesive on 42 micron polypropylene film, and that is the one to buy for 12 inch book boxes. If you are packing the bigger sizes, the Proloc 72mm x 66m roll is a wide tape made for bigger boxes and heavier cartons, and it covers more of the seam in one pass. Six rolls is more than one bookcase needs, but the rest will go on the other boxes in the move. For how much tape a whole house takes, see our guide to moving tape and taping tips.

A pistol grip tape gun, from £5.00 ex VAT (£6.00 inc VAT), lays and cuts the tape with one hand while the other holds the flaps down. It is worth having if you are taping more than a dozen boxes. For fewer than that, the roll and a pair of scissors will do.

For lining and filling, kraft paper rolls start from £25.00 ex VAT (£30.00 inc VAT). The standard roll is 500mm x 200m in 90gsm, wide enough to wrap a large hardback, and there are two 70gsm centre-feed rolls in dispenser boxes at 200mm x 250m and 375mm x 300m. A full roll is a lot of paper for books alone. It makes sense if you are also wrapping crockery, pictures and ornaments for the same move, which our kraft paper rolls guide explains. If the books are all you are packing, clean plain paper you already have will fill the gaps. Avoid newspaper against pale covers and page edges, because the ink can rub off.

Best for lining and filling

Kraft Paper Rolls

Strong brown paper for wrapping books, separating stacks and filling the empty space in the box.

• Standard roll 500mm x 200m in 90gsm
• Centre-feed rolls in dispenser boxes: 200mm x 250m and 375mm x 300m, both 70gsm
• Each option is sold as a single roll

From £25.00 ex VAT (£30.00 inc VAT)

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Bubble wrap is rarely needed for books. If you have a few fragile or valuable volumes, a turn of small bubble wrap over a paper wrap protects the corners, and the roll will be used up on the glassware anyway. You can find the rest of the tapes in the packing tapes collection and the paper and wrap in protective packaging.

How do you store books in cardboard boxes long term?

To store books in cardboard boxes long term, use double wall boxes, pack the books flat, and keep the boxes off the floor in a dry place with a steady temperature. Cardboard and paper both take up moisture from the air, so where the boxes sit matters as much as how they are packed.

• Pick the place first. A spare room, a cupboard or an indoor storage unit is better than a garage, shed or unlined loft, where damp and big temperature swings are common.
• Keep boxes off the floor. Stand them on a pallet, a shelf or a couple of lengths of timber so air can move underneath and a small leak does not reach the board.
• Leave a gap at the wall. Do not push boxes hard against an outside wall. A few centimetres of space helps stop condensation soaking into the back of the stack.
• Stack heavy to light. Put the heaviest boxes at the bottom and keep each column to the same footprint so the corners line up. The corners of a box carry the stacking load.
• Keep stacks low. Stack only as high as you can reach and lift safely, and lower if the bottom box shows any sign of bowing.
• Label for the future. Write the contents on two sides. A list such as "cookery, A to M" saves opening six boxes to find one book.
• Check them. Look at the boxes a couple of times a year for damp patches, sagging or pests, and repack anything that has softened.

Do not seal books inside plastic bags for long storage in a place that might be damp, because any moisture that gets in stays in. A paper lining and a taped cardboard box in a dry room is the simpler option.

Cardboard is a good choice for a move and for storage in a dry indoor space. If the only place you have is a damp garage or cellar, a lidded plastic crate will protect books better than any cardboard box. We do not stock plastic crates. For shelving, labelling and getting the longest life out of boxes in storage, see our guide to cardboard storage boxes.

How many book boxes do you need, and what do they cost?

Work out the number of book boxes from your shelves: measure the total length of shelf you have filled, then divide by what one box holds. Double wall boxes start from £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT) each and single wall from £0.35 ex VAT (£0.42 inc VAT) each, and the price depends on the size you choose.

You can estimate from what one box holds. A 12 x 9 x 9" (305 x 229 x 229mm) box takes two flat stacks of standard paperbacks, each stack up to about 22cm tall, so one box holds a little over 40cm of paperback shelf. A 12 x 12 x 12" (305 x 305 x 305mm) box takes one flat stack of hardbacks about 29cm tall, plus paperbacks down the side. Pack one box from your own shelf, see how much shelf it cleared, and multiply up. Then add two or three spare boxes, because the last shelf never divides evenly.

How we sell them:

• Per box, in mixed sizes. Both ranges are sold as individual boxes, so you can order paperback and hardback sizes together. The minimum is 5 boxes per size for single wall and 5 for most double wall sizes.
• Volume pricing. The price per box falls as you buy more, and the tiers are shown on each product page. If you are also boxing up the rest of the house, order everything together.
• Flat packed. Boxes arrive flat and take little room until you fold them up, so you can order ahead of moving day.
• Tape and paper. Brown tape is from £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT) for a pack of 6 rolls. Kraft paper is from £25.00 ex VAT (£30.00 inc VAT) a roll.

Delivery is free on every order by Royal Mail Tracked 48, with no minimum spend. Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday leave our Manchester unit the same working day. If you are local, click and collect from Cheetham Hill is free and usually ready within 2 hours, and we run same-day van delivery within 10 miles. Our Manchester moving boxes guide has more on getting boxes locally.

Schools, libraries, charity shops, booksellers and removal firms that buy boxes regularly can apply for a trade account. Every order comes with a VAT invoice. If you are not sure which size fits your books, phone 0161 706 1246 or use the contact page with the measurements of your largest book and we will point you to a box.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What size box is best for packing books?

The best size box for packing books is a small one, around 12 x 9 x 9 inches (305 x 229 x 229mm) for paperbacks or 12 x 12 x 12 inches (305 x 305 x 305mm) for hardbacks and A4 books. Boxes of this size hold a useful number of books and one person can still lift the box when it is full. Larger boxes should only be used for oversized books, and then only part-filled.

Should books be packed flat or standing up?

Books are safest packed flat, with the largest and heaviest books at the bottom of the stack. Books can also be packed upright if they are a similar height and fit snugly, or spine down with the page edges facing up. Books should never be packed spine up, because the weight of the pages pulls on the binding.

Are double wall boxes necessary for books?

Double wall boxes are the better choice for hardbacks, textbooks, long-term storage and any book boxes that will be stacked several high. Double wall board has two layers of fluting, so it is stronger than single wall and stacks better. Single wall boxes in small sizes are acceptable for paperbacks on a short move in your own car.

How heavy should a box of books be?

A box of books should be light enough for the person carrying it to lift from the floor to waist height without straining. There is no single safe figure, because people and boxes differ, so pack one box and test it before packing the rest. If the box of books is too heavy, use a smaller box or part-fill it and top it up with paper or light items.

Can you store books in cardboard boxes long term?

Books can be stored in cardboard boxes long term if the boxes are kept in a dry indoor space with a steady temperature. Keep the boxes off the floor and away from outside walls, and check them a couple of times a year. In a damp garage, shed or cellar, cardboard boxes will soften, so a lidded plastic crate is a better container there.

How many books fit in a 12 x 9 x 9 inch box?

The number of books that fit in a 12 x 9 x 9 inch (305 x 229 x 229mm) box depends on how thick the books are. The box takes two flat stacks of standard paperbacks side by side, each stack up to about 22cm tall, which is a little over 40cm of bookshelf. Pack one box from your own shelf to get a real figure before you order.

Shop for This Job

• Cardboard Boxes
• Packing Tapes
• Protective Packaging

Related Guides

• Moving Boxes Guide: Sizes, Strength and How Many You Need
• Book Packaging: How to Post Books Without Bumped Corners
• Heavy Duty Cardboard Boxes: How to Choose and Pack Strong Boxes

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