Cardboard moving boxes vs. plastic moving boxes: Which option is best for your move?

One of the most important choices when preparing for a move is what type of boxes you’ll use. The go-to for most people is cardboard. You can buy cardboard moving boxes at a lot of places; they're cheap, they get the job done, and you can even find cardboard moving boxes for free .

However, it’s worth considering another option: plastic totes. They’re more resistant to the elements, great for storage and can often be rented, at least in cities or major metro areas. They’re also eco-friendly, but much more expensive than loading up on a ton of cardboard.

There’s much more to dig into if you’re trying to decide between the two. Here are some pros and cons to consider if you’re choosing between cardboard boxes and plastic totes for your move.

Cardboard moving boxes: Pros and cons

Cardboard boxes are typically a must-have for any move , and it’s not hard to see why. When you need a lot of boxes for a task, most of us lean towards the cheaper options. Cardboard boxes can run anywhere from $1 to $3 for standard small, medium, and large sizes. They’re an efficient way to spend your money.

Outside of the standard sizes, cardboard boxes are also available for more specialized uses. TV boxes (usually around $30 at Amazon ) make it safer to move one of the largest investments in most homes, while wardrobe boxes (roughly $50 for three at Amazon ) make sure items from your closet are protected and stay wrinkle-free. The price can ratchet up on these, however, so be aware of how many boxes you’ll need.

When it comes to organizing a moving truck , cardboard boxes are among the easiest options to stack, as well. You don’t have to accommodate any odd lid shapes, so you can stack flat surfaces on flat surfaces. Add some ratchet straps or bungee cords to hold things in place, and you have a relatively simple packing setup.

The biggest downsides to cardboard boxes come from what they’re made of. Cardboard is not resistant to the elements, so the boxes won’t hold up if they’re left outside or stored in damp places. This also makes them vulnerable to damage from mice and bugs if they’re left in a dark basement or attic for storage, for example.

Handling them for moving also makes them susceptible to rips and bends that can degrade them over time. Even if you’re careful during your move, you’ll end up with a handful of boxes you simply can’t reuse in the future due to damage. Assembling, breaking down and reassembling the boxes also adds stress to the corners of the boxes over time.

The good news is you can easily recycle cardboard boxes after you’re done using them . Whether that means donating to other movers or taking them to a local recycling center, you don’t need to hold onto them forever.

Plastic moving boxes: Pros and cons

Plastic totes have a number of advantages over cardboard moving boxes. Most notably, they’re much more resistant to damage from water, bugs and mice. That’s doubly true if you opt to spend extra on totes with water-tight lids (about $31 at Amazon ).

That resistance to the elements also makes the best plastic moving boxes a great option for long-term storage. At least some of your stuff, like seasonal decorations, will wind up stashed in your basement, closet or garage for most of the year. You can avoid handling these items more than once by packing them in plastic moving boxes from the start, allowing you to simply put them where you want to eventually store them as you move in.

If you live in a major metro area, you may not even have to buy your plastic totes. A lot of cities have places to rent plastic storage boxes specifically designed for moving, allowing you to drop them back off after you’re done. If you don’t need to keep any around for storage, which can be limited in big cities anyway, bins can be a great option.

The biggest barrier to using plastic totes is their cost. A pack of six basic Rubbermaid totes at Walmart will run around $128 when they’re not on sale. Even if you plan to rent your totes, it will ultimately cost more than buying a truckload of cardboard boxes.

Plastic moving boxes also aren’t always as efficient for stacking, and their shapes often leave space between them in moving trucks. While it probably won’t look like much between two lone boxes, it adds up inside a full truck. Contrast that with a cardboard box, which can be placed tight against the boxes around it, and you may find you can get more per load in a truck by going full-cardboard.

Lastly, plastic totes are simply much harder to recycle, if they can be recycled at all. You usually can’t place them on your curb, though you may be able to take them to your local recycling center. If that isn’t an option, consider donating them to a local charity organization or dropping them off at Goodwill or Salvation Army thrift stores.

Which moving boxes are best for most people?

There are a few considerations to keep in mind when you're trying to decide between cardboard and plastic moving boxes. First, figure out how many boxes you need because that will determine what you can afford. We've compiled a few handy tips to estimate how many moving boxes you need to make the process easy.

One thing people often forget about is how heavy their packed boxes will be, which can help determine whether you should go with cardboard or plastic for certain items. If you're using a moving company, it may have limits on how heavy your moving boxes can be as well.

Also, consider what you plan to do with the boxes after your move. There are several ways to get rid of cardboard moving boxes , but they all take varying amounts of effort and time. Plastic boxes are best if you plan to store some of your stuff or have a convenient place to stash them when they're empty.

Ultimately, using some combination of both types of boxes for your move might be your best bet. Cardboard boxes might be best for most of your stuff, particularly if it’s only going to live in the box for a short period. You can always supplement with plastic boxes for things that you plan to store for a while or want to keep away from the elements.

More Yahoo Local-approved U.S. movers

Best California movers

Bakersfield / Fremont / Fresno / Irvine / Los Angeles / Sacramento / San Diego / San Francisco / San Jose / Santa Rosa

Best Florida movers

Boca Raton / Fort Lauderdale / Fort Myers / Gainesville / Jacksonville / Melbourne / Miami / Naples / Ocala / Orlando / Sarasota / St. Petersburg / Tallahassee / Tampa / West Palm Beach

Best New York movers

Albany / Binghamton / The Bronx / Brooklyn / Buffalo / Clifton Park / Hamburg / Ithaca / Kingston / Manhattan / New Rochelle / Poughkeepsie / Queens / Rochester / Syracuse

Best Texas movers

Arlington / Austin / Dallas / Denton / El Paso / Fort Worth / Houston / Round Rock / San Antonio / The Woodlands

• Best national moving companies in the U.S.

• See all Yahoo Local moving