# Where to get moving boxes
1st Choice Packaging · Updated 10 November 2026

You can get moving boxes free from supermarkets, friends and online marketplaces, or buy new removal boxes online. Free boxes are fine for a few light things. For a whole home, new double-wall boxes in matching sizes are quicker to pack, safer to stack and much less likely to split.

## Free options

- **Supermarkets and shops.** Ask at customer service, ideally early in the morning when shelves are restocked. Expect odd sizes and mostly single-wall card. Fruit boxes often have holes in the base.

- **Friends and family who've just moved.** Often the best free source, because they're real removal boxes. Check the bottoms for damp or tears.

- **Online marketplaces and local groups.** People give away boxes after a move. Quality varies, and you have to collect.

- **Work.** Offices get deliveries in good boxes, but usually small ones.

## The catch with free boxes

- **Mixed sizes don't stack.** A van loaded with odd sizes shifts in transit, and the bottom boxes get crushed.

- **Single-wall card is weaker.** Fine for bedding, risky for books or crockery.

- **Hygiene.** Food boxes can carry smells or pests into your new home.

- **Time.** Collecting 50 boxes from different places can take days.

## Buying new

New removal boxes come in a few standard sizes that stack neatly, and double-wall boxes take real weight. We deliver flat-packed, free on orders over £65, next working day if you order by 12pm. See our [box size chart](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/moving-box-sizes/) or a ready-made [moving kit](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/moving-kits/).

**Packing tip:** A sensible mix: use free boxes for light, squashable things like bedding and soft toys, and new medium boxes for anything heavy or fragile.

## Questions

**Do supermarkets give away boxes?**
Many do if you ask at customer service, but sizes and quality vary, and you may need several trips to get enough.

**Are free boxes good enough for moving?**
For light, soft items, yes. For books, kitchenware and anything fragile, a strong double-wall box is much safer.

**Where can I buy moving boxes with next day delivery?**
We deliver moving boxes and kits UK-wide, next working day if you order by 12pm Monday to Friday, free on orders over £65.

## Shop for this
[Medium removal box £2.75](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/medium-removal-box/) [Large removal box £3.75](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/large-removal-box/) [2 bedroom moving kit £179.00](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/2-bedroom-moving-kit/)
[Work out how many boxes](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/box-calculator/)

## More moving guides
Guide

### [Last-minute packing: how to pack in a few days](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/last-minute-packing-for-moving/)
A fast plan for packing a home in two or three days, from ordering supplies today to the final night.

Guide

### [How many moving boxes do I need?](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/how-many-boxes-do-i-need/)
Box counts by home size and by room, and what pushes the number up or down.

Guide

### [Moving house checklist](https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/moving-house-checklist/)
A week-by-week UK moving checklist, including who to tell about your new address.

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Source: https://1stchoicepackaging.co.uk/guides/where-to-get-moving-boxes/ · 1st Choice Packaging, 75 Tollerford Road, Poole, Dorset, BH17 9BW · hello@1stchoicepackaging.co.uk