Are plastic moving boxes worth it?

For a local move, usually yes. Plastic totes need no tape or assembly, stack without crushing, stand up to heat and rain, and when you rent them they are delivered and collected, with nothing to break down afterwards. For a long-distance move or long-term storage, cardboard is the better buy.

Are plastic moving boxes cheaper than cardboard?

No. Buying cardboard costs less: in October 2026 a medium box listed at $1.34 at The Home Depot and about $2.19 at U-Haul. Renting plastic totes costs more, from $63.75 for 7 days, and the difference pays for delivery, pickup, dollies and not taping, building or recycling anything.

Can I use rented plastic totes for a long-distance move?

Not ours. Rented totes have to come back to us, so both the delivery and the pickup address must be inside our delivery area. For a move out of the Phoenix metro, buy cardboard.

Do plastic moving boxes hold as much as cardboard boxes?

Close to it. Our totes hold 18 gallons, about 2.4 cubic feet. A medium cardboard moving box holds about 3 cubic feet, so a tote is a little smaller, which also keeps a full one light enough for one person to carry.

Plastic vs cardboard moving boxes: which is better?

How the two compare on cost, strength, heat, rain and pests, and when cardboard is still the right call.

Updated October 2026

The short answer

For a local move, plastic moving boxes are better: no tape or assembly, they stack without crushing, rain and heat do not weaken them, and renting them means delivery, pickup and no cardboard to recycle. Cardboard is cheaper to buy, and it is the right choice for a long-distance move, for storage, or when you need special shapes like wardrobe or TV boxes.

Plastic moving boxes vs cardboard, side by side

Cardboard box covered in fragile stickers, crushed in the middle

Rented plastic moving totes compared with cardboard moving boxes
Feature	Plastic totes	Cardboard boxes
Cost	Plastic totesRented, from $63.75 for 7 days with dollies, delivery and pickup	Cardboard boxesBought, $1.34 to $2.19 per medium box plus tape (October 2026)
Setup	Plastic totesAttached lids close without tape	Cardboard boxesFold, tape the bottom, tape the top
Strength	Plastic totesRigid; stacks five high without crushing	Cardboard boxesWeakens when stacked, damp or reused
Heat and rain	Plastic totesUnaffected by a monsoon shower or a hot garage	Cardboard boxesGoes soft when wet; tape can let go in a hot truck
Pests	Plastic totesClosed lids, nowhere to hide	Cardboard boxesCorrugated cardboard is where roaches and scorpions hide
Cleanliness	Plastic totesCleaned and disinfected between rentals	Cardboard boxesUsed boxes carry whatever was in them before
After the move	Plastic totesWe collect the empties	Cardboard boxesBreak down, recycle or store
Sizes	Plastic totesOne size, 18 gallons	Cardboard boxesEvery size, including wardrobe, TV and picture boxes
Distance	Plastic totesLocal moves inside our delivery area	Cardboard boxesAnywhere

Why plastic does better in Phoenix

Most comparisons are written for somewhere mild. Here, three things tilt it further toward plastic.

Heat. A garage or a closed truck in a Phoenix summer gets far hotter than the air outside, and packing tape holds worse the hotter it gets. A tote lid does not depend on adhesive.
Monsoon storms. From mid-June to the end of September a dry afternoon can turn into a downpour in minutes. A wet cardboard box loses most of its strength; a wet tote just needs wiping.
Roaches and scorpions. Cardboard stored in a garage gives them somewhere to hide, and boxes that sat outside a store can carry them into a new home. A sealed tote gives them nothing.

More on planning around the weather in moving in the Arizona heat.

When cardboard is the better choice

Long-distance moves. Rented totes have to come back, and ours only travel inside our delivery area.
Storage. If the boxes are going into a storage unit for months, buy them.
Odd shapes. Wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes and purpose-made boxes for TVs, mirrors and art have no plastic equivalent.
Tiny moves. A dozen boxes for a dorm room or a single room is cheaper bought.

If cardboard is your answer, our guides to where to get moving boxes in Phoenix and U-Haul vs Home Depot box prices will save you a trip.

Questions people ask

Something else? Call (480) 933-0185 or read the moving box rental FAQ.

Are plastic moving boxes worth it?: For a local move, usually yes. Plastic totes need no tape or assembly, stack without crushing, stand up to heat and rain, and when you rent them they are delivered and collected, with nothing to break down afterwards. For a long-distance move or long-term storage, cardboard is the better buy.
Are plastic moving boxes cheaper than cardboard?: No. Buying cardboard costs less: in October 2026 a medium box listed at $1.34 at The Home Depot and about $2.19 at U-Haul. Renting plastic totes costs more, from $63.75 for 7 days, and the difference pays for delivery, pickup, dollies and not taping, building or recycling anything.
Can I use rented plastic totes for a long-distance move?: Not ours. Rented totes have to come back to us, so both the delivery and the pickup address must be inside our delivery area. For a move out of the Phoenix metro, buy cardboard.
Do plastic moving boxes hold as much as cardboard boxes?: Close to it. Our totes hold 18 gallons, about 2.4 cubic feet. A medium cardboard moving box holds about 3 cubic feet, so a tote is a little smaller, which also keeps a full one light enough for one person to carry.

Rent moving boxes, delivered to your door

Plastic moving totes and dollies from $63.75 for 7 days, with delivery and pickup included. Free cancellation until 6 AM on the delivery day.

Rent online Call (480) 933-0185