How to Pack Fragile Items for a Move: Dishes, Glassware & Electronics

Use the right box, not just the right wrapping

Dish-pack (or "china") boxes have thicker double walls than standard moving boxes and are worth the extra cost for anything genuinely fragile. Standard boxes flex under stacking weight — dish-pack boxes hold their shape and protect contents from crushing, which is the most common cause of breakage, not drops.

Packing dishes and plates

• Wrap each plate individually in packing paper, then stack plates vertically like records, not flat — plates are far stronger on their edge than stacked flat
• Line the bottom of the box with a few inches of crumpled paper before adding any dishes
• Fill every gap tightly — dishes that can shift during transit are dishes that can crack

Packing glassware and stemware

• Stuff each glass with packing paper before wrapping the outside — an empty glass is far more likely to crack under pressure than a filled one
• Use dividers or cell kits for stemware where possible
• Pack glasses upright, never on their side, and never nest one inside another without padding between them

Packing mirrors, art, and glass tabletops

• Use flat mirror/picture boxes when possible, or sandwich the item between two pieces of cardboard
• Tape an "X" across glass surfaces with painter's tape — it won't prevent breaks but limits shattering
• Always transport standing on edge, never flat, and never stack anything on top

Packing electronics

• Original boxes are ideal if you kept them — they're built to the exact dimensions of the item
• Photograph cable setups before disconnecting anything, especially for entertainment centers
• Remove batteries from remotes and loose electronics to prevent corrosion damage in transit
• Use anti-static bubble wrap for anything with exposed circuitry, not standard bubble wrap

Label for handling, not just contents

Write "FRAGILE" and an arrow indicating "this side up" on every side of the box a crew member might see when picking it up — not just the top. Boxes get rotated and stacked in transit, and a label only on top is easy to miss.

Don't want to pack it all yourself?

Our professional packing service is built exactly for this — trained crews who pack fragile, high-value items daily and carry insurance on their work. Get a free quote and add packing to your move.