Key takeaways
- Back up your data before you pack anything. A dropped hard drive is recoverable. The photos on it may not be.
- Photograph the back of every device before you unplug it, so you can reconnect everything later.
- TVs travel upright, never flat. Flat is how screens crack.
After a cold winter move, let electronics come to room temperature for a few hours before powering them on.
Electronics are the items people worry about most on moving day, and with good reason: they are expensive, fragile and full of your life. The good news is that packing them well is mostly about three things, which are backing up, labelling and keeping things snug.
Before you pack anything
- Back up your data. To an external drive, the cloud, or both. Do this first, before the boxes come out.
- Photograph every cable setup. The back of a TV, a desktop tower, a router. One photo each saves an hour later.
- Label cables as you unplug them. Masking tape and a marker is enough.
- Remove discs, USB sticks, memory cards and batteries. Loose batteries can corrode or shift in transit.
- Set aside anything you want with you. Laptops, tablets and cameras are usually best in your own bag.
Use the original boxes if you kept them
If you still have the box a device came in, use it. It was designed around that exact item and nothing you buy will fit better. If you did not keep them, a box one size up with padding on all sides works, as long as nothing can shift.
What you need: sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, a marker and tape. Anti-static bubble wrap is worth it for bare computer components, though a device in its own casing is generally fine with regular wrap.
How to pack a TV
A TV is the item most likely to be damaged in a move, because screens crack under pressure that the frame shrugs off.
- Wrap the screen in a moving blanket or several layers of bubble wrap, with nothing pressing directly against the panel.
- Use a TV box if you can. They are sized for flat screens and usually come with foam corners.
- Stand it upright, never flat, and never with anything stacked on it.
- Label the box ‘fragile’ and ‘this side up’ on at least two sides.
If you have the original box and foam, that is still the best option, so dig it out of the closet before you buy anything.
Computers, monitors and laptops
Desktop towers travel well in a snug box with padding underneath and around them. Monitors follow the same rules as TVs: upright, well padded, nothing stacked on top.
Laptops and tablets are best in a padded sleeve inside a box, or in your own bag. Keep each device with its own charger so you are not hunting for the right cable on your first night.
Consoles, cameras and small devices
Games consoles travel upright. Take out any disc first, and pack controllers and cables with the console so the set stays together.
Cameras are worth extra care because the lenses are the fragile part. Separate the body and lens, cap both ends, and use a compartmented box or a camera bag. Like laptops, these are usually best carried with you.
Labelling
Label each box with the room, the contents and any handling instructions. ‘Living room, TV and cables, fragile, this side up’ tells a crew everything they need in one line.
If you are moving a lot of equipment, keep a simple inventory list. It makes setup faster and gives you a record if anything needs to be claimed.
Two things people forget
Temperature. A moving truck in January is cold, and electronics brought straight into a warm house can form condensation inside. Let them sit for a few hours at room temperature before you plug anything in.
What movers cannot take. Loose lithium batteries, power banks and anything with fuel are restricted on a moving truck. Check with your mover before packing those rather than finding out on the day.
Related reading
Want someone else to pack it?
Great Canadian Van Lines offers full and partial packing, including the fragile items most people would rather not wrap themselves. Get a free estimate and we will talk through what makes sense for your move.Call 1-800-665-0055 or request a free estimate online.
