Which option is right for my move: cardboard, totes, or crate rental?

Buy cardboard if cash is the only constraint and you will recycle the pile yourself. Buy totes if you already want matching storage bins after the move. Rent Latchcrate if you are doing your own move on the NH Seacoast and want uniform attached-lid crates delivered and picked up; you still pack, load, drive, and unpack.

Cost guide · updated September 9, 2026

Cardboard vs reusable moving crates.

Q: How much do cardboard moving boxes cost in 2026?

A 2026 HireAHelper retailer comparison listed Home Depot standard boxes at $1.78 small, $2.28 medium, and $2.98 large. Twenty medium boxes are about $46 before tape, packing time, and disposal. Prices vary by store and date.

Q: How many boxes do I need for a studio or 1-bedroom?

Latchcrate packages start at 20 crates for a studio, 30 for a 1-bedroom, 40 for a 2-bedroom, 60 for a 3-bedroom, and 85 for a 4-bedroom, plus dollies. Those are starting counts for a typical Seacoast home, not a guarantee. Books fill crates faster than clothing.

Q: Is renting moving crates cheaper than buying cardboard?

No, not on cash outlay. Twenty cardboard medium boxes are about $46. Latchcrate's Studio package is $99 for one week or $129 for two weeks for 20 crates plus a dolly, delivered and picked up. Cardboard wins on sticker price. Rental wins on time, stacking, and no leftover boxes.

Q: Does Latchcrate move my stuff?

No. Latchcrate rents reusable moving boxes and dollies for DIY movers on the New Hampshire Seacoast. You pack, load, drive, and unpack. We deliver empty crates and pick them up after you are done.

Latchcrate is a reusable moving-box rental for DIY movers on the New Hampshire Seacoast. Cardboard is usually cheaper in cash. Buying plastic totes costs more up front and leaves you with storage. A Latchcrate rental sits in the middle: a flat price for 1 or 2 weeks, delivery and pickup included, no leftover boxes.

How much do cardboard moving boxes cost in 2026?

A retailer comparison published by HireAHelper (updated August 7, 2026) listed these Home Depot standard-box prices:

Home Depot standard moving boxes, 2026 third-party survey
Size	Listed price	20-count cash
Small	$1.78	$35.60
Medium	$2.28	$45.60
Large	$2.98	$59.60
Extra-large	$3.98	$79.60

Heavy-duty Home Depot boxes in that same survey ran higher (medium $3.78, large $5.48, extra-large $7.98). Add packing tape, time to assemble and break down, and disposal. Local store prices change; treat the table as a dated snapshot, not a live cart.

Source: HireAHelper moving-box price comparison, 2026.

How many boxes do I need for a studio or 1-bedroom?

Latchcrate packages are starting counts for a typical Seacoast apartment, not a universal calculator:

Studio / apartment + dorm: 20 crates + 1 dolly · $99 for 1 week · $129 for 2 weeks
1-bedroom / apartment + office: 30 crates + 1 dolly · $119 for 1 week · $159 for 2 weeks
2-bedroom / small home: 40 crates + 2 dollies · $149 for 1 week · $199 for 2 weeks
3-bedroom / family home: 60 crates + 2 dollies · $279 for 2 weeks
4-bedroom / large home: 85 crates + 3 dollies · $379 for 2 weeks

Books, dishes, and tools fill crates by weight. Clothing and linens fill them by volume. The three smaller packages are also available for 1 week, and you can build your own rental of 20 to 120 crates for 1 to 8 weeks right on the pricing page. NH Seacoast delivery and pickup are included on every package.

Is renting moving crates cheaper than buying cardboard?

No. Twenty cardboard medium boxes are about $46. Latchcrate's Studio package is $99 for one week or $129 for two. Cardboard wins on sticker price if you ignore time, tape, collapsed bottoms, and the pile left after unpacking.

Studio-size (20 containers) cash comparison, September 2026
	Cardboard (20 medium)	Buy 20 plastic totes	Latchcrate Studio
Cash outlay	About $46 + tape	Often $160–$200	$129 rental + $100 refundable deposit
Delivery / pickup	You haul them	You haul them	Included on the NH Seacoast
After the move	Break down and dispose	You own and store 20 totes	We pick up the empties
Lids / tape	Tape every seam	Snap lids, mixed sizes	Attached lids, no tape, one footprint

Buying 20 typical 27-gallon storage totes at a big-box store is often in the $8–$10 each range. That is cheaper than owning moving-grade crates, and more expensive than a Latchcrate Studio rental, and you still store the empties. We could not verify a live Home Depot tote SKU at publish time, so that row is a range, not a cart total.

What changes on moving day

Cash is the cost table above. These five rows are the packing facts: delivery, ready-to-pack crates, one size, pickup, and no tape. Latchcrate is not a moving company. You still pack, load, drive, and unpack.

Cardboard boxes versus Latchcrate reusable crates — convenience facts, not a cost table
Fact	Cardboard	Latchcrate
Delivered	You haul them	Delivered on the NH Seacoast
Ready to pack	Assemble and tape first	Arrive ready to pack
One size	Mixed sizes	One footprint, stacks
Picked up	Break down and dispose	We pick up the empties
No tape	Tape every seam	Attached lids, no tape

Who each option is for

Buy cardboard if cash is the only constraint and you will recycle the pile yourself.
Buy totes if you already want 20 matching bins for storage after the move.
Rent Latchcrate if you are doing your own move on the NH Seacoast and want uniform attached-lid crates delivered and picked up. We are not a moving company. You still pack, load, drive, and unpack.

Check dates & reserve

Does Latchcrate move my stuff?

No. Latchcrate rents the boxes. Automated checkout currently serves Barrington, Dover, Durham, Epping, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Lee, Madbury, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Rye, Seabrook, and Stratham. See the service area FAQ and live package prices.

Last updated: September 9, 2026. Latchcrate prices are the published 1- and 2-week packages and custom rentals on this site. Cardboard figures are from the HireAHelper 2026 survey cited above, not a live store scrape.

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