★ EVERYDAY · MOVING · BOX SIZES
Large box — your 20 × 14 × 10 in item (2,800 cu in, 1.62 cu ft) fits a Large box. The next size up is the Dish pack. Enter your item’s length, width, and height to find the smallest box it fits in.
Moving boxes come in standard sizes, and the right box is the smallest one your item fits in — with room to spare for padding. This chart lists the standard sizes with their volumes, and checks whether your item fits each box, with rotation allowed, to find the smallest fit and the next size up.
Moving boxes come in standard sizes, and the chart below lists them: the Book / small box is 16 × 12 × 12 in (2,304 cu in, 1.33 cu ft), the Medium is 18 × 18 × 16 in (5,184 cu in, 3.00 cu ft), the Large is 18 × 18 × 24 in (7,776 cu in, 4.50 cu ft), the Extra-large is 24 × 18 × 18 in (7,776 cu in, 4.50 cu ft), the Dish pack is 18 × 18 × 28 in (9,072 cu in, 5.25 cu ft), the Lamp box is 12 × 12 × 40 in (5,760 cu in, 3.33 cu ft), the Mirror / picture box is 37 × 4 × 27 in (3,996 cu in, 2.31 cu ft), and the Wardrobe is 24 × 24 × 46 in (26,496 cu in, 15.33 cu ft). The volume is the length times the width times the height, in cubic inches; a cubic foot is 1,728 cubic inches, so the cubic feet are the cubic inches divided by 1,728. Two boxes can hold the same volume in different shapes: the Large and the Extra-large are both 7,776 cu in, but one is tall and the other is wide.
| Box | Dimensions (L × W × H) | Volume | Cubic feet | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book / small | 16 × 12 × 12 in | 2,304 cu in | 1.33 cu ft | books, small heavy items |
| Medium | 18 × 18 × 16 in | 5,184 cu in | 3.00 cu ft | kitchenware, toys, clothes |
| Large | 18 × 18 × 24 in | 7,776 cu in | 4.50 cu ft | linens, pillows, light bulky items |
| Extra-large | 24 × 18 × 18 in | 7,776 cu in | 4.50 cu ft | bedding, lampshades, wide items |
| Dish pack | 18 × 18 × 28 in | 9,072 cu in | 5.25 cu ft | dishes, glassware, fragile items |
| Lamp box | 12 × 12 × 40 in | 5,760 cu in | 3.33 cu ft | floor lamps, golf clubs, tall items |
| Mirror / picture | 37 × 4 × 27 in | 3,996 cu in | 2.31 cu ft | mirrors, framed pictures, flat art |
| Wardrobe | 24 × 24 × 46 in | 26,496 cu in | 15.33 cu ft | clothes on hangers, tall items |
A box fits an item when the item can be turned to fit inside it. The check sorts the item’s three sides and the box’s three sides from smallest to largest, then compares them in order: the item fits when each sorted side is no bigger than the matching sorted box side. Rotation is allowed — the longest side of the item does not have to run along the longest side of the box. The smallest fitting box is the first fit when the boxes are ordered by volume, smallest first, with ties broken by the order in the chart above (Book / small, Medium, Large, Extra-large, Dish pack, Lamp box, Mirror / picture, Wardrobe). The next size up is the smallest box with a strictly greater volume than the pick.
At the default — an item of 20 × 14 × 10 in — the item is 2,800 cu in, which is 1.62 cu ft. The smallest box it fits in is the Large box (18 × 18 × 24 in, 7,776 cu in, 4.50 cu ft), and the next size up is the Dish pack (9,072 cu in, 5.25 cu ft). The boxes that fit are the Large, the Extra-large, the Dish pack, and the Wardrobe.
Setup: item 20 × 14 × 10 in.
Line 1 — the item volume. 20 × 14 × 10 = 2,800 cu in. In cubic feet that is 2,800 ÷ 1,728 = 1.62 cu ft.
Line 2 — the sorted sides. The item sorted smallest to largest is 10, 14, 20.
Line 3 — the boxes that do not fit. The Book / small box sorted is 12, 12, 16: the item’s 20 in side is longer than 16, so it does not fit. The Mirror / picture box sorted is 4, 27, 37: the item’s 10 in side is wider than 4, so it does not fit. The Medium sorted is 16, 18, 18: the item’s 20 in side is longer than 18, so it does not fit. The Lamp box sorted is 12, 12, 40: the item’s 14 in side is wider than 12, so it does not fit.
Line 4 — the smallest fit. The Large box sorted is 18, 18, 24: 10 ≤ 18, 14 ≤ 18, and 20 ≤ 24, so the item fits — and the Large is the smallest-volume box that fits, at 7,776 cu in (4.50 cu ft). The Extra-large has the same volume, so the Large comes first by chart order.
Line 5 — the next size up. The smallest box with a strictly greater volume than 7,776 cu in is the Dish pack at 9,072 cu in (5.25 cu ft). The Extra-large is not the next size up, because its volume is the same as the Large.
Reverse: the smallest box is the first fit when the boxes are ordered by volume, smallest first; the next size up is the smallest box with a strictly greater volume than the pick. A 20 × 14 × 10 in item fits the Large box and the next size up is the Dish pack.
16 × 12 × 12 in item: the item is 2,304 cu in (1.33 cu ft) and it fits the Book / small box exactly — 16 × 12 × 12 in against a 16 × 12 × 12 in box, with nothing to spare. The next size up is the Mirror / picture box (3,996 cu in, 2.31 cu ft), the smallest box with a strictly greater volume.
24 × 24 × 40 in item: the item is 23,040 cu in (13.33 cu ft) and only the Wardrobe fits — sorted 24, 24, 40 against the Wardrobe’s 24, 24, 46. The Dish pack tops out at 28 in and the Lamp box at 12 in wide, so nothing else comes close. There is no next size up: the Wardrobe is the biggest box in the chart.
40 × 20 × 20 in item: the item is 16,000 cu in (9.26 cu ft) and only the Wardrobe fits — sorted 20, 20, 40 against the Wardrobe’s 24, 24, 46. It looks too long for a box, but the 40 in side runs along the Wardrobe’s 46 in height, and the 20 in sides fit its 24 in width and depth. There is no next size up.
18 × 18 × 16 in item: the item is 5,184 cu in (3.00 cu ft) and the smallest fit is the Medium box — 18 × 18 × 16 in against an 18 × 18 × 16 in box, exact. The next size up is the Lamp box (5,760 cu in, 3.33 cu ft).
12 × 12 × 12 in item: the item is 1,728 cu in (1.00 cu ft) and the smallest fit is the Book / small box. The next size up is the Mirror / picture box (3,996 cu in, 2.31 cu ft).
30 × 20 × 10 in item: the item is 6,000 cu in (3.47 cu ft) and only the Wardrobe fits — sorted 10, 20, 30 against the Wardrobe’s 24, 24, 46. The Large tops out at 24 in long, so the 30 in side rules it out. There is no next size up.
Reverse — the other way round: the smallest box is the first fit when the boxes are ordered by volume, smallest first; the next size up is the smallest box with a strictly greater volume than the pick.
The chart assumes the standard box sizes above, with dimensions and volumes the chart values, and the fit is checked on the sorted sides, so rotation is allowed. It assumes the item is a plain rectangular box and the box is empty: it does not allow for packing material, padding, or the item’s shape. A fragile item needs padding, which takes room, so size up one box for anything breakable. It does not check weight: a Book / small box full of books is heavy, and a Large box full of books is too heavy to lift, so pack heavy things small and light things big. With any side at zero or below, the calculator asks for a positive number instead of showing a result. Rounding convention: cubic inches are whole numbers, cubic feet are shown to two decimals, so a figure worked out from the rounded numbers can differ by a few hundredths from the figure shown.
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Item volume | length × width × height | 2,800 cu in. |
| Item volume in cubic feet | cubic inches ÷ 1,728 | 1.62 cu ft. |
| Smallest fitting box | first fit, boxes ordered by volume | Large (18×18×24 in, 7,776 cu in, 4.50 cu ft). |
| Next size up | smallest box with strictly greater volume | Dish pack (9,072 cu in, 5.25 cu ft). |
| Boxes that fit | every box whose sorted sides contain the item | Large, Extra-large, Dish pack, Wardrobe. |
| 16 × 12 × 12 in item | same model, 16 × 12 × 12 in | 2,304 cu in, 1.33 cu ft — smallest fit Book / small, next up Mirror / picture. |
| 24 × 24 × 40 in item | same model, 24 × 24 × 40 in | 23,040 cu in, 13.33 cu ft — smallest fit Wardrobe only, next up none. |
| 40 × 20 × 20 in item | same model, 40 × 20 × 20 in | 16,000 cu in, 9.26 cu ft — smallest fit Wardrobe only, next up none. |
| 18 × 18 × 16 in item | same model, 18 × 18 × 16 in | 5,184 cu in, 3.00 cu ft — smallest fit Medium, next up Lamp box. |
| 12 × 12 × 12 in item | same model, 12 × 12 × 12 in | 1,728 cu in, 1.00 cu ft — smallest fit Book / small, next up Mirror / picture. |
| 30 × 20 × 10 in item | same model, 30 × 20 × 10 in | 6,000 cu in, 3.47 cu ft — smallest fit Wardrobe only, next up none. |
The picks are exact for the numbers you enter: the volume is the length times the width times the height, the cubic feet are the cubic inches divided by 1,728, the fit is checked on the sorted sides so rotation is allowed, the smallest fitting box is the first fit in volume order, and the next size up is the smallest box with a strictly greater volume. What the chart cannot do is know your real item: check the shape, because a round or irregular item needs more room than its bounding box, and check the weight, because a Large box full of books is too heavy to lift. It assumes the standard box sizes above and an empty box, and it leaves out packing material and padding: size up one box for anything fragile. For other standard sizes in the home, see table size chart and desk size chart.
Bright Side Kit. "Box Size Chart: Moving Box Dimensions & Fit Guide 2026" https://brightoolbox.com/box-size-chart/ Accessed October 25, 2026.A Large box. Your item is 2,800 cu in (1.62 cu ft), and the Large box is 18 × 18 × 24 in (7,776 cu in, 4.50 cu ft). The Medium is too short at 18 in, and the next size up from the Large is the Dish pack.
Book / small 16 × 12 × 12 in, Medium 18 × 18 × 16 in, Large 18 × 18 × 24 in, Extra-large 24 × 18 × 18 in, Dish pack 18 × 18 × 28 in, Lamp box 12 × 12 × 40 in, Mirror / picture 37 × 4 × 27 in, Wardrobe 24 × 24 × 46 in. The Large and the Extra-large hold the same volume, 7,776 cu in, in different shapes.
Yes. The fit check sorts the item’s sides and the box’s sides and compares them in order, so the longest side of the item does not have to run along the longest side of the box. A 40 × 20 × 20 in item fits a Wardrobe box because its 40 in side runs along the box’s 46 in height.
The Dish pack. The next size up is the smallest box with a strictly greater volume than the pick. The Large holds 7,776 cu in and the Extra-large holds the same, so the next size up is the Dish pack at 9,072 cu in (5.25 cu ft).
Only the Wardrobe fits. The item is 23,040 cu in (13.33 cu ft), and the Wardrobe is the only box in the chart with a 46 in side. There is no next size up: the Wardrobe is the biggest box in the chart.
4.50 cu ft. A Large box is 18 × 18 × 24 in, which is 7,776 cu in, and a cubic foot is 1,728 cu in, so 7,776 ÷ 1,728 = 4.50 cu ft. The Extra-large holds the same 4.50 cu ft in a wider shape.