We’ve all heard the horror stories, or maybe you have one to share yourself: You move into a new house, hire movers (or pay a few friends and family with pizza and beer to help you), and that fancy flat screen gets scratched, dented, or broken in the process. If only you had saved the box it arrived in for safer transport!
Yes, that’s an irritating thought for anyone who hates clutter, especially if you live in a small house or apartment with limited storage space. But it’s worth it to avoid a costly accident.
The case not only fits the TV perfectly but also includes specially designed packaging materials to cushion the screen and prevent shifting. The box will even include storage for accessories such as a stand, cables, and the remote, so you can pack everything neatly. Yes, the box is big, especially with larger screen TVs. But if you can find a place to store it, like the basement, attic, or even a closed garage, you may be grateful for it later.
Why keep the TV box
You may not have immediate plans to move to a new home. But this could happen in the future. And luckily, TVs are built to last, with a typical lifespan of 7-10 years under average use. Considering that the average American moves every five years, whether to accommodate a growing family, downsize, take a new job, or change neighborhoods, you’ll probably need to take your TV with you at least once during its lifetime.
Moving is stressful enough, including loading all your small items into boxes, collecting newspaper and bubble wrap for fragile items, and labeling everything. With large pieces of furniture, you need to entrust their safe transportation to movers and avoid collisions with objects that could cause damage or scratches to the walls.
Fitted boxes for items like TVs, speakers, and other technology and appliances make a huge difference. While you can use any old box, as mentioned, the boxes TVs come in contain components specifically designed to house the TV. Even if you don’t plan to move, what if you want to sell the TV when upgrading to a new smart TV, or simply pass it on to a family member? Having the original box makes things much easier.
What to do when the box is long gone
Hindsight is 20/20, and if the original TV box is long gone, you might find yourself in a difficult position. There are other ways to secure a TV during transport if you no longer have its original box. You can use a moving box large enough to hold the TV (be sure to measure first) along with some packing tape. There are special TV boxes that have foam corner cushions and screen protectors. Similar to a universal phone case or grill cover, they are not perfectly tailored to a specific TV but can be adjusted to fit TVs up to a specific size and depth.
If you have an old CRT TV or a TV of a size that you can’t find a suitable case for (or you don’t want to shell out the money to buy one, although they are affordable and worth it to protect the expensive item), there are other household items you can use. Wrap the TV with bubble wrap or plastic wrap, then cover it with a moving blanket. This will protect it from bumps and scratches, but you should still handle it with care. Whether you keep the original box, purchase a third-party TV box, or use secure packaging and covering, the most important thing is to make sure the TV is well covered before moving it from one location to another. All it takes is one slip, fall or bump for your expensive TV to meet its end.
