Moving supplies

Tape, bubble wrap and pads: what the box guides leave out

This site already prices moving boxes, packing paper and TV cartons on their own pages, linked below. What is missing from that set is everything that holds a move together once the boxes are full: packing tape, bubble wrap, stretch wrap and furniture pads. Uline and U-Haul both sell all four, checked live on 2026-08-31, and the cheaper source changes by item.

Four supply categories pricedRead 2026-08-31Free and rental options included
Packing tape, bubble wrap and furniture pads staged for a move
The parts between the boxes

Tape, wrap and padding are their own shopping list, priced separately from the cartons.

Tape, wrap and pads, priced

Uline sells every item below by the case, with a minimum order on most of them. U-Haul sells each as a single unit with no minimum, which changes which one is actually cheaper for a single move.

Packing tape, bubble wrap, stretch wrap and furniture pads, priced on each seller's own product page, read 2026-08-31.
SupplyUlineU-Haul
Packing tape2 in x 110 yd clear poly, 18-roll minimum at 3.75 USD a roll, dropping to 2.00 USD a roll at 36 rolls and up1.88 in x 55 yd paper tape, 7.25 USD a roll, no minimum order
Bubble wrap12 in x 300 ft roll, 48.00 USD a roll single, dropping to 41.00 USD at 10 rolls and up12 in x 250 ft Enviro-Bubble bulk roll, 29.95 USD single, no minimum order
Stretch wrap18 in x 1,500 ft cast pallet wrap, 20.00 USD a roll flat at every quantity tier checked5 in x 1,000 ft hand wrap, 9.99 USD a roll, no minimum order
Furniture pads72 x 80 in moving blankets, 6-blanket minimum at 19.00 USD a blanket, dropping to 17.00 USD at 24 and up68 x 85 in value pack of 6, 44.75 USD for the pack (7.46 USD a pad), no minimum order

Two results are worth calling out. U-Haul's single 250 ft bubble roll worked out to about 0.12 USD a foot, which beat Uline's own best case-volume price of roughly 0.14 USD a foot at 10 rolls — the bulk supplier did not win on this item even at its own top tier. And U-Haul's furniture pads ran about 7.46 USD a pad against Uline's 19.00 USD moving-blanket price at Uline's minimum order, though Uline's blanket is the heavier, mover-grade product rather than the same item at a different price.

Uline's 18 in stretch wrap and U-Haul's 5 in wrap are not really the same purchase: the 18 in width is sized for wrapping a loaded pallet, and the 5 in width is a hand-held wrap for bundling drawers shut or binding furniture pads to a couch. Pick by the job, not by the per-roll price.

Free and cheap, before you buy

Rent the pads instead of buying them

U-Haul's own rental-items page states furniture pad rental starts at 5.00 USD per half dozen, checked 2026-08-31 — a fraction of the 44.75 USD purchase price, and the obvious choice for a one-time move rather than a standing supply.

Check local giveaway groups

Buy Nothing groups, Freecycle and the free section of Facebook Marketplace regularly carry used moving blankets and leftover rolls of tape or wrap from someone who just finished their own move.

Ask a liquor or grocery store for boxes

This still applies for the carton itself, though boxes are not what this page prices. This site's large moving box guide and box size guide cover the retail side of that question.

Where these prices come from

Every price above is a snapshot of what the named seller's own page showed on 2026-08-31; retail and rental pricing move without notice and rental rates can vary by location.

Moving supplies, answered

Where can I buy moving tape, bubble wrap, furniture pads and stretch wrap?

Uline and U-Haul both carry all four, checked live 2026-08-31. Uline's prices are lowest at case volume; U-Haul sells every item as a single unit with no case minimum, and its furniture pads and bubble wrap were the cheaper entry point in this check.

Is Uline or U-Haul cheaper for moving supplies?

It depends on the item and the volume. Uline's packing tape needs an 18-roll minimum before it beats U-Haul's single-roll price, and its bubble wrap did not beat U-Haul's single bulk roll per foot even at Uline's best case tier, checked 2026-08-31. U-Haul's furniture pads were the far cheaper option for a single move. Uline pulls ahead once an order reaches its higher case tiers.

Where can I find moving supplies near me?

U-Haul rental locations stock every item on this page in store, with same-day pickup. Uline ships rather than sells at a counter. For boxes specifically, a nearby liquor or grocery store's back room is usually the fastest free option, and this site's box-sourcing guides cover the paid retail options in full.

Are there free or cheap moving supplies?

U-Haul's own rental-items page states furniture pad rental starts at 5.00 USD per half dozen, far cheaper than buying six for 44.75 USD if the move is a one-time job, checked 2026-08-31. Local Buy Nothing groups and Facebook Marketplace regularly carry used moving blankets and leftover rolls of tape or wrap posted by someone who just finished a move.

Where do I find boxes, packing paper and TV boxes?

This page covers what those guides do not — tape, bubble wrap, stretch wrap and furniture pads. Boxes, packing paper and flat-panel TV cartons each have their own dedicated sourcing guide on this site, linked below, so their prices are not repeated here.

Dmitrii Timin founder of SMKlog

Runs SMKlog and its live rate comparisons across USPS, UPS, and FedEx. The guides here are built from the same carrier data the calculator quotes from, with prices captured on the date shown on each page. Based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.