Paper moving pads provide less protection, but they are so cheap they can be considered disposable. Paper moving pads look like 5 foot square sheets of Kraft (brown) paper. They consist of two pieces of Kraft paper with one or more layers of thin paper padding sandwiched inside.

Fabric furniture pads come in a wide variety of grades. The cheapest ones are the thin, felt-like pads offered by most truck rental companies. Top of the line pads are called van pads. Most movers use pads slightly lighter than van pads.

If you can get real furniture pads, you will probably need one or two pads for each piece of furniture being packed. If you are using the small rental truck pads, figure on about 3 pads for each piece of furniture –no matter how small the furniture.

To use furniture pads, cover the furniture piece by piece, carefully securing the pads in place. Movers secure furniture pads in place on the furniture with big rubber bands. A do-it-selfer can use stretch wrap to do the same job. The important thing is to secure the pads so the can’t fall off during the move.

A few fabric furniture pads are washable. The washable pads seem to have less durability. Don’t try to wash a pad that doesn’t say washable. Ordinary pads will absolutely disintegrate in a washing machine and make an awful mess. (Most pads can be dry cleaned, but it may be cheaper to buy new ones.)

If you need furniture pads for a single use consider the cheap pads rented by the truck rental companies. They really are a good deal.

Paper furniture pads, generally, measure about 5 feet square although the exact size varies from batch to batch. The inside padding is called “chip” but it looks a lot like ordinary paper towels. Paper pads are available with from 1 to 4 layers of chip inside. We stock either a 2 or a 3 layer pad — whichever is the better deal. We buy huge quantities of these and we get an unbeatable price on them.

You are always welcome to see these pads at our store in San Diego.

You can use paper furniture pads as big pieces of packing paper. (Paper furniture pads are about 4 times the area of sheets of packing paper.) Use the furniture pads to wrap lamps, small appliances, statuary and framed pictures. The pads will work beautifully.

The most common use for paper furniture pads is to protect fine furniture from dust, dirt and light scratches. They can also be used as an under wrap before adding heavier, coarser padding.
(Click on any image to see a larger view.)

To use paper pads, drape a pad over the top of the piece. Tape additional pads, as necessary, onto the top pad. Fold over excess paper to protect corners. Cut off parts of the pad which are not needed (with a pair of scissors) and tape them onto wherever they are needed. Wrap chair legs with small pieces of pad. After all the paper is in place, wrap the paper with stretch wrap to get all the loose parts secured.

A bundle of 25 paper pads is shown at left.
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When wrapping furniture having glass windows, such as china cabinets, be sure to protect the glass. After wrapping the piece with paper pads, cover the glass by wrapping the entire piece of furniture with a piece of heavy corrugated cardboard. Use stretch wrap to hold the corrugated against the furniture. This protection is important! With the furniture wrapped in paper, it’s easy for someone to forget about the presence of a glass window.

Remember; paper pads are useful mainly as dust protection. They just don’t offer enough heavy scratch protection to be really helpful during a move.
(Click on any image to see a larger view.)

Paper moving pads are used widely to replace cloth moving pads when packing for a move. Again, we remind you that paper pads are dramatically inferior to cloth pads. Movers experienced in the use of paper pads know how to include sheets of corrugated paper or foam wrap in the packing process to keep the furniture from being scratched.

Mover’s wrap is a paper-like material consisting of many layers of a material like tissue paper backed by a heavy kraft (brown) paper. Padding thickness is, roughly, 1/4″. It is sold in rolls 2, 3 or 4 feet wide.

The soft tissue-like side of mover’s wrap may safely be placed against delicate wood surfaces to protect them from scratching. A piece of furniture can be very effectively protected by wrapping it with mover’s wrap and then covering the mover’s wrap with stretch wrap.

Mover’s wrap has largely been replaced by foam wrap, bubble pack or paper mover’s pads. There are two problems with mover’s wrap. First, it is a bit expensive. Second, the loose fibers in the padding can, after a long time in warm storage, become imbedded in the furniture finish. (Never use mover’s wrap for long term storage in warm climates.)

If you want to use a thick, all natural, (but expensive) wrapping material, movers wrap would be a good choice. Otherwise, consider foam Wrap.

We don’t stock mover’s wrap, but we can order it for you in full rolls.