Packing tape is wide, strong adhesive tape, usually about 50mm across, made for sealing cardboard boxes so the flaps hold under weight. It's different from household sticky tape or masking tape, which are narrower and not made to hold a loaded box shut.
At Wigwam
Our Box Shop sells, as listed in September 2026:
| Product | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Buff solvent tape | 50mm x 66m roll | £1.99 |
| Kraft paper tape | 50mm x 50m roll | £2.50 |
| Tape dispenser, for 50mm rolls | £6.50 |
Buff solvent tape is light-brown plastic packing tape with a strong solvent-based adhesive, described as suited to heavy or overfilled boxes; one roll comes in each of our moving kits. You'll need the dispenser or scissors to cut it cleanly. The kraft paper tape is paper-backed, described as fully recyclable, and tears by hand. How many boxes a roll seals isn't listed; as an estimate, if a box takes about 1.5m (a strip across the bottom seam and one across the top, with some over the edges), a 66m roll seals roughly 40 boxes and a 50m roll roughly 30. One roll barely covers the Large kit's 40 boxes, so buy a second if you'll reinforce heavy boxes. For the choice: the buff tape is cheaper per metre and made for heavy boxes; the kraft tape tears by hand, so you need no dispenser. Order online for delivery, or ask at your site.
Using it
Tape the bottom of every box before you fill it, and reinforce the base of heavy boxes: our packing tips say to "reinforce the bottom with tape for heavier items". Close the top flaps flat so the next box sits level, then tape them. Our furniture guide warns that "weak tape and worn cardboard boxes rarely protect anything for long", which is the reason to buy tape made for the job.
Keep tape off furniture itself. It can pull at polish and leave adhesive behind, so fasten blankets and covers to each other, not to the surface underneath.
Related terms: Double-wall box · Packing paper · Removal blanket
Related questions: How many boxes will I need, and which moving kit fits my home? · Are free moving boxes good enough for self storage?