How to pack a TV, computer and other electronics for a move

Photos of the cables, the right boxes, what to do about a TV with no original box, and why the batteries and the laptop ride with you.

The BoxTrack team · October 6, 2026 · 5 min read

It's the first night in the new place. The TV is on the stand, the sound bar is next to it, and you're holding three black cables that all look the same, none of which fit. The one you need is in a box. Which box, nobody knows.

Electronics are some of the most expensive things you move and the easiest to damage, and the problems usually show up after the move, not during it. Most of it is avoidable with an hour of prep before anyone picks up a screwdriver. Here's how to do it.

Before you unplug anything

Back up your computers. Laptops and desktops get dropped, and a hard drive that survives the fall doesn't always survive the jolt. Copy anything you'd be upset to lose to an external drive or a cloud service, and keep that backup separate from the computer during the move.

Photograph the back of everything. Take a clear photo of the back of the TV, the router, the sound bar, the game console and the desktop tower with all the cables still plugged in. Those photos are your wiring diagram in the new place, and they take two minutes.

Write down what you'll need on day one. Usually that's the router and modem, phone and laptop chargers, and whatever the kids won't sleep without. Those don't go on the truck.

Let things cool down. A TV, console or computer that's been on all evening should be unplugged and left to cool before you pack it.

Cables: one bag per device

The cable drawer is how most of the first-night trouble starts. Fix it as you unplug:

• Put each device's cables, remote and power adapter in their own zip-top bag, and write the device on the bag: "TV," "Xbox," "printer."
• Wrap cables loosely in a coil with a twist tie or Velcro strap. Tight wraps and sharp bends can damage them.
• Tape the bag to the device or put it in the same box. Remotes and small adapters walk off if they're loose.
• Anything you can't identify after this, pack it in one box labeled "mystery cables." You'll sort it later, or never, and that's fine.

Use the original boxes if you have them

The box a TV, monitor or printer came in, with its foam inserts, is the best packaging you'll find. If you kept them, use them.

If you didn't:

• Choose a box only a little bigger than the device, so it can't shift. Put a layer of padding on the bottom, wrap the device in anti-static bubble wrap or a moving blanket, and fill every gap so nothing moves when you shake the box.
• Never wrap electronics directly in newspaper. The ink rubs off on screens and casings, and it doesn't pad much anyway.
• Pack heavy items alone and keep boxes to a weight you can lift easily. An old desktop tower in a box with three monitors is a dropped box waiting to happen.
• Label each box with what's in it and "fragile, this side up." Movers do pay attention to arrows.

The TV

Flat-screen TVs are the most common electronics casualty in a move. Two rules:

Keep it upright. Move and store a flat-screen standing on its edge, the way it stands on a stand, not flat on its back or face. Laying it flat puts pressure on the panel, and a bump in that position can crack it.

Protect the screen first. Cover the screen with a soft, clean cloth or a moving blanket so nothing scratches it, then wrap the whole TV in a moving blanket or bubble wrap. Tape the wrapping to itself, not to the screen.

If you don't have the original box, a TV box kit (an adjustable box with corner protectors, sold where moving boxes are sold) is worth the money for a big set. Take the stand or legs off and put the screws in a labeled bag taped to the back.

If movers are carrying it, point it out and ask whether they'll crate it or use a TV box. And look at it on delivery with the crew still there; it's much easier to note a damaged screen on the paperwork then than to argue about it later.

Computers, monitors and printers

• Laptops travel with you, in your bag, not in a box on the truck.
• Desktop towers: remove any loose discs, unplug everything, and pack the tower upright in a box with padding on all sides. If it has a large graphics card or a tall CPU cooler, a few pieces of foam inside the case (only if you know what you're doing) can keep them from flexing.
• Monitors pack like a small TV: screen protected, upright, padding all around.
• Printers: take out the ink or toner cartridges and paper, and tape down any parts that move. Put the cartridges in a sealed bag in case they leak. Check the manual, since some printers have a transport lock.

Batteries, power banks and anything with a lithium battery

Spare lithium batteries and power banks are a fire risk if their terminals short or they get crushed. If you're flying, the FAA's rules say spare lithium batteries and power banks go in your carry-on, not your checked bag, with their terminals protected (in the original packaging, taped over, or in their own bag).

For a move by truck, ask your mover what it accepts. Many movers won't carry certain hazardous items, and loose spare batteries are worth keeping with you either way. Take batteries out of remotes, cameras and toys that will sit in a box for a while, to keep them from leaking.

E-bikes and scooters with big lithium batteries are worth a separate conversation with your mover before moving day, since their rules vary.

Weather and the first few hours

Electronics don't like extremes. Don't leave them in a hot car or a freezing garage for hours. If something has been sitting in the cold, let it come up to room temperature before you plug it in, so condensation inside it has time to clear.

Unpacking without the cable hunt

The cable bags help, but only if you can find the right box. Number each box and write down what's in it, or let your phone do it. With BoxTrack, each box gets a QR label, you snap what goes in, and the item list fills in. In the new place, search "HDMI" or "router" and you'll see which box it's in without opening five. If something arrives broken, the list (with estimated values) helps with a claim. Your first box is free.

For the rest of the house, the kitchen packing guide covers dishes and glass, and how to label moving boxes covers the numbering.

Quick checklist

• Computers backed up, backup kept separate
• Photos of the back of every device
• Cables, remote and power adapter bagged and labeled per device
• TV packed upright, screen covered
• Laptops, chargers, router and spare batteries with you, not on the truck
• Batteries out of remotes and toys
• Every box numbered and listed

Sources

• Federal Aviation Administration, PackSafe: lithium batteries