Most lamps aren’t easy to move from one home to the next. Not only because of their size, but all lamps have a variety of fragile parts that make up the whole. We’re talking about the lamp shade and the harp, which holds the shade in place, for starters. But, even the light bulb is fragile. When you get right down to it, there are delicate parts from top to bottom, and this includes the prongs on the cord. So, it’s important to know all about packing lamps for moving.
To keep everything safe during a move and preserve each lamp, you need to collect the right packing materials and have a solid understanding of all the lamp parts. With strategic planning and an extra careful touch, lamps won’t cause a hiccup in your moving process.
1. Know the anatomy of a lamp
It may sound silly, but do you know all the parts of a lamp? It comes in handy when packing lamps for moving since you typically have to disassemble lamps into multiple parts. Knowing how everything works together and fits together then makes it easy to gently unscrew each piece, and put it back together when you’re in your new home.
The parts of a table lamp
Most table lamps consist of 18 individual parts. Some are more obvious, like lamp bases or lamp shades, but others, like shade risers, are not. It’s most of these unknown parts that are the most fragile and make moving lamps challenging.
The parts of a floor lamp
Although it may feel like the entire lamp is one piece, floor lamps also have various parts you need to contend with when moving. There are nine parts to a basic floor lamp, and while a lot easier to disassemble, they’re much harder to match to a moving box that’s the right size.
2. Collect your supplies
Essential supplies for packing lamps include all the moving basics. You’ll need boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap and packing tape. It’s also beneficial to have packing peanuts, foam sheets and air-filled plastic wrap.
Since you should never put more than one lamp into a single box, finding the appropriate lamp boxes is your biggest challenge. While smaller lamps can probably fit into a standard box, you’ll need some odd-sized options if you’re trying to pack a really large lamp base or a tall floor lamp.
When it comes to wrapping elements of your lamps, make sure you have plain packing paper. Using newspaper, especially when packing lampshades, can cause issues since the ink may bleed onto the lamp parts.
3. Pack each lamp the right way
In order to properly estimate the packing material you’ll need for your lamps, it’s best to assemble them all in a secure location in your home before you start packing them up. Because of their fragile nature, you don’t want to leave them lying around where they can get bumped or knocked over.
Each lamp belongs in its own box, so when you’re ready, tackle one lamp at a time.
Packing floor lamps
If you can’t find a moving box big enough for the base of a floor lamp, don’t stress. It’s totally safe to move these on their own, like a piece of furniture. If you can get the base in a box, though, make sure to wrap it up to protect it from getting scratched.
Separate all the small parts you can remove from the lamp first, and take out the light bulbs. Any small parts should go in the same box as the lamp itself. You can put them in a plastic baggie unless they’re fragile. Then, you may want to wrap things individually.
Fill any empty space in the box with packing paper.
Packing table lamps
Most table lamps will fit comfortably into their own box. You’ll need to remove a few extra parts here, though, including the lamp shade and the harp. Pack lamp shades separately, but keep all other small parts with the body of the lamp.
The safest way to pack a table lamp for moving is using the burrito style with bubble wrap. Take a piece of bubble wrap or packing paper and roll the lamp up, folding in each end. Secure with packing tape and set upright in the box.
If you’re worried about packing tape potentially lifting any of the paint off your lamp, painter’s tape is a great alternative that works just as well.
Packing specialty lamps
There are a few types of lamps that don’t fit the mold. They won’t have a lamp base or lamp shade, but rather will be more like a single unit. To pack lamps like these for moving, follow these tips.
Lava lamps
A lava lamp must cool down completely before you pack it. Packing a warm lamp can cause it to turn cloudy or break up the lava. To be safe, leave your lava lamp unplugged for 24 hours before packing it up.
To pack, separate the lava portion of the lamp from the base. Using bubble wrap, or even a large plastic bag, secure the glass lava piece. Wrap up the lamp base with packing paper. Since a broken lava lamp could mean a massive spill, take the time to pad the box you put your lava lamp in, using extra bubble wrap to fill gaps.
Salt lamps
For these popular lamps, you want to make sure to separate all the parts. Take the bulb and base out of the actual salt lamp. Use plastic bags to store the salt part of the lamp so it can’t get wet, and pack the rest of the parts like you would any other table lamp.
4. Wrapping up the cord
Just about all lamps come with a cord that plugs into the wall. You can carefully wrap all cords the same way. The most important thing is to protect the prongs that go into the outlet. The best way to do this is with a little foam. Plug the cord into the foam to protect the end.
To contain the cord itself, you have a few options:
- Bundle up the cord and wrap separately with packing paper
- Use a twist tie to hold a cord bundle together close to the lamp’s base
- Protect a coiled cord by wrapping it around a toilet paper roll, using a small piece of tape to hold it in place
Your goal is to set up your lamps in your new home without having to waste time untangling a cord.
5. Secure lampshades
Although you don’t have to fully wrap a lampshade, they’re tricky items to deal with. To box them up correctly, separate them all first. You can nest lamp shades together if you want, putting a smaller shade into a larger one, but don’t make your stacks too tall.
Pad the bottom and sides of the box with packing paper first. Then, lay the largest lamp shade inside. Add a few layers of paper on top before nesting the next shade. Top off with more paper so everything is good and cushioned. Seal up the box and label it as fragile. You don’t want anything heavy going on top of this box. Lampshades won’t really break, but rough handling by moving companies can lead to tears or dents in your shades.
6. Don’t forget about the light bulbs
You’ve already taken all your light bulbs out of your lamps, so now, grab one box and pack them up. Always handle light bulbs gently and use bubble wrap or air-filled plastic padding to secure them. Wrap each bulb completely and tape closed.
You can either pack light bulbs in a small box, filling in extra space with crumpled paper, or you can get a cell box that has compartments already set. Often used for packing up glassware, most lightbulbs will fit in the spaces even wrapped.
Make sure you’ve got a layer of padding on top before sealing the box.
If you have incandescent bulbs
Incandescent bulbs are a unique item to worry about. They’re full of mercury, so if they break, it’s highly toxic. The best way to safely handle these is to not move them at all. Instead, you can safely dispose of them and replace the bulb with a new one once you move.
Label all lamp boxes as fragile
When you’re ready to seal up your lamp boxes, whether they’re holding a base, lampshades or even just the light bulbs, always label the box as fragile. No matter how delicate items are, or how carefully you pack everything, all light fixtures of any kind need extra care when moving boxes.
The fragile label will also tell movers, whether they’re professional or not, to not stack any heavy boxes on top of your lamp boxes, keeping everything safe.
Pack up and get a move on
Surprised at how complicated it is to pack up a bunch of lamps for your move? Yes, there are a lot of variables — tall bases, big shades and all those lightbulbs — but you can do it. Just remember to take care and have a lot of packing material on hand. In no time at all, you can get your lamps ready for your move.
