Stretch film and boxes: which one for what

These two materials do different jobs and people mix them up constantly. Stretch film keeps one object from coming apart. A box keeps many objects from touching each other. Used the wrong way round, neither protects anything.

Updated September 2026

A crew member stacking bowls into a box, a sealed box in the foreground

Choose quickly

Large, rigid, will not fit a box: stretch-wrap it.
Several small things travelling together: box, with padding.
Upholstery and textiles: wrap against damp and dust.
Electricals: dry first, then wrap. Never film over a damp surface.
Solid timber: do not seal it. Wood needs to breathe. Pad and cover, do not shrink-wrap.

Book a pickup

What stretch film does, and what it does not

Stretch film holds the parts of one object together, keeps dust off, and stops surfaces scuffing in transit. That is the whole of what it does.

It is not impact protection, it does nothing about moisture already inside, and on solid timber sealing it is actively harmful. Wood exchanges moisture with the air around it. Sealing a timber piece during a Saigon rainy season traps the humidity under the film.

Two crew members wrapping stretch film around a stainless steamer cabinet — Stretch film doing its actual job: one stainless machine body, dried, wrapped firm.

Boxes: smaller than you think

Our standard box is 60 × 40 × 40 cm. That sounds small, and it is deliberate. Big boxes get overloaded, then the base gives out, or nobody can lift them and they stay where they are.

The old rule holds: heavy things in small boxes, light things in big ones. Books and crockery in small boxes. Cushions and textiles in large ones.

Five mistakes that cause damage in storage

Packing while still damp. This is the number one cause, and it produces mould, not breakage.
Stacking plates flat instead of on edge. On edge, the load runs through the rim, which plates handle; flat, the bottom one breaks.
Putting fixings from several items into one bag. Six months later it is a bag of anonymous screws.
Unlabelled boxes. A photographed catalogue solves this, but if you are doing it yourself you have to write on them.
Wrapping solid timber. Wood needs to breathe; pad and cover it instead of sealing it.

We do not sell materials

If you are looking for somewhere to buy boxes or a roll of stretch film, that is not us. This page exists to answer the technical question, not to sell you supplies.

If you would rather someone else did it, that is the service: the crew comes to you with boxes and film, packs, photographs every item and takes it to the facility. Materials are inside the price.

Standard box 60 × 40 × 40 cm. A Small plan is 12 boxes, Medium 24, Large 48.

Three sizes, counted in boxes
Size	Boxes	Roughly	Valet / month	Self storage / month
Small	12	a studio, seasonal things	1,250,000 VND / 1,550,000 VND	1,550,000 VND / 1,950,000 VND
Medium	24	a one-bedroom home	2,450,000 VND / 3,050,000 VND	3,050,000 VND / 3,800,000 VND
Large	48	a two to three bedroom home	4,900,000 VND / 6,150,000 VND	6,150,000 VND / 7,700,000 VND

Tủ Mây price list · standard / air-conditioned

Valet · Small · 12 boxes1,250,000 VND / 1,550,000 VND

Valet · Medium · 24 boxes2,450,000 VND / 3,050,000 VND

Valet · Large · 48 boxes4,900,000 VND / 6,150,000 VND

Self storage · Small1,550,000 VND / 1,950,000 VND

Self storage · Medium3,050,000 VND / 3,800,000 VND

Self storage · Large6,150,000 VND / 7,700,000 VND

Collection only, paid oncefrom 3,300,000 VND

Collection and return, paid oncefrom 5,100,000 VND

A delivery in between, per item100,000 VND, a box or a wardrobe alike

Frequently asked

Do you sell boxes and stretch film?

No. We use them in the packing service and the materials are inside the price, but we do not sell them separately.

What size are your boxes?

60 × 40 × 40 cm. Big enough to be worth carrying, small enough that the base holds.

How should solid timber be packed?

Padded and covered, not sealed. Wood exchanges moisture with the air, and sealing it during the rainy season traps the damp inside.

Can we pack ourselves and have you only collect?

Yes. But the photographed catalogue then stops at box level rather than item level, because we can only photograph what we can see.

Store it, get it back when you need it

We come to you, pack, photograph every item and keep it on a secure shelf, standard or air-conditioned. One message brings any of it back.

Book a pickup See pricing