Quick Answer
The best free moving boxes in Montréal come from SAQ wine shops, major grocery chains (IGA, Metro, Maxi), pharmacies, Best Buy, bookstores, and bottle depots. Online, check Facebook Marketplace Buy Nothing groups, Reddit r/montreal, and campus bulletin boards. Start collecting at least two weeks before your move date.
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Stores That Give Away Boxes
SAQ (Best Overall)
SAQ wine and spirits stores are the top source for free moving boxes in Montréal. Their boxes are double-walled, uniformly sized (roughly 40 × 30 × 20 cm), and many come with cardboard cell dividers — ideal for wrapping glassware. Ask staff at the customer service desk or the stock room, ideally Tuesday through Thursday evenings after a delivery day. Most locations receive stock Monday or Tuesday, so boxes are plentiful mid-week. Be polite, bring your own bags if needed, and you can usually walk out with 15–20 boxes in a single trip.
Grocery Chains: IGA, Metro, Maxi, Costco
Every major grocery chain breaks down boxes daily. The produce section is the most consistent source: banana boxes are particularly prized because they are double-walled with built-in handles. Ask for the produce department manager before 10 a.m. for the best selection before the compactor runs. Costco at Marché Central or Pointe-Claire stocks oversized boxes that are perfect for light, bulky items like pillows and linens — ask at the customer returns or membership desk.
Pharmacies: Pharmaprix, Jean Coutu
Large Pharmaprix and Jean Coutu locations receive daily shipments and set aside uniform medium-sized boxes. These are clean, dry, and rarely smell of food. Ask at the pharmacy counter or the receiving area in the back. You may need to come back the same day to pick them up.
Best Buy and Electronics Stores
Best Buy boxes are some of the sturdiest free boxes available: they are designed to hold heavy electronics and are usually double- or triple-walled. Head to the customer service desk on a weekday morning and ask if they have boxes from recent deliveries. Large-format electronics boxes are great for mirrors, artwork, and TV screens. The Sainte-Catherine or Côte-des-Neiges locations are conveniently located for most Montrealers.
Bookstores: Renaud-Bray, Archambault
Book shipments arrive in compact, rigid boxes that stack well. Renaud-Bray and Archambault locations receive new stock regularly and are usually happy to reserve boxes. These medium boxes are ideal for books (of course), kitchen items, and other dense objects — just don't over-fill them or the bottom will give out.
Bottle Depots (Consignes)
Bottle depot locations (consignes) accumulate cardboard boxes at a steady rate. They may not be as uniform as grocery or SAQ boxes, but they are free, often dry, and available almost every day. Check the Retournable network or your local consigne. Arrive early — boxes go quickly on weekday mornings.
How to Ask: A Practical Script
Most stores are happy to give boxes away — they'd rather you take them than pay for recycling. A simple, direct approach works best: introduce yourself briefly, say you're moving soon, and ask whether they have boxes from recent deliveries that would otherwise go to the compactor. Offer to come back later in the day if they are busy restocking. Bring reusable bags to carry the flattened boxes; arriving with your own transport signals that you won't take long. Avoid asking during the morning rush (before 10 a.m. at grocery stores) or just before closing. Early to mid-morning Tuesday through Thursday is consistently the best window at both grocery stores and the SAQ.
If you are calling ahead — which saves a wasted trip — keep it brief: "Hi, I'm moving next week. Do you have any cardboard boxes you'd be putting out for recycling?" Most staff will say yes or tell you the best time to come. Calling the day before a weekday morning gives you a good chance of having a batch set aside. At Best Buy or bookstores, asking the customer service desk directly (rather than a floor associate) gets you to the person who coordinates backroom stock.
Online and Community Sources
Facebook Marketplace is the fastest way to find free boxes in bulk: search "boîtes déménagement" or "moving boxes free Montréal" and filter by your neighbourhood. Posts usually go live right after someone finishes unpacking — if you message within 30 minutes, you can often pick up 30–50 boxes at once. Join the Buy Nothing group for your borough (Plateau, Rosemont, Verdun, NDG, etc.) and post a request: many neighbours are happy to give boxes away rather than break them down.
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Reddit's r/montreal subreddit has a weekly "Free Stuff" or "Moving" thread during June and July when dozens of people offload boxes. University campus notice boards (McGill, Concordia, UdeM, UQAM) are especially active at the start and end of each semester — students moving in or out often post free box offers. Act fast on all online listings: free moving boxes in Montréal are claimed within hours during peak season.
How Many Boxes Do You Need?
The number of boxes you need depends on the size of your apartment. Montréal uses a French-Canadian room-counting system where a "½" counts the bathroom — so a 3½ is a two-bedroom and a 4½ is a three-bedroom. For a deeper look at how Montréal apartments are classified, see our guide to understanding Montréal apartment sizes.
| Apartment size | Typical boxes needed |
|---|---|
| 1½ (bachelor / studio) | 10–15 boxes |
| 2½ (1 bedroom) | 20–30 boxes |
| 3½ (2 bedrooms) | 30–45 boxes |
| 4½ (3 bedrooms) | 45–65 boxes |
| 5½ (4 bedrooms) | 60–80 boxes |
These figures assume you use medium-sized boxes (roughly 50 × 40 × 40 cm) for most items and supplement with a few large boxes for bulky, lightweight goods. Books, dishes, and tools pack into medium boxes; pillows, bedding, and lampshades fit better in larger ones. Avoid using boxes larger than 60 × 50 × 50 cm for books or dense kitchen items — they become too heavy to carry safely.
Box Sizes by Room
Matching box size to room type protects your belongings and saves your back on the stairs:
- Kitchen: Small boxes (35 × 30 × 30 cm) for canned goods, appliances, dishes, and glassware. A full SAQ cell-divider box handles fragile items perfectly. Never fill a large box with heavy kitchen equipment — it becomes impossible to carry safely in a walk-up stairwell.
- Books and files: Small boxes only. A 50 × 40 × 40 cm box filled with paperbacks can weigh over 30 kg, which is beyond the safe single-person lift limit. Keep books to one layer per small box if in doubt.
- Bedroom clothing: Large boxes (60 × 50 × 50 cm) or wardrobe boxes for hanging garments. Clothing is light, so oversized boxes are safe and efficient here.
- Bedding and pillows: The largest available boxes or heavy-duty bags. Bulky but light — oversized works perfectly.
- Electronics and fragile items: Medium Best Buy or bookstore boxes with added padding (crumpled newspaper, towels, or bubble wrap). Their rigid walls prevent crushing better than standard grocery boxes.
- Bathroom: One small box per bathroom. Toiletries, cleaning products, and towels fit neatly and keep hazardous liquids grouped together for labelling.
Timing: July 1 and End of Month
Montréal's July 1 moving day is the busiest moving date in North America. In the days before July 1, free boxes vanish from online listings almost instantly and store stock rooms empty fast. Start collecting boxes at least three weeks before a July 1 move. The end of each month (especially June 30 and July 31) is the second peak: lease renewals flood the city with boxes. If your move is in June or August, you'll find boxes easier to source because thousands of other Montrealers are offloading theirs right after unpacking.
Check Free Boxes for Bedbugs and Moisture
Before loading any free box, inspect it carefully. Check the interior corners and flaps for small rust-coloured spots or live insects — these are early signs of bedbugs. Any box that smells musty or feels damp should be discarded immediately: moisture weakens cardboard and can transfer mould to your belongings. Boxes sourced from SAQ or grocery stores are generally low-risk because retail environments have regular pest control. Boxes from private homes via Marketplace or Buy Nothing carry slightly more risk — inspect them in daylight before accepting.
To be thorough, open each box fully flat under natural or bright artificial light and run your fingers along every interior seam and fold. Bedbugs and their eggs concentrate in tight creases. If you find rust-coloured stains, shed skins, or live insects, do not carry that box into your home — dispose of it in an outdoor recycling bin immediately. One infested box introduced into a new apartment can lead to weeks of extermination work and significant cost. It is not worth the risk. When in doubt, discard and source a replacement from a retail store.
After the Move: Give Away or Recycle
Once you're settled, pay it forward. Post your used boxes on Facebook Marketplace or your neighbourhood Buy Nothing group; they'll be claimed the same day. If you have cardboard that's too damaged to reuse, Montréal's écocentres accept clean, dry cardboard at no charge — find your nearest one at the city's waste management portal. Many boroughs also offer cardboard pickup alongside regular blue-bin recycling on scheduled collection days. For furniture and large items you're not moving to the new place, see our guide on disposing of old furniture in Montréal.
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