Ingenuity in a Box: U-Haul Wardrobe Boxes

I discovered the fashion equivalent of the wheel decades too late. My friend Erin is making a reverse Potomac leap, from Arlington to Washington. When I dropped by to help her pack, I couldn’t believe what I saw — boxes with bars inside them on which to hang clothes.

Me: Ahhh! What are these?!

Erin: Wardrobe boxes.

Me: Did you make them?

Erin: No, U-Haul did.

Me: It’s a closet in the box!

Erin: Yes.

Me: Does everyone know these exist?

Erin: Apparently, not everyone.

How did I overlook this simple, brilliant invention? They’re so popular that U-Haul sells three models. The Shorty ($8) is ideal for shirts or skirts. The Grand ($12) offers two feet of full-length closet space. The EZ ($10, all at Uhaul.com) is stackable and doesn’t even require tape to seal it!

I moved this spring with the help of one mover (my mom) and normal boxes. All my clothes acquired wrinkles, leading to a week-long ironing binge. I’m kicking myself for the oversight. The Mesopotamians must have felt the same way when they saw that guy down the street in a chariot.