What are the moving container sizes?

Common portable containers come in three sizes: 7 to 8 ft (about 385 cu ft, one room), 12 ft (about 689 cu ft, 2 to 3 rooms), and 16 ft (about 857 cu ft, 3 to 4 rooms). All three are about 7 ft wide with a 7 ft 5 in interior height.

What pod size do I need for a 2-bedroom?

A 12 ft container (about 689 cu ft) usually fits a one to two bedroom home and is the flexible middle choice. A heavily furnished two-bedroom may need the 16 ft, so check your inventory.

Does the biggest pod hold the most weight?

No. The 16 ft container has the lowest weight limit (about 4,200 lb) and the 7 to 8 ft has the highest (about 5,200 lb). On dense loads of books and tools, weight, not volume, fills the larger container first.

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Home / Container & Packing Fit

POD Sizes Compared: 7 vs 12 vs 16 Foot

Three container sizes cover a single room up to a whole home. Enter your furniture to see which size your move actually needs.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily

Scan items/space

Language: English

Voice input

400 questions answered

Room Preview·Visual Results·Simulations

Fit summaryFIG. VOLUME

Room labels hide the weight trap: the biggest container has the lowest weight limit. Enter your real load to see which size fits both your volume and your weight.

7 ft ~385 · 12 ft ~689 · 16 ft ~857 cu ft

The space7-8 ft ~385 cu ft, 12 ft ~689 cu ft, 16 ft ~857 cu ft (all ~7 ft 5 in tall)

What decides itRoom count and total weight vs. each size volume, the shared 7 ft 5 in height, and each weight cap

What to measureMeasure your furniture and total volume by room

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

ReferenceFurniture Dimensions Moving Guide Container Dimensions

About 10 seconds · no signup

Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Checked my carry-on against 3 airlines before a trip. Saved me a gate-check fee.” — Frequent flyer

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

01Room count and total furniture footprint, since floor length is the main difference between sizes
02Tall items against the shared 7 ft 5 in ceiling, which is the same on all three
03Total weight against each size limit, noting the larger box has the lower weight cap
04Whether two smaller containers beat one large one for tight driveways or staged moves

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

⚠Assuming the biggest container holds the most weight, when the 16 ft has the lowest limit
⚠Choosing by room label without checking how densely furnished the rooms are
⚠Forgetting all three share the same 7 ft 5 in height ceiling
⚠Booking one large container when two small ones fit the driveway and schedule better

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

What are the moving container sizes?
Common portable containers come in three sizes: 7 to 8 ft (about 385 cu ft, one room), 12 ft (about 689 cu ft, 2 to 3 rooms), and 16 ft (about 857 cu ft, 3 to 4 rooms). All three are about 7 ft wide with a 7 ft 5 in interior height.
01
What pod size do I need for a 2-bedroom?
A 12 ft container (about 689 cu ft) usually fits a one to two bedroom home and is the flexible middle choice. A heavily furnished two-bedroom may need the 16 ft, so check your inventory.
02
Does the biggest pod hold the most weight?
No. The 16 ft container has the lowest weight limit (about 4,200 lb) and the 7 to 8 ft has the highest (about 5,200 lb). On dense loads of books and tools, weight, not volume, fills the larger container first.
03

Related fit checks.

What Fits in a 7 ft POD?The smallest moving container (7 to 8 ft) is about 385 cu ft and holds a studio or one room. See what furniture fits and check your list against the 7 ft 5 in ceiling.What Fits in a 16 ft POD?A 16 ft moving container is about 857 cu ft and holds a 3 to 4 room home. See what furniture fits and check your inventory against the 7 ft 5 in ceiling and weight limit.How Many Boxes Fit in a 16 ft POD?A 16 ft moving container holds about 857 cu ft. Loaded box-only it fits roughly 250 to 350 medium boxes; mixed with furniture, far fewer. Calculate your box count.Will It Fit in a 12 ft PODS Container?PODS 12 ft container interior is 11'6" × 7' × 7'5" (~689 cu ft, 4,700 lb limit). Check if a 2–3 room move fits in a 12-foot PODS container.

All container fit checks →

Unlock stair simulation, AR visualization, and more.

Will it fit? Know before you buy.

Open the calculator and check any item against any space.

Open the fit calculator

ItemFits

About Blog FAQ Features Pricing Work with us

Home / Container & Packing Fit

POD Sizes Compared: 7 vs 12 vs 16 Foot

Three container sizes cover a single room up to a whole home. Enter your furniture to see which size your move actually needs.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily

Scan items/space

Language: English

Voice input

400 questions answered

Room Preview·Visual Results·Simulations

Fit summaryFIG. VOLUME

Room labels hide the weight trap: the biggest container has the lowest weight limit. Enter your real load to see which size fits both your volume and your weight.

7 ft ~385 · 12 ft ~689 · 16 ft ~857 cu ft

The space7-8 ft ~385 cu ft, 12 ft ~689 cu ft, 16 ft ~857 cu ft (all ~7 ft 5 in tall)

What decides itRoom count and total weight vs. each size volume, the shared 7 ft 5 in height, and each weight cap

What to measureMeasure your furniture and total volume by room

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

ReferenceFurniture Dimensions Moving Guide Container Dimensions

About 10 seconds · no signup

Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Checked my carry-on against 3 airlines before a trip. Saved me a gate-check fee.” — Frequent flyer

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

01Room count and total furniture footprint, since floor length is the main difference between sizes
02Tall items against the shared 7 ft 5 in ceiling, which is the same on all three
03Total weight against each size limit, noting the larger box has the lower weight cap
04Whether two smaller containers beat one large one for tight driveways or staged moves

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

⚠Assuming the biggest container holds the most weight, when the 16 ft has the lowest limit
⚠Choosing by room label without checking how densely furnished the rooms are
⚠Forgetting all three share the same 7 ft 5 in height ceiling
⚠Booking one large container when two small ones fit the driveway and schedule better

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

What are the moving container sizes?
Common portable containers come in three sizes: 7 to 8 ft (about 385 cu ft, one room), 12 ft (about 689 cu ft, 2 to 3 rooms), and 16 ft (about 857 cu ft, 3 to 4 rooms). All three are about 7 ft wide with a 7 ft 5 in interior height.
01
What pod size do I need for a 2-bedroom?
A 12 ft container (about 689 cu ft) usually fits a one to two bedroom home and is the flexible middle choice. A heavily furnished two-bedroom may need the 16 ft, so check your inventory.
02
Does the biggest pod hold the most weight?
No. The 16 ft container has the lowest weight limit (about 4,200 lb) and the 7 to 8 ft has the highest (about 5,200 lb). On dense loads of books and tools, weight, not volume, fills the larger container first.
03

Related fit checks.

All container fit checks →

Unlock stair simulation, AR visualization, and more.

Will it fit? Know before you buy.

Open the calculator and check any item against any space.

Open the fit calculator