Life Tip: Safely boxing/unboxing large heavy items

Sharing a method I use to unbox and re-box large heavy items safely without additional help. This came in handy after purchase of two large EcoFlow Delta Pro battery/inverters and two extra batteries for home back up power when living in mains power failure prone southeastern Michigan a few years ago.

I had selected the EcoFlow Delta Pro series of battery/inverter and extra batteries because they could easily be combined to generate single phase 240 VAC and connect into a pre-wired external generator connection in my garage. The Ecoflow system was expensive compared to a gasoline inverter/generator, but deemed less likely to disturb the neighbors in the dense HOA-controlled housing environment. The ability to temporarily deploy solar panels was a bonus over the gas generator.

The challenge was that the Delta Pro battery/inverter weighed 99 lb (45 kg) and the extra battery was 84 lb (38 kg), with only one handle on each end. Yes, they came with suitcase type pull out T-handles and trolly wheels, but they were both too heavy to lift out of their shipping boxes.

For these types of devices, my solution is to let gravity work for me and just tip the box over onto a side to 1) get them out of the packaging and 2) later put them back into the packaging for storage/shipment.

I'll skip the unboxing portion and walk through the boxing process as that was the focus of today's activity.

Below is a photo of the current single phase 120 VAC backup system: One EcoFlow Delta Pro (bottom) & one Delta Pro Extra Battery (stacked on top). Let's box up the extra battery first. (Not shown: power off all items and disconnect interconnection cables.)

The idea is to assemble the packaging with the BOTTOM of the shipping box opened (not the top). Set the lower foam insert on the floor and place the battery into it.

Place the upper foam pack onto the top of the battery.

Place the cardboard outer box over the above stack. The box is opened at the bottom side and still taped shut on the top. Following the law of Gravity, there will be an air gap at the top of the upper foam and the inside of the cardboard box.

Carefully tip over the box onto the side. Push the foam/battery fully into the box.

Tip the box up to allow closing (the bottom side of) the box. Gravity helps to fully seat the battery/foam stack into the box.

Now the bottom side of the box can be closed.

Tape the bottom side of the box closed (sealing edges as desired).

Carefully turning over the box (two tips) yields a fully closed box in the correct orientation for storage or shipping.

Half done! Just repeat this method to box-up the EcoFlow Delta Pro battery/inverter back into the original shipping container.

Ugh! This thing weighs almost a hundred pounds! Good thing the lift is only about 5 inches onto the lower packaging foam.

Ready for top foam addition.

Top packaging added and ready for the box to be placed over the stack.

Two tips and the unit is inside the box.

Add tape and finished closing the box.

Two more tips and finished (with a slide over next to the battery box).

Hoping this method helps you with your next heavy item (that does not mind being temporarily on its side or upside down).

The next time you get something bulky and heavy - try opening it up from the bottom. It works for me!

All photos taken with an iPhone 16e.