We asked, you told us: You keep at least some of your tech product boxes

One issue tech enthusiasts might have is what to do with all the product boxes accrued over the years. Fellow writer C Scott Brown decided that it was time to dump all of these boxes when he recently made a cross-country move.

That got us wondering about what Android Authority readers did with their tech product boxes. Well, we posed this question inside Scott’s article, and here’s what you told us.

Do you keep your tech product boxes?

Results

This was a mega-popular poll, attracting over 19,200 votes after going live on Sunday. It turned out to be a tight race, with 45.2% of respondents saying they only threw out some boxes (less than 1% ahead of the next option).

Comments suggest that readers who voted this way kept boxes for devices that were still under warranty, for more expensive products, or for products they planned to sell down the line.

Related: What you need to know about selling a used smartphone

Readers who kept all of their tech boxes accounted for 44.5% of the vote, just missing out on the top spot. One reason cited by readers in the comments was that they keep all their boxes for moving purposes. Of course, there’s also the possibility that at least a few readers might be hoarders.

Finally, just 10.3% of polled readers said they threw all their boxes out. We can understand why people would throw everything out, as they can be an issue if you have limited space in your household.

Comments

• Bikram: I keep my electronics / gadget boxes – like phones, tablet, laptop. And not because I plan to use them for resell; but just because the boxes seem so well made and sturdy!! I even saved the box of the back massager and the Winc wine box!! Send help!
• Eric Wentorf: I keep them all with the intention of getting rid of them when warranty is up or item is replaced. Alas, the tech closet and a basement storage area is filled with empty boxes. Prolly time to do some cleaning.
• Kira: I have stored many boxes,but only of costlier products or that have resale value with said boxes ranging from laptop,TVs,smartphones and various PC parts etc. Just for instance,I recently bought a LG gaming monitor,and sold my old monitor to earn some extra cash,but that seller told me that I would have gotten a much better price if I also had that older monitors box alongside the bill. Needless to say,I have now kept my new monitors box !!
• Triple-C: I’ll keep the boxes for the more expensive items while the warranty is in effect.
• dgw: We use different definitions of “tech product”, I see. Power strips and crock pots don’t fall under that label for me. Would never even think to save those boxes. Phones? Laptops? Tiny electronics (e.g. the USB tester I got yesterday)? Absolutely do.
• Jon Beuerle: I usually just keep my most recent phone box. When I got my 6 Pro, I threw out the 3a XL box. At the same time I still have some Nest and a computer box sitting around. But everything that has been replaced no longer has a box.
• JL T0x: i’d prefer to save boxes for expensive or big tech iitems – which may need to be returned for warranty related issues. small boxes for basic tech like adapters or earbuds go directly to the trash/recycling. i never save boxes for appliances. unless it’s a xmas gift thats getting re-gifted lol. i’ll keep my smartphone box. if i chose to sell it, having the box is “meaningful” to most buyers. But when tech warranties expire, i toss out those boxes.
• CarlosDuos: I’ve only saved tv boxes for moving later. Saving any other box is silly.