New York's most reliable moving companies

In 2025, Ohana became the largest subletting community in NYC. Last year alone, we helped over 8,000 people make the move to NYC. That means we’ve seen every kind of move imaginable: first apartments, last apartments, cross-country moves, breakups, and everything in between.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a good mover makes a stressful move much less stressful, and a bad mover can leave you quite literally on the subway with your couch.

This isn’t sponsored. These are just the movers we’ve seen consistently do a good job in NYC.

Cool Hand Movers

The best company we’ve found is Cool Hand Movers.

They’re family owned and run by a husband and wife, which already sets a different tone from most NYC movers. Over and over again, Ohana users have told us the same thing. One quote we hear a lot is: “Cool Hand Movers is by far the best value and incredible service in NYC.”

I actually met with the owners, and it clicked why their service is so consistent. They employ their movers full-time instead of contracting the work out to whoever is available that day. That matters more than people realize.

A lot of moving companies in NYC operate the same way. They advertise cheap rates, hand anyone a uniform, and then upcharge you once your stuff is already on the truck. You’ve probably seen the pink trucks around the city: lowball quote upfront, surprise charges later, and a crew that doesn’t care because they won’t be there tomorrow.

Cool Hand doesn’t work like that. Their team is trained, accountable, and actually invested in doing the job well. The pricing is straightforward, the communication is solid, and we’ve seen far fewer horror stories compared to other companies.

If you’re moving within NYC or coming from nearby, this is the company we recommend first.

Roadway Moving

Another company we’ve heard a lot of good things about from Ohana users is Roadway Moving. They’re a full-service moving and storage company based here in New York, and they handle local moves, long-distance relocations, packing and unpacking, storage, and more. According to user reviews and ratings, Roadway consistently earns very high marks across thousands of customers, with many people describing their experience as professional, careful with belongings, and surprisingly stress-free for a New York move.

Oz Moving

We’ve also heard strong feedback from our Ohana users about Oz Moving. They’ve been in the NYC moving business for decades and handle everything from local Manhattan moves to longer runs out of the city, packing and unpacking, storage, and more.

A quick note on cheap movers

NYC is full of moving companies advertising rates that seem too good to be true. In our experience, they usually are.

If a quote feels dramatically lower than everyone else’s, ask why. Ask who actually employs the movers. Ask what happens if the move takes longer than expected. These questions matter more than saving $100 upfront.

Why we care about this at Ohana

Moving is the first impression people have of New York.

At Ohana, our job doesn’t end when someone books the place. We’re helping people land in a new city, often without knowing anyone here. When a move goes badly, it colors that whole experience.

That’s why we pay attention to this stuff. We track feedback. We listen to complaints. We notice patterns. And over time, certain companies consistently rise to the top.