How To Move A Mattress? Read The Guide And Move Your Mattress Easily

How to move a mattress without damaging it? What do you need to know about moving a memory foam mattress (and how’s it different from moving an innerspring/latex mattress)? How to move a king size mattress which is obviously too heavy? And after all, is there a best way to move a mattress? If you have questions like these, you've come to the right place. Here, we will answer literally all of your questions about moving a mattress—and after reading this guide, you'll have one less thing to worry about before moving to a new place.

The start: Make sure you’ve done this before moving mattress

Before we talk about how to transport a mattress, we need to tell you what you should do before this. Here’s the to-do list:

• Consider the size and measure your mattress—this simple action will help you avoid surprises.
• Choose the car to do the job—for some mattresses, you need a cargo van; the others will only fit in a 25 ft truck.
• In case you don't want to rent a car, want to save money, or your mattress is really heavy, consider asking friends to help.
• Make sure everything is ok with the equipment—unless you're moving a toddler mattress next door, you'll need at least some of these.

Also, make sure you have all the equipment for moving a mattress. Here's what we're talking about:

1. A mattress bag—they are cheap and they will protect your mattress from damage/dust.
2. A sandwich bag (or a bag you will certainly not lose)—to keep all the crews and bolts together when moving the mattress.
3. A paper (retractable) knife—to open the bag.
4. A tape—to seal the bag.
5. A pair of straps—to lock your mattress in a car.
6. A hand truck—to move the mattress to a big truck.

Special attitude: How to move a foam mattress?

Memory foam mattresses are extremely popular, very comfortable, and loved by the customers (the satisfaction rare for such mattresses is higher than 80%). What’s even more interesting for you right now is that these mattresses are easier to move than, for example, innerspring mattresses because they can be vacuum-packed and folded in a box.

How to fold a mattress made of memory foam and how to compress a memory foam mattress at home? Here's what you need to do to transport your memory foam mattress!

• Get a vacuum bag of the right size.
• If you see a sealable vacuum bag of the right size, don't waste your time and buy it right away.
• Take the sheet/protector off.
• Put your mattress in the bag.
• Use a vacuum to suck the air out of the bag.
• Roll the mattress (don't turn the vacuum off while rolling it).
• Use 3 straps (on sides and in the middle) to not let the mattress expand in the car. 

Most difficult task: How to move a heavy mattress by yourself?

A disclaimer for all who are going to lift a heavy mattress: it’s ALWAYS dangerous and it’s ALWAYS better to hire a professional to move your mattress. The mattresses, especially the heavy ones, were not designed to be moved by 1 person. Please, keep this in mind. 

How to transport mattress if its weight is higher than 140, 150, or 160 lbs? This problem is actually not that rare because even if your old mattress was light a decade ago, it doesn’t mean it’s still as light as it was. 

The thing is, the mattresses become heavier with age—contrary to the old myth, they do not double in weight in 10 years, but the fact that mattresses gain weight with years is undeniable. 

So, how to move mattresses that weigh a lot? 

If it’s a memory foam mattress, the process is simple and we’ve described it in the previous paragraph (how to roll up a memory foam mattress). If it’s a hybrid/innerspring mattress, it’s not that fast. Here’s how you move a heavy mattress that can’t be folded into a compact size:

1. Cover the mattress to protect it from dirt—lean the mattress to a wall, place the cover on top, and slide it down until the mattress is covered.
2. Buy or find a mattress sling. Such slings are the ultimate help for moving a heavy mattress so if you don't have them, order them on Amazon right now!
3. If the mattress is too heavy and a mattress sling isn't an option, consider using a dolly (hand-truck). If you have a special mattress dolly, you don't need anything else—just get your mattress on it and move it, it's really simple. To do it, stabilize your mattress first—get 2 huge pieces of cardboard, tie them together with a mattress (1 on each side), and slide that thing on a dolly.
4. Then, open all the doors and clean the path.
5. After that, take the mattress to the car.

And remember: don't lift with your back, lift with your legs. If this word combination sounds completely unfamiliar, hire a professional instead.

Cars to transport mattress & ways to secure it

Will a king size mattress fit in a cargo van? How to transport a mattress on top of car? What car to choose? 

Koala knows the answers.

• First, choose the right car type.
• Twin, full, and queen mattresses fit in a 9' cargo van.
• King mattresses fit in a 10' truck.
• California King mattresses (and the larger sizes e.g Alaskan King) fit almost only in 15-26' trucks. 

If you're going to rent a trailer, focus on larger ones—only a twin mattress fit in a 4x8 cargo trailer. For the mattresses larger than that, you'll need 5x8, 5x10, or even 6x12 cargo trailers. 

Tying your mattress to the top of your car is legal and cheaper than renting a truck, but you must make sure you've tied the mattress tightly and drive slowly if you're going to go this way.

Once your mattress is loaded into the car, the journey begins. To make this journey safe, you need to secure the mattress. Here are the rules:

• If you're using a pickup truck, you must lay the mattress as flat as possible and wrap the straps over the mattress.
• If you're using a van, the only rule is to lay the mattress flat (it's very important).
• In case you're going to lay the mattress on a car without a luggage rack, pass the ropes through the door jams (front) and passenger windows (back).

Almost done: How to repack mattress?

Once your memory foam/hybrid mattress is transported, you need to unpack it. It’s simple — you only need to set it on the bed box, that's all. However, that’s not all—and these 3 tips will help you repack your mattress without any problems.  

• Don't wait and unpack the mattress asap—the longer it's wrapped, the higher the chances are that mildew and bacteria will develop.
• Let the mattress breathe.
• Clean and vacuum your mattress—it will get dirty even if you wrap it carefully. A deep clean will take some time, but it's extremely important to prolong mattress life and to have a healthy sleep.

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