How To Transport A Mattress – Step By Step Guide

Moving day always comes with a bunch of different challenges, one of which is what to do with your mattress! If you have your own mattress that you want to take to the new pad, it will take some planning to make sure that you’re able to pull it off without any hassle.

Knowing how to move a mattress properly can save you a lot of time and effort, and since moving home is already stressful, any savings are welcome. Here’s our helpful guide and top mattress tips on dealing with this hurdle the easy way.

Before You Start And How To Prepare

There are a few small things we want to mention before you start moving your mattress.

Get Some Help

First off, always have someone help you. In this respect, it doesn’t really matter who, as long as they are strong enough to be able to assist effectively.

This can be a friend, a neighbour or your partner. Mattresses are large, unwieldy and heavy.

If you try to handle it yourself, you might cause injury to your back or cause damage to the property or even the mattress itself!

Plan Your Transport

The other thing to keep in mind is to plan for the type of transport you’re going to be using. Mattresses are heavy, and while it may seem like a good idea to simply tie a mattress to the roof of a car, this can potentially damage the material on the mattress by exposing it to pollutants and other various elements in the air. It may also fall off the roof if not tied properly.

For this reason, we highly consider renting or hiring a proper moving van to transport the mattress safely and securely. If you need professional assistance, a man with a van hire is also another good option.

Moving Mattress Equipment You Will Need

To make your move as easy as possible, here’s a list of the tools and materials you’ll need to get your mattress from A to B. Some of the below can be rented instead of bought, so do look around online on how you can optimize your budget.

Hand truck / Dolly – to help you move the mattress from a bedroom to the moving truck, and then again on the other side.

Mattress bag – to protect your mattress from dust, dirt, scuffs and insect infestations during the move. These are usually inexpensive and well worth the money.

Rope and tie-down straps – to properly secure the mattress inside the transport.

Strong tape – to help you seal your mattress bag properly to avoid mess and damage. Sealing the mattress inside a bag also prevents moisture build-up if the mattress is going into storage.

A sharp retractable knife – to neatly and precisely help you open up the mattress bag on the other side.

Standard toolset – to help you take apart your bed frame for easy access to the mattress. Remember to keep all screws and small components in a sandwich bag.

How To Move Your Mattress

Follow this guide for a smooth and easy moving process

1. Create A Safe Place to Work

Mattresses can be big and heavy, so ensuring you have plenty of room to work in is vital to a move.

Try to avoid moving the mattress as the first item, rather, lean it up against the wall and move any items that may get in the way or trip you up for safety. We suggest removing the bed frame and any other furniture you may have that could cause accidents. This will create a smooth passageway for you to take advantage of.

Plan your route to the transporting vehicle and clear all objects and debris that may block the walkway and stairs. Finally, check that all doors are propped wide open and that they are wide enough for the mattress to fit through when carried out or wheeled on a dolly/hand truck.

What to remember: Don’t rush the move for the sake of speeding the mattress transportation process, you can run the risk of damaging the mattress or worse, tearing the mattress bag.

2. Put Your Mattress Into The Mattress Bag

We highly recommend investing in a mattress bag. With a mattress bag, all you have to do is slide the mattress into it and it’s protected until you take it out again. It’s not even difficult to do and it can be done with limited assistance. All you need to do is lie the mattress down onto the floor and then slide it into the bag.

Carefully lift one end while your helper slides the bag over the entire mattress. Make sure that you have squeezed out as much air as possible before sealing up with tape. Have a quick look for any holes or tears, taping up any that you find.

3. Prepare The Transport

Pro Tip: Putting a big mattress into a smaller car is not recommended, so ensure before you transport your mattress that you have the correct vehicle.

Type Of Vehicles To Move Your Mattress

• A Van: Always a good choice for transporting a mattress. They offer plenty of space to work in for maximum success. If you don’t have a van, then consider renting a man with a van for a day. There are two ways you can load your mattress into the van. Either lay it flat on the floor or move it upright against the side of the vehicle. Ensure that finally driving to your final destination, that there are no sharp objects in the van that could potentially damage the mattress cover.
• Car: If you are going to use your own vehicle then plan carefully to ensure that your mattress does not get damaged on the way, especially if you are planning to put it on the roof. If you have a larger car and can get it inside your car, then consider removing the seats inside. Be sure to also position your mattress as flat as you can and try to avoid folding it as this will help maintain its natural shape, as well as protect its inner springs. You can place any other items you are planning to take with you on top of the mattress too, such as any other moving boxes but try to avoid anything that may contain something sharp.
• Pickup Truck: Another good solution is a good old fashioned pickup-truck. If you have one that you own, or you can borrow one from a friend or family member then great! When positioning the mattress into your truck, lay it as flat as possible in the truck bed. Secure it with ropes or straps to prevent it from sliding around when on the move.

4. Lift The Mattress 

The best way to lift a mattress is to have each person on opposite ends (lengthwise), who will each grab the corners and lift simultaneously. As always, lift with your core and not your back, using your legs to push upwards.

5. Load The Dolly

Using a dolly would be the best solution for a heavy mattress, they essentially will make immovable objects such as a mattress that much more moveable.

Get the mattress to a vertical position and push the dolly underneath. If the mattress is one of the more floppy variants, you can use cardboard to secure the sides. If you are bringing it down from an upstairs bedroom, do not use the dolly on the stairs. You can easily slide the mattress down on its side.

If you find that the pathway down for when you use your dolly isn’t clear, you can also lay cardboard down on the ground

6. Load The Mattress Into Your Vehicle

Once you’ve reached the transport, lift the mattress off the dolly and into the interior space. Then go ahead and secure the mattress inside.

For moving trucks, simply lay it flat on the floor or lean against the side (with support from straps). Do not stack it on top of anything else. Also, do not store things on top as they may damage the springs or materials inside.

For pickup trucks, position the mattress as flatly as possible in the truck bed, properly secured with straps from both sides. If the mattress is longer than the truck bed, ensure that the back end is also secure.

7. Drive With Care!

As large and heavy objects, mattresses need to be transported with care. Don’t drive too fast, don’t take turns too harshly and don’t brake too suddenly.

8. Unpack

Unpacking will generally involve the same steps as packing up. Be careful when transporting the mattress from the vehicle to the bedroom and make sure that you have someone to help on the other side.

Conclusion

A lot of people who don’t want the hassle of moving a mattress tend to leave them behind or try and sell them off to avoid hauling it along with them.  It’s important to remember that they are a big investment and finding a good one that you are happy with can also be a task on its own.

Although it is probably one of the more challenging items to move, with a little knowledge and know-how, you should be easily able to transport your mattress with you to your next destination with no fuss or drama.

We hope you found our article on how to move mattresses useful.

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Moving Mattress FAQ

How do you move a mattress without damaging it?

Consider using sturdy rope or straps to secure your mattress in place. Most vehicles including both trucks and vans both have built-in tie-down handles. Also avoid any sharp objects that can potentially damage the mattress or the mattress bag.

Can you bend a mattress to move it?

This is not advisable. This is because the more you fold it, the more damage you can cause to it. When you fold a mattress too much it can damage the coils inside it, damage the springs and even damage the foam encasement.

Is it okay to store a mattress on its side?

While its okay for a little while, its best to keep it flat. This is mainly because of the material and coils inside the mattress could settle out of their original position which could cause damage. Treat your mattress with the same respect you would of any expensive home item and it will last a long time.

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Need Professional Help? Use Our Experienced Bed Movers!

As with all heavy and difficult objects, it’s always best to let the experts handle them you. Our bed movers have the tools, trucks and experience to move your mattress safely and without any hassle. Just give us a call and we’ll do the rest.

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