DIY Mattress Relocation Guide (In Easy Steps)

author: Ethan Greenfield on Oct 30, 2018

The difference between a good night's sleep and a terrible one can be as great as night and day if you have a high-quality mattress. The question of how to move a mattress, which can be quite pricey on its own, will naturally take center stage when it comes time to relocate to a new home.

The first step in learning how to move a mattress is determining whether or not it is even worth it to do so, depending on the condition of your prized bedding accessory. It's true that if you decide early on that your mattress has served its purpose, you'll save a lot of time, energy, and money by not replacing it.

If giving up your pricey mattress is out of the question, however, you should keep reading to learn more about the initial mattress evaluation, additional information about protecting a mattress when moving, and the specific steps for moving a mattress on your own.

Should you even consider rearranging your bed? Tips for Choosing the Best Mattress

You need assurance that you aren't blundering before you can worry about properly wrapping your mattress for moving and getting it to your new place. The truth is that it's not just the bedside table that you shouldn't be moving; doing so constitutes poor judgment because of the time and money lost during the relocation process.

Unofficial guidelines state that mattresses should be inspected for wear and quality decline every 7-10 years. Exactly how long have you been sleeping on your current mattress? When moving into a new home, it may be time to replace your old mattress if it's more than ten years old or if you simply don't know how old it is.

Closely inspect your mattress to see if there are any dirty, worn, torn, or sagging spots. The condition of your old mattress may also be to blame for your recent spate of mysterious backaches.

However, if your mattress is relatively new and in good condition, you may not need to assess it at all; it would be wasteful to leave it behind and then buy a new one after the move is over.

You should look at the purchase of a new mattress as an investment in your future health and happiness, despite the fact that it is rather pricey.

For more on this topic, see if it's better to buy new furniture or move the old ones after a move.

Suggestions for properly packing a mattress prior to a move

Hiring professional movers is without a doubt the simplest option for having your bed mattress packed and transported to your new home. Experienced packers and movers will carefully wrap and transport your mattress, along with the rest of your bed (if you're moving that, too) and any other furniture or belongings you wish to take with you.

Since hiring movers will cost you money, though maybe not as much as you're anticipating, you might have decided to move your mattress on your own. Since we've already covered the ins and outs of moving a mattress, we'll shift gears to highlight a crucial component of the packing process.

Designed to protect your mattress while in transit

When it comes to moving a mattress, a mattress moving bag is an absolute must-have. The plastic mattress cover will prevent your bed accessory from getting dirty, wet, or damaged in any other way while in transit.

A mattress protector like this will cost you around $10 at a reputable furniture retailer or a Home Depot. Alternately, if you have time to wait for its delivery, you can order a sturdy mattress cover online.

Avoid the hassle of trying to find a mattress transport cover by wrapping it in a furniture blanket instead. Packing tape, stretch wrap, or bits of twine or rope can be used to secure the blankets covering your bed mattress.

The best way to pack bedding when moving can be found here.

Tips for moving a mattress on your own

After you've wrapped your mattress in moving blankets, it's time to transport it to your new place. Relocating is not hard, especially if you have a suitable vehicle, and you don't need to hire help.

A vehicle large enough to accommodate your bulky and heavy mattress is, unsurprisingly, the most crucial factor in a successful mattress relocation mission.

Here are the measures to take when transporting a mattress on your own:

Step 1 Invest in a reliable vehicle for transportation.

You shouldn't have any trouble loading your standard-sized mattress onto a pick-up truck, whether you own one or borrow one from a friend.

You can either fold the back seats of your SUV or the mattress in half (find out from the manufacturer if folding the mattress is safe) to make room for the mattress in your large SUV.

Mattresses of any size (including queen and king) can fit into a moving truck.

What Size Moving Truck Do You Need? is a Must-Read!

Step 2 To enlist the aid of companions, please ask around.

Most mattresses are too large and heavy to be safely handled by a single person, so you'll need help relocating them.

If you have decided against hiring professional furniture movers, you will need the help of your friends on moving day. You should recruit at least one additional assistant and ideally two.

Tips for enlisting the aid of your pals in your relocation can be found here.

Step 3 Create a path to safety.

Check the path you'll take to get from the room where you're packing your mattress to the waiting moving truck. Make sure there are no tripping hazards, dust, or water on the ground along the path, and that the path is completely clear.

Move Safely: A Guide to Avoiding Accidents and Injuries

Step 4 Toss the bed into the back of the moving truck.

Place the covered mattress on its side, with the longer end facing up. Put a moving strap or rope under one of the corners, and then have your assistant do the same on the other side. Use the handles on your mattress instead of straps or rope.

The two of you should work together to lift the heavy mattress, checking its distribution of weight as you go to ensure the load remains stable. Each of you should keep one hand on the mattress for stability as you begin to make your way slowly and cautiously toward the moving vehicle.

Step 5 Get the mattress into the car.

Put in all your muscle to get that boxed mattress into the moving van. Put the bed against the side of the rented moving van or (borrowed) pickup truck and tie it down with rope to prevent it from moving around. Mattresses made of fragile materials like memory foam or gel should be transported in a flat state at all times. It is possible to lay a spring mattress flat or on its side. As was previously mentioned, you can try to fit your mattress inside of your SUV by folding down the rear seats.

Instructions for packing a moving truck

IMPORTANT WARNING about mattress relocation

Do you want to know how to transport a mattress by placing it on top of your car?

NO, you should not do that

No matter how short the trip, moving a mattress by strapping it to the roof of a car is an extremely risky and dangerous proposition. The large and heavy mattress poses a serious risk if it were to fall from the car's roof, both in terms of its own destruction and the potential for an accident that would injure others.

It is also against the law in some areas to transport a mattress on top of a car, so if you are pulled over for any reason, you may be subject to an unsafe driving fine.

Use common sense and avoid taking any chances you don't have to. Stay on the safe side and get a moving company quote if you can't find a suitable moving vehicle or a friend who can help you move your mattress.

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