Heavy, bulky, and unwieldy: mattresses can present major challenges when it comes to manual handling, especially while moving homes.
Some mattresses can easily roll up. Others, such as latex or spring mattresses, risk being damaged if any bending occurs. With this in mind, many homeowners will be left wondering how to carry a mattress?
For car owners or those with access to a large enough vehicle , the following guide will help you effectively transport your mattress.
What is important to know before carrying a mattress?
- Depending on the model, mattresses can weight anything between 20 and 45 kilograms. Because of this, to prevent fatigue and injuries, it is not recommended to carry a mattress alone without help.
- Make sure your car is suitable for transportation. A large mattress in a small car is a recipe for a real disaster. You risk damaging your mattress, your car, or, worse, causing a traffic accident with the reduced visibility. If your car is too small, we recommend that you consider hiring a van or using a van and man or removal service.
- According to the Highway Code, to transport bulky items, they must be securely fastened to the vehicle’s roof rack with sturdy straps and ropes. While this is a much worse option than a van or truck, it is a more affordable option and is often the only option for those on a smaller budget.
- This poses huge risks to a mattress while in transit, which will need to be protected from rain, dirt, pollutants, and other elements.
What do I need for the mattress move?
With the right tools and the necessary help, transporting a mattress shouldn’t be so difficult. What you may need in no short supply is patience. You do however need:
- Cardboard to stabilize the mattress during transport
- A mattress moving cover to store and protect the mattress from bumps, dust, and dirt. Alternatively, you could use packaging film or old sheets.
- Durable nylon rope and ratchet straps with a fastening buckle
Tips for efficiently and safely moving the mattress
Once you have everything you need, you will be ready to transport your mattress. Follow the tips below to do so easily and safely while protecting yourself and other drivers.
- Position the mattress.
Carefully place the mattress on your car’s roof rack. Make sure you place it perfectly in the center to give the mattress stability and balance and not obscure the driver’s vision. If the mattress is too large for the chosen vehicle and it is impossible to avoid overhangs, do not try to find a workaround, and instead borrow or rent a larger vehicle.
- Secure the mattress with ropes and ratchet straps
Once you have found the ideal position to transport the mattress, secure it in the cargo space, or on the roof of the chosen vehicle. Consider:
If you are using a van or pickup truck for transportation, ensure the mattress is well protected in the cargo hold.
If due to lack of space, you have to put it in a vertical position, if possible it is recommended to fix it to the support wall with nylon rope or straps to provide additional; security.
If you are moving it in a car equipped with a roof rack, secure your mattress using the straps. We recommend consulting the manufacturer’s guide for your chosen strapping, to ensure you are using is safely and correctly. It is a good idea to lay a sheet between the mattress and your roof-rack, to help prevent things slipping during transit. It also helps to protect the vehicle.
- Avoid major roads
If possible, it is best to avoid taking the motorway when traveling by car. To keep your mattress firmly on the vehicle, driving at high speeds is dangerous and therefore unsuitable for motorways. Traveling at high speeds could cause the mattress to fall off the roof of the car, potentially causing serious accidents, endangering your safety and that of other drivers.
- If possible, roll up the mattress.
Excluding spring or latex mattresses, which can only move in their original form as they can damage if you try to roll them. The rest of the mattresses can be rolled up or folded on themselves to save space and secure them better on the vehicle. These can then be safely stored using a roll-up mattress bag.
Here, then, is how to transport a mattress in as safely as possible.
If you’re still unsure on how to move your mattress, it would be better to ask an expert for advice. In general, make sure to protect it with a mattress moving cover to avoid damaging it during transport. It must then be securely fastened to the roof rack or roof of the vehicle with sturdy ropes or straps. As it lessens the risk of causing serious traffic accidents. Rolling up the mattress if possible to save space, and driving at high speed to ensure balance and stability during transport.
Count on us to provide high-quality mattress moving covers that will last hundreds of trips.
