How to Ship a Mattress

Shipping a mattress is easier than you think. Read this to learn how to ship a mattress across town (or across the country).

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Mattresses are expensive and fragile. But you don't fancy moving trucks to move one. The main concern when shipping a mattress is the preparation to get it there safely. Keep reading to learn the steps you can take to ship your mattress safely.

Preparing Your Mattress for Shipping

Follow these step to make sure your mattress makes it to your new home without problems:

1. Disassemble the bed, separating the mattress from the box spring and bed frame.

2. Remove all bedding, bed skirts, or any other removable parts.

3. Wrap the mattress in bubble wrap or thick plastic wrap for protection.

4. Place it in a mattress bag or mattress case.

5. Store the mattress inside an appropriately sized box.

Shipping Your Mattress

Before you ship your mattress, you'll need to know just how much it'll cost. That means you need to measure it.

You can use the basic measurements for standard sized beds, but you'll get a more accurate shipping quote if you know the actual dimensions.

The average mattresses have the following measurements:

• Twin: 38" x 75" and 45 - 50 pounds
  
• Twin XL: 38" x 80" and 48 - 53 pounds
  
• Full: 53" x 75" and 56 - 61 pounds
  
• Queen: 60" x 80" and 71 - 76 pounds
  
• King: 76" x 80" and 90 - 96 pounds
  
• California King: 72" x 84" and 92 - 98 pounds

Every mattress may differ slightly based on its materials (including features like pillow tops). But this gives you an average weight comparison when obtaining shipping quotes.

Once you know the approximate size and weight, call around for shipping quotes. You can also get free quotes online from Uship.com or even UPS.

Make sure to include insurance in your quote. Mattresses are fragile and anything could happen during shipping. Protect your investment - it's a lot cheaper to pay for insurance than it is to buy a new mattress.

Types of Shipping

Different companies offer different services. Think about how you want to handle the pick-up and delivery of the mattress. Do you want:

• Curbside pickup, where you put the mattress outside packaged and ready to go?

• White glove pick-up and delivery, where the movers come into your home, package the mattress, ship it, and deliver it inside your home?

• A designated drop off location, where you bring the mattress to the shipping company for them to deliver it?

What's the Cost to Ship a Mattress?

The mattress's size and the distance it is being shipped will determines the cost. On average, long-distance mattress shipping costs $0.70 per mile and short-distance mattress shipping costs $2.50 per mile.

Some factors affecting the cost to ship a mattress include:

• Size
  How much room will the mattress take up in the truck? Shippers use this to determine what percentage of the cost of the shipment is your responsibility.

• Weight
  Heavier objects cost more because it limits how many other items the truck can transport. Trucks are required to stay under set weight limits based on their size.

• Shipping method
  How fast you need the mattress to arrive at its destination also impacts the cost. More urgent shipments cost more than those that can take the 'slow route.'

• Fuel and tariffs
  You can't control the cost of fuel or the tariffs, but both affect the total cost when shipping a mattress.

Other Ways to Move a Mattress

Shipping a mattress isn't the only way to move it from one location to another. A few other options include:

Rent a Truck to Move it Yourself
If you're shipping the mattress a short distance, you can rent a moving truck from UHaul or other local companies. Make sure you properly wrap the mattress using the steps above—except for the box.

As long as you wrap the mattress well enough and lay it flat or on its side with nothing on top of it, it should move easily.

Hire Professional Movers
You can hire movers to move just your mattress or the entire contents of your home. It'll cost more since they need to come to your home and physically move the bed, But this option leaves you little to do except get the mattress ready for moving.

Rent a container
A shopping container such as PODS is another great alternative. After you wrap your mattress in plastic and a protective case, you can move the mattress to the POD which should be right on your driveway.

Once the POD is filled, you call the company to move it to your destination. You can then remove the mattress from the container and put it in its new room.

Bottom Line

Shipping a mattress is possible, just make sure you take the proper precautions. If you are shipping a particularly fragile mattress, like memory foam, give it extra cushion by wrapping in bubble wrap to prevent damage during transit. Make sure you include insurance as a part of your shipping quote and enjoy the freedom of shipping your mattress from one place to another.