How to Transport a Mattress Without Damaging It

Why mattresses get ruined during a move

When you're working out how to transport a mattress, the main thing is not to deform the core. A mattress can't take bending, being squashed by a strap or damp. What's more, the damage isn't visible straight away. It only shows after a few weeks, when a dip remains where it was folded that you can no longer smooth out.

Don't bend it, not even for a moment

Folding a mattress in half so that it fits through the door is the most expensive shortcut. With pocket springs, bending damages the individual pockets; with cold foam, a permanent crease remains. A few minutes saved while carrying it out cost the lifespan of the whole mattress.

Know what you're carrying

A foam or latex mattress is more forgiving than a sprung one. Latex is very heavy and sags under its own weight when carried, so it needs two people. Sprung and pocket-sprung mattresses, on the other hand, must not be leant against an edge or compressed with a strap. Always carry tall mattresses with a supportive foam layer face up.

Wrap it completely

During a move, the cover gets dirty from door frames, trolley wheels and the vehicle floor. Buy a mattress bag or use strong plastic sheeting and tape over the joins. Wash the removed cover in advance, but transport the mattress in a bag anyway. Dust from the cargo area is hard to get out of fabric.

Damp is worse than a scuff

Never lean an unwrapped mattress against a wet pavement or carry it in the rain without plastic sheeting. Moisture stays in the core for a long time, and the core then smells. If the mattress does get damp, leave it standing on its edge at home in a dry room until it dries out.

Measure the route and the cargo area

To load a double mattress flat, you need a load floor of the right width and length. Compare the dimensions of the mattress with the vehicle specifications in our fleet, and measure the doors and the turn in the staircase at the same time.

Sort out the wrapping in advance, not on the spot

When you buy a mattress in a shop, ask whether they'll wrap it. Many shops have bags available and wrapping takes a few minutes. For a mattress from a classified ad, bring a bag with you; usually nobody will have one on the spot. Also pack some tape and a knife so you can adjust the bag to the actual size.

Inspect a used mattress

With a second-hand mattress, check the seams, corners and underside. Damp stains and dented areas are a reason to think twice about buying it. After loading and taking it away, it's hard to argue about what happened when.

Loading, driving and carrying it in

Flat on the floor

The ideal position is flat on the level floor of the cargo area. Sweep the floor beforehand and line it with a blanket or cardboard. That way the mattress lies in the position it's built for, and nothing presses it into one spot.

Upright only with support

If you have to transport the mattress on its edge, lean its whole surface against the side wall. A free-standing mattress bends into an arc under its own weight and falls over when you brake. Supported and strapped, it keeps its shape. Never stand it on its shorter edge in a corner; that's where the corners get crushed fastest.

Tighten the strap, but don't squash

A ratchet strap can dent a mattress. Tighten it only enough to stop the load moving, and put a piece of cardboard under the strap to spread the pressure. The aim is to prevent it shifting, not to reduce the mattress's volume.

Nothing heavy on top

A mattress is not a place to put things down. Boxes, tools and a dismantled bed frame don't belong on it. Sharp corners will pierce the bag and the weight will dent the foam. Load other things next to it, not on it.

Don't squash the mattress between other things

When moving a whole bedroom, the mattress is often loaded first and everything else is piled on top of it. Instead, load it last or give it its own place along the wall. The bed frame, slatted base and boxes belong on the other side of the load floor.

At home and around renting the vehicle

Carry it in with two people, upright

Through doors and on stairs, a mattress is carried on its edge, with one person at each end. One person on their own drags it along the floor and bends it around corners, which is exactly what you want to avoid. Hold it by the bottom edge, not by the cover; the seams aren't built for pulling.

Let it settle

After unwrapping a new mattress, let it lie freely on a flat surface for several hours. Especially with vacuum-packed foam mattresses, it takes time for the core to return to its shape. Check the slatted base in advance; a broken slat can ruin even a well-transported mattress.

When to book the vehicle

Transporting a mattress takes less time than you'd expect, but leave yourself some margin. Mileage within the Czech Republic is unlimited and there's no deposit to pay. You pick up the vehicle contactlessly via the web app; it works around the clock and you'll find the keys in the glovebox on the passenger side. The rest is covered in the FAQ section.