How to Ship a Mattress Safely & Easily (Without Spending a Fortune)

To avoid stress on moving day, you need a plan for large and vulnerable items. Unfortunately, mattresses are both—not only are they big and bulky, but they’re also susceptible to stains, scratches, rips, and other damage. 

You have a few options for getting your mattress to your new home. You can pack and transport it yourself, work with a moving company, use a freight service, or ship it with a courier like UPS or FedEx. This guide will help you identify the best option for your circumstances and walk you through the shipping process if that’s your chosen route. 

How Should You Ship a Mattress?

Is a mattress shipping service right for you? Depending on how far you’re moving and how you’re transporting your other belongings, there may be a better plan for getting your mattress from point A to point B. Or, you may decide it’s time for a new bed altogether. Before requesting quotes from shipping providers, consider all your options: 

Starting Fresh with a New Mattress 

When you move, you inevitably have to decide which items to take with you and which to replace. Because they’re so big and expensive to ship, mattresses are one of the most common household items that people opt to purchase new when they relocate. 

Especially if you’re moving far away, keeping your current mattress may not be worth the hassle—or the cost. Given the time, energy, and money it takes to ship a mattress, you may be better off buying a new one and having it sent to your destination. Nolah and other online mattress brands offer fast and free shipping, so you can ensure you’ll have a new bed ready for you when you arrive. 

Self Transportation: Van, Truck, or U-Haul Rental 

If you own or rent a van or truck, you can transport your mattress with your other furniture. Pack the mattress carefully with a mattress bag or painter’s plastic to avoid damage and dirt. Moving a mattress is (at least) a two-person job, and you may need a dolly for heavier models. 

While possible, we don’t suggest strapping your mattress to the top of your car. If not done correctly, it can cause damage to your vehicle or even cause an accident if the mattress comes loose.

Moving Companies

If you’re already hiring a professional moving company to pack and transport your furniture and possessions, they’ll also take care of your mattress. Once again, make sure you pack your mattress properly for protection. The last thing you want is to get bed bugs from a moving truck. 

LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) Freight Shipping Service 

This is a good option if you’re moving long distance and have a few large furniture pieces you need to ship but not enough to pay for an entire moving truck. A freight shipping service will come to your house, pick up your packed mattress or other furniture, and drive it to your new location. 

If you take this route, we suggest requesting quotes from multiple companies to find the best price. A few options include TSI Shipping, UShip, and Freight Center. 

DIY Mattress Shipping

Depending on its size and weight, you may be able to pack your mattress and ship it yourself using a courier like UPS or FedEx. We recommend calling your local office and asking about mattress shipping specifically, as services vary by location.  

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Mattress? 

Mattress shipping costs vary by mattress size, weight, distance, transportation method, and delivery time. As an estimate, you can expect to pay at least $900 to freight ship a queen-size mattress. This excludes the price of packing supplies, insurance, and shipping your bed frame or foundation. Below, we dive deeper into mattress shipping costs based on the shipping method or provider. 

Mattress Freight Shipping Service Cost

Estimate: $900

Freight shipping prices depend on distance, size, and weight, so you’ll need to submit quotes to get accurate cost estimates for your mattress shipping needs. 

According to TSI Shipping’s website, you should budget about $700 to ship your mattress using their consolidated shipping services. The company can ship mattresses up to 12.5 inches thick and offers packing supplies, curbside pickup, and curbside delivery. 

We also used GoShip to get example quotes from multiple freight shipping providers. For the estimate, we entered the weight and dimensions of one of our queen-size foam mattresses, plus a couple of inches and pounds for packaging. We used San Antonio to Denver as the shipping distance, about 920 miles. The average cost for the eight quotes we received was $900.

FedEx Mattress Shipping Cost 

Estimate: $2,240

FedEx’s furniture shipping page explains that “most mattresses are cost-prohibitive to ship,” meaning buying a new mattress is cheaper than shipping your existing one. That said, it is possible to ship your mattress within the continental U.S. through FedEx if you choose.

For smaller, lighter models, you may be able to pack your mattress in a mattress shipping box and use the FedEx Home Delivery® service. This option only applies to packages under 150 pounds, and there are dimension restrictions. Even when we entered the dimensions of our smallest mattress size (twin) into FedEx’s shipping rate calculator, it listed their LTL freight shipping service as the only option.  

We also used this calculator to get a price estimate for freight shipping a queen-size mattress. Again, we entered San Antonio to Denver as an example. The calculator quoted us $2,240 for three-day freight shipping, the cheapest option available. 

UPS Mattress Shipping Cost

Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer to how much it costs to ship a mattress with UPS. Furniture shipping services vary by location, so you’ll have to defer to your local UPS page to find information and request a quote. 

Find the Best Shipping Quote

Finding the most cost-effective option for shipping your mattress may take a little bit of leg work. We recommend calling around and requesting quotes from various providers before choosing a shipping company. When you call, have this information on hand: 

• Contact information
• Mattress dimensions and weight
• Delivery address
• Pickup address
• Information on any other items you need shipped

How to Ship Your Mattress 

If you decide to move your mattress yourself, hire movers, or ship it through a freight shipping company, you’ll need to pack it carefully to prevent damage. We’ve outlined the steps below.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

To safely pack your mattress, you’ll need the following: 

• Measuring tape
  
  
• Vacuum 

• Mattress bag (recommended) or painter’s plastic 

• Bubble wrap (optional) 

• Tape 

• Scissors

• Rope or moving straps 

Step 2: Measure Your Mattress

Before packing it up, measure your mattress so you know exactly what you're dealing with and how much painter's plastic, bubble wrap, and other packing materials you'll need. 

Step 3: Prep and Clean Your Mattress 

Make sure your mattress is clean and debris-free before you pack it. After stripping the bed linens, use a hand vacuum to clear away the mattress surface and sides. 

Step 4: Wrap the Mattress 

Next, use a mattress bag or painter’s plastic to encase the mattress fully. Do not try to fold or roll your mattress—wrap it as is. Make sure every inch of the bed is covered, and use moving tape to secure the plastic if necessary. We highly recommend using a waterproof mattress bag. They cost about $10 and can save your mattress from irreparable damage, stains, and pests. For extra protection, you can bubble wrap your mattress after closing the mattress bag. 

Step 5: Load Up

Before you load your mattress (or get a quote from a freight shipping company), you need to determine if the mattress can stand on its side or if it needs to lay flat. Check with the mattress manufacturer for this information. Storing a mattress on its side can cause damage, but it may be a suitable solution for a short-term trip to save space. 

If you hire movers or use a freight shipping company with pickup service, they’ll take care of this step for you. In any case, make sure the mattress is secured to the truck’s wall or floor with rope or moving straps. Nothing should be placed on top of the mattress. 

Step 6: Unwrap and Inspect 

Once your mattress arrives at your new home and you’ve set up your bed frame or base, you can bring in and unwrap the mattress. If you use scissors to remove the mattress bag or plastic, be VERY careful not to rip the fabric. Inspect the mattress for any damage, stains, or unwelcome critters. Vacuum the mattress if necessary, and let it breathe for a few hours before you make the bed. 

Is it Worth it to Ship a Mattress?

Whether or not it’s worth shipping your mattress when you move entirely depends on your circumstances. If you’re moving locally or are already filling a truck for a cross-country move, yes, it can be worth it. 

But in many situations, it’s more cost-effective to buy a brand-new bed. As demonstrated above, you can expect to pay at least $900 to ship a queen-size mattress. At Nolah, our queen mattresses start at $899. Why pay the same price (or more) to ship a mattress you’ve had for years? Transporting a mattress risks damage, whereas ordering a new mattress gives you a fresh start. 

Moving may be the perfect opportunity to invest in better sleep with a new-and-improved mattress. If you order a new mattress from Nolah, you’ll get free shipping, a 120-night trial, and our lifetime warranty with your purchase. We offer five premium mattresses, including our AirFoam™ models with unbeatable pressure relief. 

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