Mattress moving 101

September 16, 2007 11:48 AM

How can I move my King sized bed?

I am 8+ month pregnant and not very mobile. I can drive a car but walking has been difficult due a couple complications so
I want to be able to move this with as little do-overs/false starts as possible. I am planning on maybe paying a neighbor to do the lifting so I didn't want to take up too much time.

I have a split box spring king bed at my old house about 20 miles away. I also have a 2007 Sienna mini-van. Will the box springs fit inside if the seats are out??
Do I put the matress on top? It's a somewhat high end mattress with huge pillow tops and if I remember correctly not very bendy so I think folding to put inside for a second trip will prob not work.

Is a pickup truck the only way?

posted by beccaj to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

Craigslist. Someone out there with a pickup truck will be willing to take care of it all if you pay them.
posted by grouse at 11:52 AM on September 16, 2007

Seconding the recommendation of truck/craigslist/any other way. I moved a queen-sized mattress on top of my car a few months ago. It was a harrowing experience -- even with the mattress securely fastened to the top of the car. The drag exerted is considerable.

Next time, I'm just going to rent a truck.

Take backroads if you must move the mattress atop the mini-van. The slower you can go, the better.
posted by Kikkoman at 12:34 PM on September 16, 2007

A king size bed is truly a liability sometimes.

CL is a good option if you want to hire someone to move it for you.

You could also rent a truck (please don't use U-Haul, they are an awful, dangerous company) which would run you less than $100.
posted by wfrgms at 1:12 PM on September 16, 2007

I second the "don't use u-haul" tip... they are awful.
posted by wangarific at 2:00 PM on September 16, 2007

From what I remember of my king bed I had with my ex, the box springs were really two twin box springs. So while the box springs might fit in your van, the mattress won't. You should be able to easily measure the box springs, even very pregnant, and then measure the van to see if they match.

However, being as pregnant as you are, I would highly recommend paying someone to move the whole thing for you. As un-pregnant as I am, I wouldn't move a bed without at least two of my brothers doing it for me. I wouldn't move it myself.
posted by rhapsodie at 2:39 PM on September 16, 2007

Having just moved a king-sized bed yesterday (it was a space-age foamy type, which just meant it behaved like a vast pile of malicious gelatinous ooze) I fully concur with the above. Pay someone(s) to move it. It's a horrific task otherwise.

One thing I did this time was go to a mattress store a few days prior and purchase some of their big plastic bags, the ones they use to protect their merchandise during transport. Not very expensive, but saved much wear and tear, not to mention dirt and scuffs.

Good luck!
posted by Haruspex at 3:09 PM on September 16, 2007

Rent a truck, and pay someone around you.

I'll third the avoid uhaul. I move alot of stuff and frequent Penske.
posted by imjosh at 3:55 PM on September 16, 2007

Get the aforementioned bags before moving it. They make gripping the mattress more difficult, but the plastic slides nicely across carpeted surfaces.
posted by BrotherCaine at 7:47 PM on September 16, 2007

Many king-sized mattresses are hinged in the middle, so you can fold them in half. You can't tell just by looking at it, though. If yours is like this, lay two ropes down on the floor, move the mattress on top of them, fold and tie. This should make things easier for moving, but definately would take two people.
posted by Ramithorn at 8:18 AM on September 17, 2007