Moving a Specialty Mattress?
What Your NJ Mover Needs to Know Before Moving Day

Consumer Education Blog | New Jersey Warehouse and Movers Association (NJWMA)

When planning a move, most people remember to tell their mover about the piano, oversized furniture or valuable artwork. But what about your mattress?

Today's mattresses can be expensive, extremely heavy and surprisingly complicated. Sleep Number beds, Purple mattresses, Tempur-Pedic, Helix, Saatva, Casper, Nectar, memory foam and hybrid mattresses, adjustable bases, pillow tops and even hospital-style beds may require special preparation or handling.

That's why the New Jersey Warehouse and Movers Association (NJWMA) recommends discussing specialty bedding with your professional moving consultant during your visual survey - not for the first time on moving day.

Why Does Your Mover Need to Know What Kind of Mattress You Have?

A mattress is no longer necessarily just a mattress.

Some modern sleep systems contain air chambers, pumps, hoses, motors, wiring, control boxes, remotes and other mechanical or electronic components. Others are made from layers of dense foam, coils and specialty materials that can make them extremely heavy or require a particular position during transportation or storage.

Simply telling your mover, "I have a king-size bed," may not provide enough information. Tell your moving consultant the brand and type of mattress, whether it has an adjustable base or mechanical components, whether it originally arrived compressed, and whether the manufacturer provides special instructions for moving or storage.

Better yet, show the entire bed to your consultant during your in-home or virtual visual survey.

Moving a Sleep Number or Adjustable Bed

Sleep Number and other adjustable or smart beds can require preparation before transportation. Depending on the manufacturer and model, preparation may include disconnecting and securing hoses, pumps, motors, wiring, controllers and other components.

Before moving one of these beds, check the manufacturer's current moving instructions. Some preparation may be completed by the owner, while other situations may be better handled by the manufacturer, an authorized technician or another qualified third-party service.

This is especially important with mechanical beds because there is an important distinction between physical moving damage and mechanical malfunction.

A mover can inspect the physical condition of a bed. A mover generally cannot determine the unknown internal condition of its motor, pump, electronics, air chambers, wiring or control system.

Therefore, movers generally have no responsibility for unknown or pre-existing mechanical conditions and very limited responsibility when a mechanical component stops functioning but there is no evidence of physical transit damage.

A visibly bent frame or broken housing is different from a bed that arrives without physical damage but has a motor, pump, controller or other internal component that no longer operates correctly. The fact that something worked before transportation and does not work afterward does not, by itself, establish that the mover caused the mechanical failure.

For expensive or complicated sleep systems, professional preparation can help protect the equipment - and everyone involved.

Can You Move a Memory Foam Mattress That Came in a Box?

Yes, but. Here's a moving problem many consumers don't anticipate: the mattress that arrived in a box isn't necessarily going back into one.

Memory foam and hybrid mattresses from companies such as Purple, Helix, Casper and Nectar may arrive tightly compressed and rolled. Once opened, they expand to their full size.

A king-size mattress that easily made it upstairs while compressed may be much more difficult to get back downstairs after it has expanded. This can become a problem in homes with narrow staircases, tight landings, low ceilings or small doorways.

During your visual survey, show your mover both the mattress and the route it needs to travel. That allows your mover to identify potential access problems before moving day.

Should a Mattress Be Moved Flat or Standing Up?

It depends on the mattress. Different manufacturers have different recommendations regarding whether a mattress should be transported flat, on its side or temporarily folded.

This matters to your mover because a mattress requiring horizontal transportation can occupy considerably more truck or storage space than one that can safely be transported vertically.

Never assume. Check the manufacturer's instructions and share them with your moving consultant.

What About Thick Pillow-Top Mattresses?

Luxury pillow-top mattresses can be exceptionally thick and heavy. Unlike many traditional mattresses that could be flipped periodically, today's one-sided designs may have substantial comfort layers on only one side.

Gravity can affect those materials when a mattress is stored or transported vertically for extended periods. Materials can settle or shift, and that does not necessarily indicate mishandling by the mover.

If you have a deep or heavy pillow-top mattress, tell your mover. Depending upon the manufacturer's recommendations, additional wrapping, support or horizontal placement may be appropriate.

What About Hospital and Home Medical Beds?

Hospital-style and home medical beds should always be specifically identified before moving day.

These beds may contain motors, actuators, rails, controls, specialized mattresses and other medical or mechanical equipment. Some are also rented rather than owned.

Contact the medical equipment provider or manufacturer before your move to determine whether the bed can be transported by a household-goods mover and whether specialized disassembly, preparation or reinstallation is required.

Your Mattress May Be Worth Thousands of Dollars

Today's premium mattresses, adjustable bases and complete sleep systems can cost thousands - and some luxury sleep systems can reach well into five figures.

That makes proper planning even more important.

During your moving estimate or visual survey, tell your mover:

• The mattress brand and model, if known
• Whether it is foam, hybrid, air-chamber or pillow top
• Whether it has an adjustable or powered base
• Whether it contains pumps, hoses, motors, wiring or electronics
• Whether it originally arrived compressed
• Whether it will be going into storage
• Whether the manufacturer provides specific moving instructions
• Whether there are tight stairs, doorways or turns between the bedroom and the moving truck

Tell the moving consultant what your bed is worth, so they can discuss proper Valuation or Insurance options to fully protect your goods while in their care.

Another Reason to Choose a Licensed and Insured New Jersey Mover

Specialty mattresses are a perfect example of why choosing a professional mover matters.

An experienced moving consultant knows to ask questions about unusual, high-value and mechanically complex items before moving day. That gives you time to contact the manufacturer, arrange third-party preparation when necessary and make sure the moving company is prepared with the appropriate labor, equipment, materials and truck space.

When moving within New Jersey, consumers should select a licensed and insured NJWMA moving company to be assured the mover is properly licensed to perform household-goods moves in the state.

Choosing a licensed mover isn't simply about who carries the furniture. It's about working with a professional who understands the planning, documentation and consumer protections that should accompany your move.

Before Moving Your Mattress, Remember This:

Tell your mover what you sleep on before moving day.

Whether you own a Sleep Number bed, adjustable base, memory foam mattress, luxury pillow top or another specialty sleep system, discuss it during your visual survey, check the manufacturer's moving instructions and arrange any necessary specialty preparation in advance.

A few questions before moving day can help protect a mattress or sleep system worth thousands of dollars - and help prevent an unexpected problem when the moving truck arrives.

Looking for a licensed moving company? Search HERE!

Submitted by: Tara Dixon, VP Sea Cure Moving, NJ Agent for Bekins Van Lines and NJWMA Board Member

The New Jersey Warehouse and Movers Association (NJWMA) encourages New Jersey consumers to hire licensed and insured professional movers and to discuss specialty, high-value and mechanically complex items during the estimating and visual survey process.