How to Move a King Size Bed and Mattress

When asked about their favorite piece of furniture, most people have a quick and simple answer “the bed”. No wonder, considering that beds are associated with rest, leisure, and pleasure.

The mere thought of being able to crawl into your comfortable bed at the end of the day and fall into sweet dreams is so reassuring and lovely that it is easy to understand why so many people have grown attached to their sleeping furniture and would not part with it under any circumstances. Except maybe when faced with a residential move.

Moving bulky furniture is both difficult and expensive – so, if you have a king-size bed and are about to move house, your favorite piece of furniture may not seem so adorable anymore. In fact, you may start wondering if it’s worth moving at all.

So, should you move your large and heavy bed to your new home? And how can you do? How to move a king size bed? And, for that matter, how to move a king size mattress?

Read on to find all the answers you need when considering moving a king-size bed to a new location:

Is a King Size Bed Worth Moving?

It is a good idea to sort out all your household items and personal possessions in advance of your move and decide which of them are worth taking to your new home. (See also: How to decide what to keep when moving)

When deciding the fate of your king-size bed, you need to take several crucial factors into account:

• Quality and condition of the bed – If your bed is comfortable, stylish, made of quality materials, and relatively new (or very well preserved), then you have every reason to spend the money and effort required for its relocation. If, on the other hand, if your old bed is worn out, damaged, poorly made, or just not to your liking, there is no point in moving it to your new place;
• Size of the bed – All king-size beds are large, but you need to know the exact dimensions of the bed frame in order to figure out if it will fit through the doors and hallways of both your old property (to safely take it out) and your new residence (to safely take it in). What’s more, you need to make sure your old bed is going to match your new home design (a floor plan of your new place will come in very handy for this purpose). If any of the above conditions are not met, it may be better to get rid of your large and heavy bed before the move;
• Distance to your new home – If you’re moving locally, it’s only logical to take all your furniture with you. If you’re moving long distance, however, it will cost you dearly to ship heavy household items to your new home. Besides, the risk of damage to the bed frame and mattress increases considerably when the furniture is on the road for many days. So, unless your bed is a family heirloom or has very high monetary value, it may not be worth moving across the country.

If you decide to take your king-size bed to your new home, you need to find the most efficient way to do so.

How to Pack a Bed for Moving

Needless to say, king-size beds are very difficult to pack and move due to their large size and great weight.

To properly prepare your bed for moving, you’re going to need some specialized packing supplies and a number of hand tools. So, before you get down to work, make sure you have a complete set of tools, a quality mattress bag, several large moving boxes, a few moving blankets, a lot of plastic wrap, bubble wrap, and packing tape, and some furniture pads, moving straps, and sturdy ropes.

Once you’ve gathered everything necessary, follow the steps below to pack your bed for moving in the quickest, safest, and most efficient way possible: 

1. Remove any pillows, bed covers, blankets, sheets, etc. from your bed and pack them in separate moving boxes. These bed items are very bulky but usually quite light, so large cardboard boxes are suitable for the purpose. Don’t forget to label the boxes “bedding”, so that you can quickly prepare your bed after moving into your new home (See also: How to pack bedding for moving); 
2. If you have a storage king bed, empty the drawers and remove them from the bed frame to make the furniture piece lighter and easier to carry. It is recommendable to replace the empty drawers once the bed has been loaded into the moving truck to provide extra support to the frame (if it has not been further disassembled). Otherwise, you can pack the drawers separately in moving blankets and plastic wrap. If you’re moving short distance, you can even leave the drawers full and use plastic wrap to hold everything in place (See also: How to move drawers);
3. Remove the mattress – Make sure you have someone to help you lift the mattress and pack it for shipment. Grip the king-size mattress on each end (with you on one side of the bed and your helper on the other), move it to the edge of the box springs, and carefully drop one end to the ground as you and your partner lift the opposite end of the mattress. Try not to bend it as this may damage the springs. See below for details on how to pack the king-size mattress for moving;
4. Take out the box springs – Most king-size beds rest on two twin-sized box springs that are light but somewhat bulky and awkward to carry, so you need to be very careful when taking them out of your home;
5. Disassemble your bed as far as it will go – Consult the assembly directions your bed came with (to be sure you are doing everything right, just in the reverse order) and use appropriate tools to take apart as many elements as possible. The headboard should come away easily as it is usually screwed to the main frame, but the frame itself may turn out to be a bit of a challenge. Keep in mind that it’s highly advisable to have your king-size bed fully dismantled before the move – not only will the disassembled pieces be much easier to take out of your old residence and load into the moving truck, but the risk of damage will be considerably reduced as well. You can find more details on how to disassemble a bed for moving here:
6. Wrap the larger disassembled bed parts in protective covers, such as moving blankets or old sheets, to keep them safe during the trip to your new home. Don’t forget to secure the coverings in place with tape.  Wrap any smaller bed parts in bubble wrap and mark clearly their exact location to make sure you will be able to easily reassemble your bed later on;
7. Place hardware parts (bolts, nuts, screws, etc.) into separate sealable plastic bags and attach them to the piece where they came from.

Have in mind that time will be one of the greatest challenges you’re going to face when preparing your king-size bed for shipping – you will most likely want to have a decent night’s sleep the night before your relocation which means that you’ll have to pack your bed on the morning of moving day itself. Besides, you will need to take proper care of the king size mattress as well.  

How to Pack a King Size Mattress for Moving

The best way to pack a king-size mattress for moving is to place it in a quality mattress bag:

1. Once you have removed all the bedding and taken the mattress out of the bed, make sure it is absolutely clean and dry. Check for any signs of infestation and place the mattress in a spot with direct sunlight for a few hours, just in case;
2. Slip your king-size mattress into a specialized mattress bag for moving. You can purchase such bags either from your local moving company or from a furniture store for about $10 – $20 apiece. Have in mind, though, that mattress bags come in different types and sizes and be careful to choose a durable one (preferably made of thick polyethylene) that will fit your mattress perfectly. The plastic bag will provide excellent protection to your mattress against dirt, dust, moisture, and pests;
3. Seal the bag’s ends securely with quality tape to make sure the mattress will stay properly covered all the way to your new home.

Once both your bed and your mattress are ready for shipment, you need to find a safe way to take them out of your old property, load them onto the moving truck, and actually transport them to your new home.

What is The Best Way to Move a King Size Bed?

Moving large and heavy items is difficult and risky, so your best bet is to use professional moving services – especially when you’re moving across the country.

Hire a professional moving company

Professional movers have the technical know-how, extensive experience, and specialized equipment to move bulky furniture in a safe and efficient manner. They will take good care of your king-size bed and mattress and will deliver them promptly to your new home, so you will have nothing to worry about.

You can hire the pros to do all the work for you (pack the mattress, disassemble the bed frame, load the pieces on the moving truck, transport them to your new address, and set up the bed at its rightful location in your new home) or only to transport the furniture (in this case you will need to disassemble and reassemble your king size bed and pack your king size mattress without the movers’ help) in order to save on the final moving costs.

See also: Reasons to hire professional moving services

Perform a DIY move

If you’re moving locally and have a couple of reliable friends who are willing to lend you a helping hand, you can move your king-size bed and mattress without professional moving assistance. Just make sure you have the right equipment for the job and know exactly what to do.

See also: DIY moving – tips and advice

How to Move a King Size Bed by Yourself

Safety should be your topmost priority when moving a bed by yourself. So, before you get down to work, make sure:

• You have proper moving equipment – moving straps, furniture pads, etc.;
• You have a moving vehicle of the right size – in order to transport a king-size bed and mattress, you need at least a 6×12 truck;
• The pathways are cleared of any obstacles so you can take the bed out of your property without any risks involved;
• Your kids and/or your pets are someplace safe so that they won’t get in your way while you’re carrying the heavy furniture and get hurt or cause someone else to get hurt.

How to Move a King Size Mattress by Yourself

Moving a king-size mattress is a great challenge, not only because of its considerable weight, but also because of its delicate nature – the mattress can be easily damaged when moved improperly. So, you should take extra caution when navigating yours through doors and tight spaces, along stairs, and up the loading ramp of the truck.

Step 1. Take the packed mattress out of the room

Most king-size mattresses are 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. Standard doorways are 80 inches tall, so the mattress should fit through width-wise. All you need to do is turn your king-size mattress onto its side when moving it through doorways. If you have any troubles, just tilt the mattress at an angle.

Step 2. Take the mattress out of your home and to the moving truck

The easiest way to take a king size mattress out of the property and to the waiting moving vehicle is with the help of furniture lifting straps.

Keep in mind though that fitting such a large mattress around tight corners or down winding staircases, can be rather difficult. You are strongly recommended to plan your route out of the house in advance – take measurements and find the safest, shortest, and easiest way out.

Do not lift the mattress before you know exactly what your next step is going to be, so that you can safely maneuver your way out and get to the moving truck without any major or minor mishaps.

Step 3. Load the mattress into the moving truck

If you’re moving a spring coil mattress, you can position it upright, along the side wall of the truck, and use ratchet straps to secure it in place. Alternatively, you can slide the mattress between two pieces of tall furniture, such as a wardrobe and a bookcase.

If you’re moving a memory foam mattress or a gel mattress, be sure to transport it flat, with nothing on top of it, so it doesn’t get distorted during the move. Make sure the mattress is well secured and will not move during transportation.

Good to remember: Do not even think of transporting your king size mattress on the roof of your car! This method is very dangerous and not recommended even when it comes to moving a much smaller mattress. You risk not only damage to your huge king-size mattress, but also a road accident if you decide to go that way.

Must-read: How to move a mattress to a new home

How to Move a King Size Bed Frame by Yourself

Once you have disassembled your king-size bed to its main components (headboard, side boards, box springs, etc.), it will be easy enough to take them out of your home and load them onto the moving vehicle. The main frame, however, may turn out to be a bit of a challenge.

As with the king-size mattress, you need a smart strategy in order to successfully move your king-size bed frame:

1. Figure out the safest and easiest route to take the bulky furniture out of your home and make sure you have enough friends to help you lift and carry the heavy frame;
2. If necessary, remove doors from their hinges to get a few extra inches of free space that will allow you to safely squeeze the bed frame through;
3. Decide whether it will be easier to use furniture lifting straps or simply carry the bed frame;
4. Take extra care when going around tight corners or down stairs. In order to have the most maneuvering room, you may need to tilt the frame at a certain angle, flip it sideways (left or right), move it diagonally, etc. It is a good idea to appoint a person (a spotter) to stand by and shout out in case of danger or provide emergency assistance, if necessary;
5. The bed frame, as well as the other large bed parts, should be loaded at the back of the moving vehicle and well secured with moving straps to avoid shifting during transit;
6. If applicable, replace the drawers to give the frame extra support;
7. Avoid placing heavy items on top of the bed frame.

See also: How to move large furniture to a new home

All things considered, moving a king size bed is difficult and risky. To save time and effort on your move and avoid unnecessary risks, it’s best to hire professional movers to take care of your bulky furniture and ensure your safe, smooth, and successful relocation.