How To Transport Mattress in a Car

It is easiest to strap the mattress to the roof of the vehicle. Certain types or sizes of mattresses can be transported inside a vehicle. (More on this below). However, transporting a mattress on top of a car is often easier.

A car or SUV of average size can carry up to a queen-sized mattress. We do not recommend transporting a mattress larger than a queen size. There could be too much overhang to the side, which would make it hard to see when driving. The wind pressure might also cause the straps of the mattress to come undone.

To protect your mattress and keep it clean, we recommend putting on a mattress cover or a large plastic sheet. Be sure to secure the bag as well. A bag that is not secured can be easily caught by the wind and fly away, or even tear. This could damage your mattress.

What you would need:

• Use 2 to 4 ratchet straps, 12 to 15 feet. [Ropes can be dangerous].
• Large plastic sheet or mattress bag.
• An appropriately sized car.

Step 1: Prepare the mattress. Wrap the mattress in plastic or place it in a mattress cover.

Step 2: Lay a plastic sheet, or a bed sheet, on top of the car. You want to use a protective layer to prevent scratching and damage to your car’s roof. You can skip this step if you are using a mattress cover.

Step 3: Place your mattress on top of the roof with the quilted or sleeping side facing down. You want to place the top layer, or sleeping surface down. This is because it is softer and more susceptible to damage. You may need to ask for help at this point as the mattress could be too large or bulky to lift by one person.

Step 4. This is the most important step. Open the driver-side door and place the strap side (not the hook) of the ratchet belt over the mattress. Pull it from the passenger’s seat to the driver and then close the door. You should not pull the strap through the window as it will prevent you from opening the car’s door.

Pull the strap through the opening of the door and not the window if you have passengers.

Repeat the process for the reverse side. To ensure maximum grip, the straps should be positioned towards the rear edge. For extra safety, we recommend using at least two straps.

Note For SUVs, the ratchets are passed through the roof racks.

Step 5: Place the ratchet on the roof side of the mattress. The excess strap should be pulled and the ratchet tightened until there is no more slack. Do not overtighten to avoid damaging the mattress. It’s important to ensure that the mattress won’t move while you drive.

You’re ready to go! Check the straps if you need to stop for gas, or whatever else.

How Do You Transport a Mattress in Your Car?

It is a question that we are asked often. The answer is that it depends upon the car, as well as the mattress size. It’s safer and easier to transport a mattress on top of the car. The interior (especially the ceiling), and driving could be difficult if the mattress is inside.

Here are some tips if you want to still put the mattress in the car.

1) Fold your mattress in half. (Not recommended for mattresses that have coils.) Then strap it using a ratchet.

2) Check to see if the mattress fits in your car’s trunk, or on the back seat. Single, King Single or Double mattresses can usually be placed in the car’s trunk or rear seat. Even larger mattresses, such as queen- or king-sized mattresses, can be fitted into an SUV. Fold down the middle seat, push and pull the passenger in front completely forward and then place the mattress diagonally along the length of the car.

3) You’re all done. Drive carefully.

Alternative: Use a mattress vacuum bag.

Most foam beds, hybrid mattresses and mattress-in-a-box mattresses can be compressed using a vacuum. You only need a mattress storage bag and an adequate vacuum cleaner.

You can use a vacuum to remove as much air from the mattress as possible. You can walk over the mattress in order to remove the excess air and speed up the process. Once you have taken out as much air from the bag as possible, seal it.

You can now fold your mattress to almost 1/3rd its original size. It is now easy to place in your trunk or back seat.

What not to do when transporting your mattress

1) Tie the mattress to the roofing with ropes: The ropes are less reliable and secure than straps, they can come loose easily or break.

2) Do not bend or roll the mattress. This is especially true for innerspring mattresses. Not only can this be physically difficult, but it also poses a risk of permanent damage to the coils. In this case, foam mattresses are more durable. However, we do not recommend bending or rolling them because they can impair the vision of drivers.

3) Do not cover the mattress with plastic wrap. You want to expose the mattress as little as possible to the elements. The mattress may get dirty or soaked in rain from the mud on the road.

4) Driving too fast: Driving fast is never a good idea, but when you have a mattress on your roof, you have to be extra careful no matter how sturdy you’ve secured it.

5) Overhang on either side: If there’s too much overhang, the wind pressure could cause the mattress to fly off. You may ask why. Well, it has to do with aerodynamics and pressure, and the same concept is why planes actually fly.

Wrapping up

It isn’t as hard as you might think to transport your mattress in your car. Follow the above tips and you will be fine. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions or questions. Enjoy your travels.