Transporting a mattress – flat, clean, and without kinks

We strongly advise against it: wind hits the large surface like a sail, the load can hardly be secured properly – and you are liable for anything that comes loose.

Spring core: never. Cold foam and latex tolerate brief bending; nothing should stay rolled or folded for long though – unless the mattress shipped factory-rolled.

Usually the cheapest category: short loading time, little weight. Enter the route and see the binding price right away.

Yes – just add the parts when booking and pick a vehicle class with enough load area, for example the 2.7 m van.

Lying flat or upright on its long side, ideally in a protective cover. In the van it is strapped down so it neither slips nor gets dirty.

A 90x200 mattress squeezes into some estate cars – at the expense of the core. From 140x200 the van is the safe choice: there the mattress lies flat and clean.

Often on the same day: See the fastest available pickup window immediately during booking. Simply enter the shop or seller as the pickup address.

Each manufacturer sets that for its model – what counts is the information on the packaging or in the instructions. For a move: as briefly as possible. According to bett1, cold-foam mattresses only tolerate being rolled for a short time, spring mattresses not at all. After unrolling, many models need up to 72 hours to regain their full shape.

Foam mattresses often, if the manufacturer provides for it: Emma describes placing the mattress in a fully closed plastic bag, drawing out the air with a vacuum cleaner and then rolling it tightly. Spring mattresses, on the other hand, cannot – their springs can warp or break. Without the vacuum the roll gets too big; flat transport in a van is then the better choice.

Flat-packed, usually not: DHL limits bulky items to 200 cm in length and 360 cm in girth, and even a 90×200 mattress comes to around 420 cm of girth when packed flat. Vacuum-rolled mattresses are more likely to fit within the limits. Everything else goes by freight forwarder or as a direct drive in a van – no packaging, and carried up to the bedroom if you like.

Bed bugs first: Germany's Federal Environment Agency advises checking used furniture and mattresses for droppings, shed skins and insects before taking them, and not to take anything from bulky-waste collections or the roadside. Then the condition: stains, hollows and pushed-through springs are best seen in daylight. For the transport, the mattress belongs in a clean protective cover.