A good question! But of course, context is everything. The question “Is it okay to roll up a mattress?” is very broad. Do you mean rolling it up briefly or folding it for a move? Or do you want to store it long-term? Are you considering buying a new mattress that will be delivered to you rolled up and wondering if it will hurt? We’ll dive into all the possible questions and make you wiser!
How can you store your mattress safely?
You should not roll or fold a mattress for (temporary) storage. Nor is it wise to place a mattress upright or sideways. With great preference, always lay a mattress flat to ensure quality. Also, make sure not to place heavy objects on the mattress. These compress and cause cracks or deformation.
How can you transport a mattress?
The best way to transport a mattress is to lay it down flat. When transporting multiple mattresses, you can stack them on top of each other to save space. The heaviest mattress is at the bottom and the lightest at the top.
If you want to transport a spring, foam or latex mattress to your new address, it is perfectly possible to roll or fold it temporarily and briefly. Be careful though because rolling up a mattress can cause serious damage to the padding. Depending on the padding in the mattress, it may end up tearing, breaking or causing distortions in the springing.
Mattresses with a steel band around the springs can hardly be folded. So don’t try that! Too bad, but these are best transported as one unit without too much folding or rolling. Use a specialized company or at least the right transport!
How long may a rolled mattress stay rolled up after purchase?
Increasingly, mattresses are popping up that are sent rolled in a box. Producers and stores find this convenient because they need less storage space and can carry more mattresses in one shipment. And it’s also quite nice for you to take the mattress straight into the car without any hassle.
These mattresses are made to be rolled up for a while. Depending on the quality, they will be fine for up to 6 to 12 months after production. The speed at which your mattress later regains its original shape is linked to the quality of the mattress’s construction and how long it has been rolled up. The longer it has been rolled up, the longer you wait before the mattress regains its original shape.
Will a rolled-up mattress fit in a car?
A rolled up mattress in a box is usually at most 45 cm x 45 cm x 185 cm (2 people), so it is much easier to transport in a car.
An unrolled mattress usually fits only in modified commercial vehicles or SUVs with folding rear seats, in small vans or in a station wagon. At the rear, the load is allowed to protrude 1 meter. So if you secure the load, you may transport the mattress even with an open tailgate!
Is it bad to leave a mattress in a box?
Prolonged compression of a mattress affects its return to shape. In short, it will take longer, and if your mattress was rolled up for too long, it will not return to shape even after a few days. Why is that?
This is mainly due to the foams rather than the (pocket) springs. Springs are also delivered to the manufacturers rolled up and under tension (see photo) and have sometimes been lying there for some time without any loss of quality.
Can you sleep directly on a mattress you bought rolled up?
New mattresses are frequently delivered through the mail in a rolled-up position, but can’t stay that way forever, of course. When you remove a mattress from its packaging, it will normally return to its original shape fairly quickly. Depending on the storage time, we are talking a few minutes to a few hours and sometimes up to 48 hours. How long it takes depends on how long the mattress was already rolled up and especially on the quality of the mattress.
Often, stores or manufacturers recommend airing the mattress for 72 hours after opening it to give it enough time to regain its original shape. The typical smell of plastic and foam will also disappear then. When you purchase European products, you can rest assured regarding harmful substances. Thanks to strict European regulations, harmful substances are strictly controlled.
Is there a difference in lying comfort between a rolled-up and an unrolled mattress?
Yes! There is a difference, but you don’t notice it much over time. To understand this properly, you need to know that foam that is not compressed often becomes more pliable during use. So your mattress is going to conform to your body and will become slightly more flexible.
When you compress a mattress, the different foams will become smoother. So you already get a smoother mattress at your home. Slowly, the mattress settles to your body and because it is no longer compressed, the support also increases. So after a few weeks, both mattresses are equivalent in support.
Frequently asked questions – Can you roll up a mattress:
Can all mattresses be rolled up?
Almost all mattresses today can be rolled without loss of quality, but of course cannot be rolled again after unrolling.
To roll them, a machine with printing presses and a special vacuum process is used.
Can you roll up a memory foam mattress?
Yes, just like all other mattresses, you can also roll up memory foam mattresses.
However, they do return to their original shape a little slower than other polyether foams.
