How to get a Large Mattress Up the Stairs

The last thing on your mind when you moved or bought your new mattress was getting it up the stairs. Sometimes homes make it hard to get things up the stairs, and it doesn’t matter if its a Queen mattress, King mattress, or whatever – it’s going to put up a fight.

The good new is that we want to help you get the large mattress upstairs, but what we recommend you might not like. There is some good news to all of this, and we’ll explain it more in detail in this post.

As I see it there are only 2 ways this whole problem comes about, (1)you just moved and needed to take the mattress upstairs, (2)or you just bought a new mattress that is bigger than the one you had before. Let’s talk about each.

Just Moved

If you’re expecting some crazy idea that I’m going to give that will somehow get your mattress up those stairs, then I’m sorry to let you down. If you have tried all the different angles to the point that you must Google the answer, then it simply is not going to work. That is the harsh truth you need to understand. 

It’s usually not just the mattress that you can’t get up the stairs but also the bed frame or even worse the BOX SPRING! Sometimes you can bend the mattress and force it up, but those Box Springs are so rigid that they can’t be flexed at all.

At this point, you need to consider how old your mattress is. If it’s over 5 years old or you can’t remember the last time you got it then its time for a new one. —-But here’s the trick—-. Don’t go to a mattress store and buy a new mattress as you’ll be back in this same problem. The trick is to buy a mattress online, Memory Foam or Latex is preferred. These mattresses come compressed in a box, so it will be super easy to get up the stairs even if it’s a King or Queen size mattress.

Another perk of getting a mattress online shipped to you is that many of them are Memory Foam or Latex. These Mattresses don’t need a box spring – which is usually the biggest pain as box springs don’t fit in tight spaces. You could also get a regular platform bed frame which is easy to move up and down stairs.

But My Mattress Fits, It’s The Box Spring That’s The Issue! – If it’s just the box spring that is the issue, and you must have a box spring than just get rid of the old box spring and get a box spring as it needs to be assembled which makes getting it up the stairs easy. Or even consider a platform bed frame that folds if you’re dealing with some tight spaces.

Just Upgraded The Mattress

If you upgraded to a bigger mattress and like before have tried it 100 different ways and you can’t get it up then there is no magic spell to make it work. If the mattress delivery guys can’t get it upstairs, then you know it’s not going to work as those guys do it for a living.

The only option is to return it and go online and get a memory foam mattress. They come compressed in a box, so it’s easy to get it up the stairs. Also, don’t forget the bed frame and box spring – if they don’t fit then it would be a good time to get ones that fold up too. You can get box springs that need some assembly but this makes it easy to get up the stairs.

If you do go with the memory foam mattress or even latex, then you can use a Platform Bed Frame with no box spring and be just fine. A lot of these platform bed frames are easy to move around and get up the stairs no matter the size of the mattress that it’s made for.

But I Don’t Want To Buy A New Mattress

I know it sucks especially if you just bought one. But unless you’re going to keep the mattress downstairs there is no other way (besides destroying it). It’s not like a sofa where its and odd L-Shape that you can rotate it to make it fit. A mattress is just a big rectangle, and no matter how you arrange the thing it will still be a rectangle.

The Perks – There are some perks to getting a mattress online. Many of the mattresses you buy online can be more affordable than the ones you get at the mattress store. This is due to the vast amount of competition online and the fact they have less overhead as they don’t have a physical store.

But how do you try it out? I’m going to be honest with you, any new mattress you get is going to be uncomfortable. It’s like buying shoes; you must break them in. I do have a post about breaking in the mattress here if you want to learn more. Your old mattress spent years getting used to your body and how you sleep just like how shoes get used to your feet and how you walk. It will take time and laying on a mattress for 5 minutes at the mattress store is not a good way to determine if it will work. Here is a dirty little secret about those mattresses at the mattress store – many people had laid and jumped on them, so they’re already pre-broken in and giving people a false reading on its comfort. It always happens when you get your new mattress home and it doesn’t feel like the one you laid on at the store because the one at the store has been pre-broken in. Try before you buy is a false way to test a new mattress, plus laying on a mattress for 5 minutes at a store is not a good indicator either.

Well… There Is A Trick

I don’t like talking about this trick to get a mattress up the stairs because it can damage the mattress or even worse hurt someone.

So I must say that I DON’T RECOMMEND EVER DOING THIS!

In a pinch, I have used ratchet straps to put the mattress in a U-Shape. Not a complete U-Shape but a slight compress as to not stress the mattress too much. The mattress is not made to be in a U-Shape and if done wrong can damage it. Also, there is a fear of the straps breaking and flinging the mattress at someone knocking them out. These are many reasons I don’t recommend doing this.

But yes, making this slight U-Shape can help clear low ceilings when going upstairs as it shrinks the mattress down a bit. This will allow you to rotate like a sofa and make those odd corners too.

There is a reason why this is at the bottom and I’m not recommending it right away; it can damage a mattress and nothing worse than damaging a new mattress and having to take it back down again. It’s best not to risk it and just take the easy way out and get the proper mattress and bedframe.