How to Compress a Memory Foam Mattress at Home

One of the trickiest items to move from one place to another is the mattress. It usually requires the help of at least two people and takes up a lot of needed moving space in a truck. What if you don’t have a truck, van, or SUV, and instead have a car? How will you be able to fit your mattress into your car with your other valuables?

If you have a memory foam mattress, you’ll remember that when you received it, the mattress came compressed, sealed in airtight plastic, and rolled up in a box. While you may not be able to replicate that exact packing method, you can get close to it with this handy DIY technique.

Materials You’ll Need

Mattress Bag

Plastic mattress bags are available in most stores and storage facilities. Aim for a recyclable, heavy-duty plastic bag that’s sealable for better security and to make packing the mattress easier. Make sure to choose the right size mattress bag— the bag size should match the standard size of the memory foam mattress.

Ratchet Straps

Ratchet straps, or tie-down straps, are fasteners used to hold down large items like mattresses. Ratchet straps are commonly made out of nylon because of how flexible and durable the material is.

Once rolled up, ratchet straps can prevent the mattress from unraveling. Ratchet straps are pretty inexpensive— it costs less than $20 for a good-quality ratchet strap. Three ratchet straps are best for a mattress— one placed on each end of the rolled-up mattress and one down the middle.

Tape

You can use either duct tape or packing tape to reinforce the edges of the plastic bag and help secure the rolled-up mattress. If you’re planning on saving the bag to use again, make sure the tape isn’t too sticky, otherwise you risk tearing the mattress bag during the packing and unpacking process.

Vacuum Bag

Choose a smaller, cheaper vacuum bag— you won’t be using the bag itself, only the valve. Make sure before buying a vacuum bag that the valve fits your vacuum hose, otherwise the compression process won’t work.

Steps to Deflate Your Memory Foam Mattress

Remove Bedding

Before placing the mattress inside the plastic mattress bag, remove all bedding except for the mattress cover that came with the initial purchase. Packing away bedding makes it easier to flatten your mattress and roll it up into a neat bundle.

Bedding you’ll want to remove and pack away separately includes:

• Blankets
• Comforters
• Mattress protectors
• Memory foam mattress toppers.

These items need to be packed separately from your memory foam mattress.

Slip Inside Bag

Slip the bare memory foam mattress inside the plastic mattress bag. Avoid purchasing a mattress bag bigger than your actual mattress, otherwise, you’ll find yourself having to deal with the extra plastic. Plus, the extra plastic could take up needed space for other valuables.

Seal It

Cut out the valve from the vacuum bag. Cut a hole in the mattress bag, about the same size as the valve. Push the valve through the hole so that the nozzle is pointed outward.

Seal the area around the valve with tape to make sure the bag is airtight. You can also use tape to reinforce the edges of the mattress bag before compressing it.

Vacuum

Using a regular vacuum or shop vac, attach the vacuum hose to the valve. Turn on the vacuum and watch your mattress compress. Gently press on the surface of the mattress while the vacuum is on to help flatten the mattress.

Roll It

Keeping the mattress horizontal, begin to roll up the compressed mattress. Keep the vacuum on and firmly attached to the valve to prevent air from getting into the bag. You may need more than one person to roll up a memory foam mattress if it’s bigger than full-size.

Secure It

Once rolled up, use the ratchet straps to secure the rolled-up mattress. The ratchet straps will keep the mattress together and prevent the mattress from unraveling.

You can further reinforce the straps with sturdy, high-quality duct tape. We recommend tape that is strong but not overly sticky.

Extra Tips

• After rolling up the mattress, keep the mattress horizontal during transportation to prevent possible damage.
• As an extra precaution, wrap duct tape around the rolled-up mattress to reinforce the roll. Use as much as necessary.
• The DIY method can be applied for a twin size, full size, queen size, king size, and California king size mattress.

Other Things to Consider

Can you fold a memory foam mattress?

Yes. Solid memory foam beds can be safely compressed and rolled up for easy transportation.

When should I replace my memory foam mattress?

If you wake up sore most mornings and start to see a noticeable sag in the mattress, it’s time to get a new bed. Most beds will last 7-10 years, so if it’s been that long since you got a new mattress, it may be time to replace it.

Can an innerspring mattress be rolled up?

No. Attempting to compress and roll up innerspring beds or traditional mattresses can cause damage to the structure and materials. We only recommend compression for mattresses without springs.

How do you shrink a memory foam mattress?

If you’re moving and need to make your mattress “smaller” for easier transporting, you can put it in a mattress bag and vacuum seal it. Look for mattress bags with valves on them that you can use with the hose attachment of your vacuum.

Research Method

To write a high-quality and credible article, we read several dozen reviews and articles and spent over 17 hours researching, writing, and editing.

Conclusion

We hope this handy DIY guide makes moving a mattress into a new place an easier process. Note that this guide is for the compression and packing of a solid memory foam or latex mattress only. Innersprings should never be compressed and rolled up. When it comes to folding up hybrid mattresses, contact the mattress company for recommendations— some brands might hold up well in this process, but others may not.

Follow proper handling instructions to prevent damage to your bed. Once your memory foam mattress is rolled up and packed in the vehicle, you’re ready to go.