Can you fold a king-size mattress in half?

Whenever you are moving your belongings, it's difficult to fit everything into boxes and the same goes with your mattress. If you are wondering, "is it possible to fold your king-size mattress in half", the answer is yes, it’s possible. However, it also depends on the material your mattress is made of, its thickness, and for how long you are keeping it folded.

Usually, it is not recommended to fold the mattress in half but if you need to do it for a move or storage, you can do so provided that you are aware of what kind of mattress you are dealing with. Read on to find how and when you should fold your king-size mattress in half.

Whether you should fold your mattress in half depends on the following aspects-

Type of material

• Innerspring mattress: If you have a coil-filled or hybrid mattress built of solid structural components like metal spirals, it will be highly unlikely to fold it in half. This is because folding it might bend the coils, rip the fabric, and distort the padded layers. Once you fold such a mattress in half, it won’t return to its original shape. You should rather move it in a flat position.
• Memory foam mattress: Usually these kinds of mattresses are easiest to fold and move. However, don’t keep them folded for more than a few weeks. Otherwise, it might harm the memory of the mattress and it won’t spring back to its original form. As a result, it will no longer be comfortable when you sleep on it. Prolonged folding of the mattress can also lead to surface damage and the material might wear out as well
• Latex mattress: Much like memory foam, you can fold a latex mattress in half quite easily, but try not to keep it folded for more than 3-4 weeks. After that, the resilience and comfort of the mattress are likely to take a hit.

Thickness of mattress

The thicker a mattress is, the more difficult it gets to fold it in half. Here are a few things to consider when folding a mattress depending on its thickness:

• If it’s a 1-3-inches thick mattress, it will be easy to fold and there will be fewer chances of any damage. But make sure you do not keep it folded for more than 3 weeks.
• A 4-5-inches thick mattress will be relatively tougher to fold but you can keep it folded for up to 2-3 weeks.
• If the mattress’s thickness is more than 6-inches, you should not keep it folded to avoid damages.

Tips to handle a mattress when moving

If you need to move a mattress by either folding it or keeping it flat, here are some helpful tips you can follow:

• Whenever you are folding a mattress, use straps or belts for the move. This will take up less space and will hold the mattress in place. Use multiple straps and do not make them tight to maintain a good amount of pressure on the mattress. Simply fold the mattress and wrap the straps around it. You can get these straps easily on Amazon.
• To move the folded mattress from inside the house to the moving truck, you can make use of a furniture dolly or cart. Instead of carrying the mattress or dragging it on the floor, simply roll it and put it inside the cart then load it onto the moving truck.
• If you are moving a foam mattress, you can use vacuum bags to compress and protect the mattress. Simply get a vacuum bag and pack the mattress inside it making sure it’s airtight. You can attach a vacuum cleaner to the bag’s valve and suck out the air, sealing the bag. Once sealed, you can roll up the mattress and wrap the straps around it.

Overall, you can fold a king-size mattress in half if you need to do so for moving or storage but only for a few weeks. The only time you shouldn’t fold the mattress is when it’s innerspring or when it’s more than 6-inches thick. Ideally, the correct way to move a mattress is to pack it inside a vacuum bag, seal it, roll it up, and then wrap the straps around it to move it easily.