Saving a few bucks on the cost of delivery for your new mattress feels great, no need to fork out another wasted $50. Or if you are moving and your friends with trucks are magically busy that day you can do this yourself, or with one good friend and a car.
Tie down a mattress using ratchet straps, rope, bungee cords, duct/tuck tape, or an electrical extension cord..
Use a Ratchet Strap to Tie Down a Mattress
One of the two most common things to use to tie items to the roof of a car or SUV is the ratchet, or cargo, strap. The straps are usually made of a nylon material a minimum of one inch wide with rubber-coated metal hooks. The ratchet is made with metal and some have rubber coatings on the handles.
How to Use a Ratchet Strap
Update Jan 2, 2023: Stanley ratchet tie down straps are 23% off here at Amazon.
TIP: If you are also moving a box spring then please put the mattress on the roof and the box spring on top of it. The solid construction of the foundation will pin the mattress to the roof evenly. See the video below of the reverse situation and the front of it catching air.
Use Rope to Tie Down a Mattress on a Vehicle Roof
The other common thing to use is a rope. If you don’t have any around the house you can buy it cheap at the local hardware or dollar store. If you have a thin rope that may not be strong enough you can double it up to increase its strength.
How to Tie Mattress to Roof with Rope
This video shows a very easy method to use a rope to fasten a mattress to the roof of a car, van, or SUV. But please add a second rope on the back half of through the back doors or windows.
TIP: Tie a movers knot with rope to hold it to the roof following the simple instructions in the video below.
Electrical Cord
If you don’t have a ratchet strap or rope you can extension cord you can use that in place of rope. Make sure to wrap it around a few times as it is difficult to get it tight to the roof of the car.
For tips and tricks to move a mattress check to see if it is legal to put one one roof of car here, and how to move a king alone here, with a small car here, and move one across the room with ease here.
Scott Boyd
TIP: Avoid tying to the roof if you have an SUV by checking out my article here to see if a queen size will fit in your SUV.
What not to Use (Don’t Do)
Hands. Yes, hands. Some have handles and some creative, and cheap, people have tossed it on the roof of the car, reached out, and held onto the handles, and hoped for the best.
Sadly, I know this method, but it was for a assemble it yourself stand-alone closet and it weighed about 100 lbs. I reached up through the sunroof in my Dodge Daytona and held the strap as I drove through the city of Dartmouth. Nobody got hurt, but it was stupid. And it was manual transmission to boot.
Check out the dumb dumbs caught on film.
Don’t be like these idiots (Don’t Do)
Seven on a small car might be a bit too much.
Delivery Dave uses his 2010 Dodge Charger as his delivery truck. Don’t be a Dave.
Please be safe and use ratchet straps or rope to properly tie it to your car, van, or SUV for your safety, and the safety of other drivers and pedestrians.
