Can You Fold A Mattress?

When we are moving homes or donating items to others, we will find the situation that things need to be packed and moved. 

One of the major challenges here will be your mattress, and whether you should fold it to move. 

Do not fold innerspring mattress or foam mattresses that are thicker than 6 inches. Thinner ones might be okay to be folded in half for a short period of time, but ideally, a foam mattress should be vacuum-packed and rolled up during the house moving. 

Innerspring ones should never be folded because the inner construction will be damaged. 

Depends on the material

Every material reacts differently to pressure and physical or mechanical force. This determines whether you should fold your mattress and how to treat it when you move it. It is not only the material itself but also the construction and skeleton of the mattress which is crucial in dictating whether or not the mattress can be folded. 

Any mattress with metal or solid support should never be folded. Foam ones can be folded for a limited amount of time. 

Polyurethane memory foam and latex foam mattress can be folded and will regain its shape a few hours later upon unfolding. 

Never fold an innerspring mattress or any other coil ones, even if it's a hybrid, which contains sort of solid structural components such as metal spirals. 

Coils can be permanently damaged and fabric can be ripped. Paddings can be distorted. These types of mattresses will never return to its original shape after folding, to make matters worse, the warranty will also be voided. 

It's also unlikely these types can be folded at all. Memory foam ones, on the other hand, can be safely bent and transported. They can be folded, but advisably no longer than a few weeks. 

Keep in mind that in terms of memory foam mattress, the thicker it is, the harder it is to fold. 

And if the mattress is left to be bent for too long, it is possible that memory foam's ability to spring back will be damaged, which changes its comfort level. 

Prolonged folding can cause surface damage, such as gouges and wearing out of the material.

Latex for moving and storing

The similarity exists when it comes to moving and storing between memory foam mattresses and latex ones. Latex can also be folded in half for about three to four weeks maximum. It is more tolerant of being bent than a memory foam one, but bending also causes decrease in comfort and resiliency. 

So to summarize, yes you can fold the memory foam mattress for a few weeks, and latex ones for about three weeks, and never fold the pocket spring mattresses.

The thickness

There are foldable mattresses available because it has an anti-slip bottom. Most foldable mattresses come in one of three standard thicknesses, four inches, six inches, and eight inches. 

The thinnest one with 1-2 inch thick foam mattress can be folded in half quite easily. It should not be folded for more than three weeks. 

A 3-inch thick foam mattress may be folded in half, but it should not be kept in that position for more than three weeks in order to avoid damage.

A 4-inch thick foam mattress can be folded in half, and it should not be kept in that position for more than two or—at the maximum—three weeks.

You can fold a foam mattress 5-inches thick, or more in half, but it is not recommended to fold a mattress that is thicker than six inches, to avoid significant deformation to the foam. The mattress should not be left in that position for more than two—maximum of three weeks.

The thickness of the mattress directly affects its flexibility, as well as its ease of handling. The thicker the mattress, the more comfortable it is to sleep on but also the less flexible. 

The thicker the mattress, the harder it is to handle, and the shorter time it can be kept folded. If possible, do not fold your mattress.