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Adjustable beds tend to be bulky and have lots of delicate parts, so moving them isn’t easy. You’ll need to get another person to help you and do some planning before taking any action. Our team has broken the whole process down into several easy steps to help you move an adjustable bed frame and mattress as safely and effectively as possible.
Steps to Moving an Adjustable Bed
1. Find someone to give you a hand
Most adjustable beds are heavy and bulky. Much heavier and bulkier than a standard bed. That is why you need to ask someone for help with this challenging task prior to doing anything else. Ask the person if they’ve had any back or knee problems recently. You need someone who can lift a heavy object and successfully maneuver around with it (even walking backwards if necessary).
2. Inspect the entire route before moving the bed anywhere
Walk the entire way where you’re planning to carry the bed. Remove all obstructions and note any tricky places, like sharp corners, narrow hallways, furniture that’s in the way, etc. Make sure you have enough room to carry an adjustable bed through.
If you’ll be going down a flight of stairs, decide where your resting spots will be and agree upon them with your helper. When you both know exactly where to stop if you need a break, it’s much easier to go through with the whole operation.
3. Take off all bedding and pillows
When you get to the bed, the first thing is to strip it of any accessories. Put them into a bag or a box.
4. Unplug the electrical power
Make sure the bed is not in a raised position before unplugging it. Mattress removal is much easier when the bed is flat. Then unplug any hoses and cables from the mattress and the bed frame.
If you aren’t familiar with the particular bed you’re working with, check out the owner’s manual (they are usually available on the manufacturer’s website) or simply look at the bed construction. Every manufacturer today has detailed images and even videos about their products on their website or on YouTube. See what are all the things you need to unplug.
5. Remove the mattress from the adjustable base
Depending on the type of bed (brand and model), mattress removal might be less or more difficult. For example, Sleep Number has strong magnets that hold the mattress firmly attached to the base.
Sleep Number owners need six towels to place between each pair of the base and mattress magnets to break the magnetic connection first. Otherwise, it’s impossible to move the mattress.
Other mattresses may need some other way of detaching. Once that’s done, slide the mattress off the bed frame.
Depending on how far you’re going to move the adjustable bed, you may or may not want to bag the mattress at this point. Have the bag prepared at the foot of the bed and pull a part of the mattress off the bed frame. Then pull the bag over the part that’s hanging off the bed, and continue the process until the mattress is bagged up and on the floor. You can lean it against the wall for the time being, as long as it’s a short period.
6. Remove the adjustable part and any other detachable parts
Adjustable bed frames consist of the adjustable part and the frame itself. Sometimes, especially with simpler frame types, those two parts are easily detachable by undoing the connecting screws. If that’s the case, you can detach the adjustable part and carry each of the two separately.
With smart beds and other more sophisticated adjustable bed frames, the separation may be more complicated or in some cases, it’s not even an option.
Even so, inspect the bed and see what are all the removable parts. Don’t ignore this step. It’ll take a bit to find and remove them, but remember that each part has its own weight and with a big thing such as an adjustable bed, you definitely want to get as much weight off as possible.
7. Secure corners and edges if necessary
If you want to be sure nothing gets damaged, you can use some of those corner and edge foam protectors that are sold as babyproofing gear. Place them either on bed edges or even on door frames – wherever it seems like a tricky spot.
This will ensure that you get the adjustable bed moved where it needs to be but at no expense of your walls, door frames, or other surfaces that can get scratched.
8. Lift the bed frame
Now’s the time to lift the frame. Make sure to grab the frame itself – not the legs or the moving construction. Hold the frame tightly together with another person and lift it up.
If you need to go through doors or narrow hallways, hold the adjustable base sideways.
9. Place the bed frame where you want it to be
Place the bed in the new room and put everything back in reverse order of how you disassembled it.
If you’re loading the bed into the truck, it’s probably best to have a thick blanket on the truck bed and place the adjustable bed upside down. But make sure that your manufacturer allows this. Then secure it with cargo straps and you’re good to go!
Mind This If You’re Moving an Adjustable Bed
Take care of fragile parts
Please bear in mind that you need to be careful with all wires, pumps, motors, and any delicate parts. Don’t treat electrical wires like most people treat their phone charger cables – that’s just so disconcerting. We’re talking about parts that aren’t cheap and easy to replace, so make sure to put everything in a separate box and pack wires up nicely before moving.
Not moving far
If you’re staying in one room and just want to attach a headboard or do some cleaning behind the bed, you need to unplug it from the wall and simply move the bed a few feet away.
Here you need to make sure that you don’t damage the flooring or carpets, so maybe use some bed leg pads for protection.
Avoiding injury
The best-case scenario is that you move your adjustable bed successfully and without anything damaged, including yourself. Tips below tell you how to move an adjustable bed base while avoiding any injuries.
- Use help. The first step on the list above is there for a reason – all the difficult situations with heavy objects are much easier when you divide the effort between a couple of people. It’s also less likely that you’ll have an accident or an injury.
- Don’t bend your back for lifting. Squat with a straight back (ideally at 90 degrees to the floor). Grab a hold of the heavy object, and using your legs and abdominal muscles, push yourself against the floor. Your back should be as straight as possible.
- Hold heavy items at or around your waistline. Knee or chest height is incorrect because it’s making you get into an uncomfortable position while holding a lot of weight. This can lead to a variety of sprains and strains.
- Once again, inspect the area and the whole path where you’ll be carrying the bed. When you’re conscious of all the dangerous spots upfront, it’s highly likely that you will be moving carefully in all the right places and therefore avoid any accidents.
- Use proper footwear. Love your flip-flops and Crocs? Great, but keep them away from any serious work. You need good shoes that fit well and give you stability and even toe protection. This allows you to move an adjustable bed without tripping over.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re lucky and have one of the basic models, it could be around 150 to 200 pounds. However, adjustable beds often range from about 550 to 700 pounds.
It’s a difficult task and definitely not for just one person. Take the heaviness of an adjustable bed base into consideration and add the weight of a mattress to it. However, with a good plan and all the information from above, you can do it.
Mattresses are not like any other piece of furniture. Shipping a mattress can be a daunting task, but in most cases, it turns out all right. You should bag it and place it on a flat surface, avoiding putting any heavy objects on top that might deform it. You can place a mattress vertically, but only for a short time (a few hours). If you’re taking a week-long trip, don’t leave it upright. As for smart mattresses, be even more careful with packing and lifting, paying special attention to electrics and electronics.
Adjustable beds include a wide array of bed frames. An adjustable bed frame may only move the head area, both head and leg area, height, etc. Zero gravity beds have adjustable frames that raise both head and leg areas. This position is called the “zero gravity position” because that’s how a sleeper gets the least pressure and the digestion and breathing are made easier.
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After solving her personal sleep and tiredness problems, she is on to help others by sharing this invaluable information.
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