Is it Worth It to Ship a Mattress Internationally?
Are you relocating from the USA to another country? There are many advantages to shipping your mattress when you move to most countries. When does it make sense to send and when is it better to buy a matress in your new country?
Is it Worth It to Ship a Mattress Internationally or Overseas?
One of the questions that we are commonly asked by people when they are preparing an overseas relocation is: “is it worth it to ship my mattress overseas?” Many of our clients are moving to Canada or Mexico. Though these aren’t overseas they are still different countries, and not everything proper for the USA will be correct for there.
An international relocation is sometimes a great opportunity to save a lot of money by sending furniture like mattresses from the USA to your new country. Will the price of shipping justify the savings you will get by sending an American mattress?
In addition to helping Americans relocate to countries around the world each year, SDC International Shipping has also been employed by many tourists to the USA who buy new mattresses to send back to their home countries. We are not experts on the costs of mattresses everywhere, but judging by our experience, sending a mattress overseas is a good idea.
Beds from the USA
One thing that is important to point out is that beds, bedroom furniture and mattresses from the USA are considered to be of a very high quality. In countries all around the world local stores and manufacturers will call their furniture “American”. Please note that what is called “American” in these countries isn’t necessarily American, and not necessarily of the style to which you are accustomed. If you want an American mattress, put in your SDC International Shipping container for transport to your new home.
This is especially true if you are sending a special bed that might be very expensive or impossible to find in your destination country, it makes the most sense to send both your bed and your mattress. Examples of this are mattresses with adjustable firmness or adjustable bases. If you have a bed like this, you should consider sending both the mattress and the bed, as the mattresses will not easily fit other bed frames.
American Bedding
How do you make your bed? Most Americans will use a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and a blanket on top of it. If you go to Europe, you will find that in most places they use a duvet, which should not be confused with an American duvet. In the USA, duvet commonly refers to a “comforter cover”, similar to the way that a pillow case covers a pillow. In Europe, duvet is the actual blanket. They are usually plain, and covered with a duvet cover, as opposed to American comforters that are usually colorful or patterned (and have a flat sheet underneath them). If you plan on continuing using what you are accustomed to, you should send them with you, as you will likely not find huge selections abroad.
This is not as critical as bed size. Sheet sizes that are slightly off don’t usually make a difference. Like mattresses and beds, you will find that the selection available in the USA is of a higher quality and lower price than what you will find in your destination country. It is a good idea to stock up on American bedding to put into your shipment.
Which Mattresses and Bedroom Furniture should not Be Sent Overseas?
One of the most important things to note about American beds is that they are not necessarily the same sizes as in other countries. In fact, each country will use a slightly different designation for bed sizes. What is called a “queen” sized bed in the USA might very well be called “king” or something similar in a different country.
It is imperative that you understand the actual size of your furniture. Sometimes there are only very minor differences in sizes, sometimes there is a big difference between the American measurement and those used abroad. Important to keep in mind in addition is the room size at your destination. If you don’t have the actual room size, ask a friend or relative to measure their bedrooms for you. There are countries where rooms are only slightly larger than the beds.
For most locations it is not a problem, but there are some places where a California King won’t fit into the room, or it will be such a tight fit as to be uncomfortable.
When you send things to another country as a part of an international relocation with an import tax holiday, you are not supposed to send new things, including furniture. Most countries will not ask for furniture receipts, but to remain well within regulations, if you need to down size your bed in order to accommodate your new home, you might want to consider doing this several months before your move.
For most of our clients, sending a mattress to your new home is a very good idea, and we recommend it to most of our clients.
