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I shipped a mattress coast to coast about 10 years ago for $100. A mattress that had no separate box spring. We had to pack it up ourselves with a mattress box (don't remember the price of the box) from either a storage place or a truck rental place. The type of shipping was some kind of freight, not UPS or anything like that. I think UPS didn't ship that big. Worked out great, came on time. I'm sure costs for any kind of shipping are much higher now due to high fuel costs. To find something like this, I would try googling "freight" and maybe something like "household."

But, maybe most important is that the mattress might not be right for you and you won't know without trying it. I'd find out what it is and go try it out in a store.

Try calling Greyhound shipping. Their rates are reasonable (since the delivery time can vary) and they can take large items.

I've made 8 long distance moves, some where I've moved everything, some where I've sold most of the things. Shipping anything of size is currently pricey. I've found in the past that "soft goods" can easily be replaced. (Music, antiques, memorabilia - that's something else)

I would suggest you let it go and buy one that you can try out to see if it is, in fact, the right one for you. Besides, no matter how nice the bed is, assuming it will be a good fit for you, it will also sustain some wear and tear in the shipping.

You might want to consider shopping for a good sale and trying out mattresses yourself, as opposed to taking what starts out to be a gift. In any event, good luck, and enjoy

I have a caption for the Princess & the Pea picture: "Oy, my BACK! I KNEW I should've gotten the Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed!"

Seriously, folks, all the current "special" beds available have their fans and foes. I used to wake up with back pain every day but chalked it up to aging, :) Then I got a Sleep Number bed. From the moment I got it, the back pain disappeared. I've had it 7 years now, and love it. I fall asleep quickly, and there's no more tossin 'n turning.

Ditto on Greyhound. I have had way too many out of state moves in the last 5 years and Greyhound is so much cheaper than UPS. I have also used frieght and think that's the way to go if you have alot of stuff to ship - i.e. by the pallet. Also, I have had bad experiences with UPS and damage claims. I avoid them on principle now.

Thank you so much for posting, and thanks too for all the feedback. Today was all about the bargain!

I called, UPS, DHL, Fedx Freight and have googled LTL moving and freight (less than load)....the big 3 won't do it, due to the size (not weight). I did get a quote for $595 from a carrier in Florida, but I don't know anything about them, and they want a credit card #, prior to delivery. Scared!

I slept on this thing, on a visit earlier this year, and it was pretty freaking amazing. My friend paid $1400.00 for it, and my
ooo-bargain-ooo gene is decidedly not latent.

I also found a website where shippers bid on your request. You guessed it: uship.com. I'll see if anything comes of it. In the meantime, I'll try greyhound, and if anyone else has any good experiences to share, please do.

-w

P.S. Is a $500.00 Queen bed really OK? I'm so afraid of making the wrong decision.

I bought a queen mattress 10 years ago for a little over $500, so I imagine you're in the ballpark, although perhaps on the low end...

But if I was making the decision now I recommend:
.price out mattresses you like to see what you'd have to pay new if you didn't have the florida option
.get the exact model of your friend's mattress and test that out in a showroom
.estimate the blood, sweat and tear equity for the entire transport of the mattress from florida (when it gets to nyc by greyhound or whatever carrier, who picks it up, delivers to your place, gets into your apartment? Are there costs associated?)

If after a test drive you simply must have the $1,400 mattress, and the additional work is worth it, then go for it. But if you don't really feel a difference between that and the cheaper mattresses, then I would probably go for the easier purchase that is delivered to my bedroom...

Amtrak ships, they ship cars from their hub in Naples which might be their only "big item" hub, so that's good for you.

Try them.

I agree with Kate though, make sure you really want it.

Since you've slept on it and think it is "pretty freaking amazing", 600 for a 1400 dollar mattress is worth it I think.

I see you mentioned that your friend is offering to give you the mattress AND boxspring? Is that $595 shipping quote for both? Or just the mattress? If it's for both, and you don't plan on using the boxspring, then just ship the mattress.

Did you try
https://www.freightquote.com/Default.aspx

This is the description from their site:

Freightquote.com® gives you instant comparisons from lots of great carriers. Our user-friendly tools automate everything - pricing, pickups, documents, and tracking. Customers trust us with over 500,000 shipments every year - click below to learn what we can do for you.

Also, I notice you hadn't tried EGL either. Maybe they can give you a good rate. 1.800.888.4949

A friend of mine used uship.com and got screwed. Ended up paying a deposit and never got the item shipped or saw the money again. Seems like some of the "professional shipping" folks on there are scammers. The people who were supposed to ship his item had an official-sounding name for their shipping company and contracts to make it seem legit. So be cautious.