Tell the calculator the mattress size and construction and the estimate builds a realistic post-compression carton before quoting.
A full-size foam roll on the rate card
On 2026-07-27 we quoted a compressed and rolled full-size memory foam mattress, Newark, NJ 07102 to Atlanta, GA 30303. The estimator allowed a 42.5 × 17.3 × 17.3 in carton at 50 lb, honest numbers for a home compression job, and returned five services at complete checkout prices.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Quoted transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPS | Ground | $86.45 | 3-4 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $90.29 | about 4 business days |
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $95.09 | 4-5 business days |
| UPS | 3 Day Select | $129.52 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $168.78 | 3-4 business days |
Two readings worth taking. Plain UPS Ground beat its own economy tier here, a reversal that shows up on heavy dense parcels and is exactly why quoting beats assuming. And the twin costs of size and weight mean every extra inch of roll diameter is paid for twice, once in cube and once in handling class, so the strap work upstream of the box is where the money is saved.
The sequence that works
Bag the mattress and seal around the vacuum hose, pull air until the foam stops yielding, fold lengthwise if the kit allows, roll from the head end, and strap the roll before it leaves your knees. The box goes around a roll that is already committed to staying rolled.
What compression will not do
It will not shrink coils, rescue a worn foam core, or hit the original vacuum-press diameter. Memory foam also holds its curl after a week rolled, so unbox it promptly on arrival and give it a day flat before judging it.
When the answer is freight
Innerspring builds, latex slabs too heavy for the parcel cap, and rolls that bust the size ceilings all belong on a pallet. SMKlog sells parcel labels only.
Mattress box questions
What goes into a mattress shipping kit?
A heavy-gauge sealable mattress bag, a vacuum to pull the air out, ratchet straps or banding to hold the roll, and a long corrugated box sized to the finished cylinder. Skipping the straps is the classic mistake; foam fights back for days.
Can a home vacuum really compress a mattress?
It gets foam small enough to roll and box, but never as tight as the factory press that delivered the mattress new. Plan the box around a fatter roll than the one it arrived in, and expect the whole job to need two people.
Which mattresses cannot ship in a parcel box at all?
Innerspring and coil hybrids that resist compression, since folding coils damages them permanently, plus anything whose finished roll exceeds carrier size ceilings. Those move flat as freight, which our mattress cost guide covers in its route example.
What does a boxed full-size mattress cost to send?
Our compressed full memory foam example, boxed to about 43 x 17 x 17 inches at 50 lb, quoted $86.45 to $168.78 across five services on 2026-07-27, Newark to Atlanta, with UPS Ground the cheapest row.