It’s peak PCS season, and somewhere between the housing paperwork and the vehicle shipment, one question always sneaks up on families: what do we do about the mattress? Ship it, store it, or leave it and buy new at the next base? There’s no one right answer — but there is a right answer for your move, and it usually comes down to weight, condition, and timing.
Here’s how military families we know actually make the call, without blowing the weight allowance or sleeping on the floor for the first week at the new duty station.
Zinus 12 Inch Green Tea Cooling Memory Foam Mattress [New Version], Queen, Fiberglass Free, Medium Firmness, Cooling Gel Foam, Certified Safe Foams & Fabric, Mattress in A Box
- Cooling & Breathable – The Novilla 12 inch twin xl mattress addes 30% more NanoGel, which will increase the heat absorption capacity, promotes airflow and provides a refreshing cooling effect, thereby delivering an enhanced sleep experience. Enjoy all-night comfort and relaxation, say goodbye hot and restless nights.
- Comfort Support – Novilla 12 inch twin xl mattress features 3 foam layers, providing superior noise and vibration absorption during sleep movements. This ensures that your deep sleep remains undisturbed by your partner’s tossing and turning or getting up, enhancing overall sleep comfort. The high-density foam offers balanced support to maintain proper spinal alignment. The combination of gel memory foam and comfort foam effectively relieves pressure points.
- All-Night Freshness – This Novilla twin xl foam mattress is engineered with advanced foam technology that effectively absorbs odors and moisture. Creating a dry, hygienic and comfortable sleeping environment. This allows you to experience refreshing sleep and wake up feeling rejuvenated.
List Price :
Offer: 299.99 $
Go to AmazonThe real cost of shipping a mattress
A queen mattress and box spring can eat 80–120 pounds of your HHG weight allowance, and mattresses are bulky, easy to damage, and a magnet for moving-truck moisture and mildew. If you’re already close to your allowance, that’s weight you could spend on things that are genuinely hard to replace.
Shipping makes sense when the mattress is newer, high-quality, and you’re nowhere near your weight cap. It rarely makes sense for an older, sagging bed you were going to replace anyway — you’d be paying (in allowance) to move something with little life left.
When buying new at the destination wins
For a lot of moves — especially OCONUS, or any PCS where the old mattress is more than 6–7 years old — buying new after you arrive is the cleaner play. A mattress-in-a-box ships compressed, arrives in days, and can be waiting at the new place or delivered right after you do. No truck damage, no allowance hit, no hauling it up base-housing stairs.
Linenspa 10 Inch Gel Infused Memory Foam Mattress – Full Size – Medium Plush – Cooling Gel – Mattress in a Box – Primary or Guest Bedroom – Pressure Relieving and Breathable – CertiPUR-US Certified
- COOLING COMFORT PLUS GREEN TEA FRESHNESS – Cooling Gel Memory Foam draws heat away from your body while green tea extract and purified charcoal maintain long-lasting freshness for a cooler, cleaner-feeling sleep environment.
- PRESSURE-RELIEVING COMFORT THAT ADAPTS TO YOU – Memory foam gently contours to your body’s shape to cushion shoulders, hips, and joints while providing personalized comfort and support throughout the night.
- COOLER SLEEP, LESS TOSSING AND TURNING – Cooling Gel Memory Foam creates a more comfortable sleep surface while reducing motion transfer, so couples can rest more comfortably and wake feeling refreshed.
List Price :
Offer: 299.99 $
Go to AmazonDon’t forget: bed sizes change with the housing
If you’re moving into the barracks or unaccompanied housing, you’re likely back to a Twin XL. Base housing and off-base rentals vary widely. Confirm the room and bed situation before you buy so you’re not stuck with a queen set for a Twin XL frame.
- Barracks / UPH: usually Twin XL — buy XL sheets and a Twin XL topper
- Base housing / rental: confirm bedroom size before committing to a king
- OCONUS: check voltage on any powered sleep gear, and lean toward buying a bed locally or shipping compressed
A 60-second decision checklist
- Is the mattress under ~5 years old and in good shape? → Shipping is reasonable.
- Are you close to your weight allowance? → Lean toward buying new at the destination.
- Moving OCONUS or into the barracks? → Buy new / compressed at the new location.
- Was this bed already on its last legs? → Donate or dispose before the move; start fresh.
Time it so you’re not sleeping on the floor
The move-week trap is arriving before your bed does. If you’re buying new, order a mattress-in-a-box a few days before your report date and ship it to the new address (or a sponsor’s) so it’s compressed, waiting, and ready to expand the day you walk in. It’s the single easiest way to make night one at the new base feel like home.
Whatever you decide, decide it early — before the packers show up. The families who plan the bed first are the ones who actually sleep that first week.
Novilla Twin XL Mattress, 12 inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress with Comfort Foam for Cooling Night Sleep, Comfort Support and Pressure Relief, CertiPUR-US Certified
- PRESSURE RELIEVING MEMORY FOAM: Plush gel infused memory foam conforms to your curves for personalized comfort that hugs you to sleep; use it to rejuvenate an old mattress, soften a too-hard mattress, or prolong the life of your mattress
- COOLING GEL INFUSIONS: This topper is infused with a cooling gel that helps capture and distribute heat to keep you cool and comfortable while you sleep
- MULTIPLE PROFILE OPTIONS: Choose your own level of comfort with a plush 2-inch profile or an even plusher 3-inch thick mattress topper, either way you get the same pressure relieving memory foam feel
New starting from: 37.56 $
Go to Amazon