Mattress Delivery Explained: What Should You Expect When Buying a New Mattress?

Mattress delivery is the part of buying a bed that most people think about least, and it’s where our team in the office sees the most avoidable headaches. Having a mattress delivered is not like getting your daily Amazon Prime through the letterbox; it takes a bit more planning and organisation. This guide walks you through how mattress delivery works in the UK, from lead times and costs to getting a heavy handmade mattress up a narrow staircase and having your old one taken away.

We’ll tell you exactly how we do it here at John Ryan By Design, what we’d pay for if it were our money, and where you should ask a few more questions of whoever you’re buying from.

Mattress delivery in short

If your mattress is made to order, like all of ours are, expect it to take around four weeks, giving you time to get your bedroom spring-cleaned, move any furniture, and have extra-deep fitted sheets arrive. Stock mattresses and bed-in-a-box foam mattresses can arrive much quicker, because they’re already sitting in a warehouse.

For anything heavier than a rolled foam mattress, we’d always pay for two-man delivery to your room of choice, and we’d book removal of your old mattress at the same time if you wish to have it recycled. With us, UK mainland delivery is £40, and taking away and recycling your old mattress is £60. If you don’t want us to take it, you do need to consider how you are going to correctly dispose of the old bed, such as using the council’s collection service or hiring a van to get the bed to the local recycling centre (honestly, for £60, just save yourself the drama!).

What this guide covers

• How long does mattress delivery take?
• Boxed, rolled or flat: how your mattress travels
• Two-man delivery to your room of choice
• How much does mattress delivery cost in the UK?
• Will your new mattress fit up the stairs?
• Mattress delivery and removal of your old mattress
• What to do before your mattress arrives
• What happens on delivery day
• What to check before the delivery team leave
• Returns, exchanges and your 60 day trial
• Where do we deliver?
• Mattress delivery FAQs

How long does mattress delivery take?

Well, that depends almost entirely on whether your mattress is sitting on a warehouse shelf or still has to be made. Most of the big online retailers hold stock of a small number of popular models, so they can get them out to you the next day, usually with a drop-and-go delivery service where the items are on the clock, and the people delivering just want a signature ASAP and to hit the road again.

The catch is that you’re choosing from whatever’s in that warehouse. Storage is expensive, so the models kept in stock tend to be the ones built to suit the widest spread of sleepers, which usually means a medium tension and cheaper synthetic fillings to keep the price down.

Every mattress we make is handmade to order here in the UK, so there’s a four-week average lead time on most of our models from the day you order to the day it arrives. That time goes on building your spring unit, hand-tufting the fillings through the mattress and hand-side-stitching the edges.

We’d much prefer you waited a month for a mattress built for your weight and the way you sleep than had one tomorrow that doesn’t suit you. You’re going to sleep on it for years, so a few weeks’ wait is a small price to pay.

Quick mattress delivery: when you really can’t wait

Sometimes the wait isn’t an option. A house move, family coming to stay, or an old mattress that’s finally given up can all force your hand, and we get asked about quick mattress delivery a lot.

For those situations, we make the John Ryan Express, a two-sided handmade pocket spring mattress with 2250GSM of fillings and a 7-year guarantee, built for a much quicker turnaround. It’s £1,295 in king size.

Our outlet mattresses are the other route, because they’re already made and are usually ready to go sooner. If speed is what’s driving your search, give us a ring before you order, and we’ll tell you straight what can reach you and when and, more importantly, if that mattress is suitable for your sleeping style and requirements. There’s nothing worse than just getting a quick mattress that then, for the next 7-10 years, is a pain to sleep on!

We’ve written more about the risks of rushing this decision in our guide to mattresses delivered next day.

Boxed, rolled or flat: how your mattress travels

The way a mattress is delivered tells you a fair bit about what’s inside it. Bed-in-a-box mattresses are mostly foam, which can be squashed, vacuum-packed, and rolled small enough for one courier to drop at your front door.

That’s convenient, and it’s also why they’re so cheap to ship. You then get the job of dragging the box upstairs, cutting it open and waiting for it to expand, which we’ve covered step by step in unwrapping your new mattress. However, we have a pet peeve with boxed and crushed mattresses; that’s the failure rate. Most of the fibres, or even cheap foams, get damaged, and our tests have shown that even though they are quick, like some IKEA models, the chances of them being damaged and showing micro-tears are high. Also consider which mattress qualities and fibres can be vacuum-crushed? You wouldn’t want to do that to the finest British Wool or Alpaca fibres, would you!?

A pocket spring mattress packed with natural fibres is a different animal. Our mattresses travel flat and wrapped, because we wouldn’t want to roll a hand-tufted mattress full of Wool, Cotton and Horsehair into a tube after spending hours getting those fillings just right. Besides, they are too deep, heavy and lovely to ever be crushed. Most crushable mattresses have to be under 25cm, which then limits the very quality of the bed you can get as a ‘bed in a box’.

We have tried rolling test models, and we weren’t happy with what we found. Pocket springs don’t take kindly to being crushed under that sort of pressure, and the upholstery inside can shift out of place, which is why you’ll never see a quality spring mattress arrive in a box.

So if you’re weighing up a rolled mattress against one delivered flat, the difference goes well beyond how it arrives on your doorstep.

Two-man delivery to your room of choice

When you shop around, you’ll see three levels of delivery service. Kerbside means the driver leaves it at your door, threshold means it comes just inside, and two-man delivery means two people carry it to the room of your choice.

For a rolled foam mattress, kerbside is fine. For anything with springs and natural fillings, we’d always want two people to carry it to your bedroom, because a king-size handmade mattress can easily weigh 60kg, and it’s floppy, awkward, and far heavier than it looks. This is why you need to clear the hallway and stairs of your priceless Ming vase or any delicate pictures or fixtures that could get knocked. This is super important.

Every John Ryan delivery on the UK mainland is made by a two-man team who bring your mattress to whichever room you want it in. If you’ve ordered a bed or base too, they’ll assemble it and take all the packaging away, so you’re not wrestling cardboard into the recycling bin at midnight.

We pay top dollar for our courier service, and we expect them to handle your mattress the way John and Ryan would themselves.

How much does mattress delivery cost in the UK?

“Free delivery” is everywhere, and it’s worth asking what it actually includes. Sometimes it’s kerbside only, with room of choice as a paid extra, and sometimes the cost of delivery has simply been built into the price of the mattress.

We’d rather be upfront. We charge £40 for UK mainland delivery, which covers two people bringing it to your room of choice, and returns are free.

Some areas of Scotland and the Highlands can carry an extra charge, and we’ll let you know before you order. There’s a minimum order value of £200.

To put that £40 in context, our Origins Comfort is £890 in king size and our Artisan Naturals is £2,180 in king size. It’s a small slice of the price for knowing your mattress will be carried upstairs and set on your bed by people who do this every day.

Will your new mattress fit up the stairs?

This is the question we’d urge you to answer before you order, not on the morning of delivery. A king size mattress is 150cm wide and 200cm long, and while it can be carried on its side and flexed a little round a corner, a handmade spring mattress should never be folded.

Carried on its side, a king size mattress will go through a standard doorway without much fuss. Where we see problems is the tightest point on the way to your bedroom, which is usually a turn on the stairs, a low ceiling over a landing, or the door into a loft conversion.

So grab a tape measure and walk the route. If there’s a spot that makes you wince, measure it and tell us about it.

How heavy is a king size mattress?

Here’s what a few of our mattresses weigh in king size, alongside their king size prices:

• Origins Comfort: 40kg, £890
• Artisan Naturals: 58kg, £2,180
• Artisan Bespoke 004: 61kg, £2,860
• Artisan Sublime: 64kg, £5,160
• Artisan Latex: 65kg, £2,250

That weight is exactly why we send two people. It’s also worth knowing if you’ve got an ottoman bed, because most of the ottoman beds we come across have a maximum mattress weight of around 60kg, so check your lift mechanism can cope before a heavier mattress arrives.

You’ll find the weights for every size and model in our mattress sizes guide.

Tell us about awkward access

Flats without a decent lift, narrow lanes, nowhere for a van to park, a tight spiral staircase, a loft room with a small doorway. Tell us about any of it when you order, because we’d much rather plan for it than see your mattress come back on the van. I remember when John and I first started making our own mattresses when we started the business; we delivered ALL the mattresses ourselves. So we’ve seen it all in terms of awkward access issues, but still let our team know. Send up photos of the access, hall and bedroom if you are concerned. It’s always best to turn up knowing what we are dealing with!

If a delivery fails because of access we didn’t know about, we reserve the right to charge £85 to cover it, which nobody wants to pay. A five-minute phone call before you order to discuss access or tight spaces will help solve this.

If your access really is tight, one option we’d suggest looking at is a zip and link mattress, which is made as two halves that zip together on the bed. Each half is far easier to get round a tight turn, and we explain how they work in our zip and link mattress guide. An Origins Comfort zip and link is £1,070 in king size, compared with £890 for the standard king size.

Mattress delivery and removal of your old mattress

If you’re searching for mattress delivery and removal together, you’re doing the sensible thing. Getting rid of an old mattress yourself means finding a van, a tip slot or a council collection, and a king size mattress won’t go in most car boots (and we wouldn’t recommend trying).

We offer Eco Mattress Recycling for £60. Add it to your order and our delivery team take your old mattress away when they bring the new one.

Your old mattress then goes to a specialist recycling centre here in the UK, where it’s stripped back and each part is recycled into other products instead of going to landfill. Sadly, far too many old mattresses still end up in a hole in the ground.

Our advice is to book removal at the same time as your new mattress, and to have your old one stripped of its bedding and ready to go when the team arrive.

What to do before your mattress arrives

A bit of preparation makes delivery day far smoother for you and for the team carrying it. We’d work through these a few days before:

• Keep your old bed up until the new mattress is actually in the house, because traffic and breakdowns do occasionally push a delivery back.
• Give us every contact number you have, as the courier will ring you to arrange the date and again on the day.
• Clear the route to the bedroom, taking pictures off the stair walls and moving anything off the landing.
• Order extra deep fitted sheets now, before you need them.

That last one catches out more people than you’d think. A handmade natural fibre mattress is deeper than most high street mattresses, and your existing sheets probably won’t reach round the corners.

We advise every customer to buy extra deep fitted sheets before their mattress arrives. Our Extra Deep Fitted Pima Cotton Sheet is £55 in king size, and our 100% Cotton Quilted Mattress Protector is also £55 in king size, which we’d put on from the very first night.

If you want to know why depth varies so much, our mattress depth guide explains it, and there’s more on choosing sheets in how to choose a fitted sheet for a deep mattress.

What happens on delivery day

Once your mattress is ready, our courier will ring you directly to arrange a date that suits you. Deliveries run Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm, and you’ll get another call on the day itself.

The two-man team carry your mattress to the room you’ve chosen, unwraps it, sets it on your bed or base, assembles any bed or base you’ve ordered from us, and takes every bit of packaging away with them. If you’ve booked recycling, your old mattress leaves on the same van. So you can get on with enjoying dressing your bed with fabulous natural fibre bedding and planning your first night!

No matter how well it’s planned, things can occasionally go wrong on the road. Bad traffic is usually the culprit, and if a delivery has to be moved, you’ll hear from the courier. Our team are always on hand via phone and email if there are any hiccups at your end or ours.

What to check before the delivery team leave

Have a proper look before the team head off. Check the label shows the model, size and tension you ordered, look over the cover for any marks or tears, and make sure the mattress sits square on your base.

Use the side handles for positioning and turning the mattress, not for carrying its full weight. If anything isn’t right, mention it to the drivers and give us a ring that day on 0161 437 4419 so we can sort it out quickly.

Don’t panic if your new mattress looks deeper or feels firmer than you expected. The fillings settle as you sleep on it, and a pocket spring mattress usually takes two to three weeks to feel like yours.

We’ve covered the settling-in period, new mattress smells and when to start turning it in what to expect from your new mattress. Because ours are two-sided, turning is part of the deal, and we explain why in the no-turn mattress scam.

Returns, exchanges and your 60 day trial

Delivery doesn’t end the conversation. Every one of our mattresses comes with our 60 day love it or return it guarantee, so if it isn’t right for you, we’ll collect it free of charge on the UK mainland and give you a full refund or a one-time exchange to a different model.

We’d always suggest giving a new mattress those few weeks to settle before deciding, and ringing us early if something doesn’t feel right. Often a quick chat about how you’re sleeping tells us straight away whether an exchange is the answer.

One thing to know is that opened bedding, such as pillows and protectors, can’t be returned for hygiene reasons. If you’re not sure which bedding suits you, ask us before you order.

Where do we deliver?

We deliver across the UK mainland. At the moment we can’t deliver to Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man or the Isle of Wight, although we’re looking for couriers who can.

If you live somewhere we can’t reach, we can deliver your order to a UK port of your choice and you can arrange onward delivery from there. Just bear in mind that if you then use your 60 day guarantee, getting the mattress back to us would be at your own cost.

Mattress delivery FAQs

How long does mattress delivery take in the UK?

Stock and bed-in-a-box mattresses can arrive the next day. Made-to-order handmade mattresses take longer, and ours have a four week average lead time on most models, while our John Ryan Express (£1,295 in king size) and outlet mattresses are available sooner.

How much does mattress delivery cost?

It varies by retailer, and “free” delivery is often kerbside only. We charge £40 for two-man delivery to your room of choice on the UK mainland, returns are free, and some parts of Scotland and the Highlands can carry an extra charge.

Can I get my old mattress taken away when the new one is delivered?

Yes. Our Eco Mattress Recycling service costs £60, and the delivery team take your old mattress away on the same visit. It’s then stripped back and recycled here in the UK instead of going to landfill.

Will the delivery team carry my mattress upstairs?

With us, yes. Every UK mainland delivery is made by a two-man team who bring the mattress to the room of your choice, assemble any bed or base you’ve ordered, and take the packaging away.

Should I buy a rolled mattress because it’s easier to deliver?

We wouldn’t choose a mattress on how it’s delivered. Rolled mattresses are mostly foam, which is why they can be squashed into a box, whereas a natural fibre pocket spring mattress is delivered flat and built to be turned for years.

What if my mattress won’t fit up the stairs?

Measure the tightest turn on the route before you order and tell us about it. If access is very tight, a zip and link mattress made in two halves can help, and a failed delivery due to access we weren’t told about can carry an £85 charge.

Should I get rid of my old bed before the new mattress arrives?

No, we’d keep your old bed up until the new mattress is in the house. Traffic and other delays occasionally move a delivery, and you don’t want to be sleeping on the floor in the meantime.

Our final thoughts on mattress delivery

If you take one thing from this guide, make it this: sort out access, removal and fitted sheets before you order, and your delivery day will take about ten minutes. Pay for two people and a room of your choice on anything with springs in it, and don’t let the promise of a next day van decide which mattress you sleep on for the next several years.

If you’re unsure about timings, a tricky staircase or which of our mattresses would suit you, give our small, friendly team a call on 0161 437 4419 or drop us a message below. We’re always happy to talk it through before you buy.