# why don't mattresses have handles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 7, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865 "2007-07-07T16:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cherylllr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cherylllr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cherylllr)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/1 "2007-07-07T16:10:33Z")
Well, maybe some do now. But my son and I are cleaning his room this morning, and getting his twin mattress out of the way was enough work that I’m catching my breath to ask the collective geniuses here - why was it such a pain? I seem to recall moving larger mattresses, when moving, without handles too. Cheryl ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/2 "2007-07-07T16:45:37Z")
My mattress has handles. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/3 "2007-07-07T16:46:19Z")
Every mattress I’ve ever owned has had handles. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/4 "2007-07-07T16:48:50Z")
IME, most do; some don’t. A lot of the time, I’ll find on older mattresses that they’ve broken off over the years, but you can clearly see the eyelets where they were attached. It seems to me that the smaller mattresses are more likely not to have them. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/5 "2007-07-07T17:17:59Z")
We’ve bought two new mattresses in the last year, one queen and one full sized, neither has handles. All our old decrepit ones did, though. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/6 "2007-07-07T17:21:46Z")
They do, it’s just that they are of next to no use. As a mind greater than mine once said, “It’s not the weight, it’s the awkwardity!” You can move a mattress a number of ways, none of which is helped any by the handles. I’m an expert mover, having done it dozens of times for myself and friends. Fridge? No problem. Washing machine? No problem? Even a freakin’ PIANO… No problem. But mattresses suck righteously. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/7 "2007-07-07T18:09:43Z")
I’ve always heard you aren’t supposed to lift the mattress by those handles. Tip #15 from [here, a site on mattress care](http://www.mattress.com/Howdidyousleeplastnight/Mattresscare.aspx) agrees with me. This site on [mattress care](http://www.mattresssmart.com/mattresscareinstructions.htm) agrees, also. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/8 "2007-07-07T18:28:34Z")
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress] I’ve always heard you aren’t supposed to lift the mattress by those handles. [/QUOTE] That’s apparently because the handles aren’t usually designed for lifting the mattress, but rather for rotating it end-for-end: [ > [@](#): > > Most mattress handles are only for rotating mattresses on their foundations. Lifting or dragging mattresses by the handles may damage the fabric. One exception is the Sealy Posturepedic® Crown Jewel® with sewn-in handles that won’t pull out. ]([http://www.sealyme.com/6.htm](http://www.sealyme.com/6.htm)) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/9 "2007-07-07T22:25:41Z")
There should be a great explanation with diagrams in the tag attached to the mattress. What? Don’t tell me you removed the tag. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/10 "2007-07-07T22:54:57Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] There should be a great explanation with diagrams in the tag attached to the mattress. What? Don’t tell me you removed the tag. [/QUOTE] You mean you are not supposed to carry them by the TAG? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-mattresses-have-handles/410865/11 "2007-07-08T12:01:12Z")
Mattress handles come in handy. 😉