Shipping Oversized and Curved Mattresses: Superyacht Cabins, Villas and OOG Cargo

Quick answer: A standard container accepts mattresses up to roughly 2.35 m wide and 2.4–2.69 m long depending on the box, which covers nearly all residential sizes but not every bespoke one. When a mattress is longer, wider, curved, round or rigid, the options are vacuum compression (if the construction allows), a flat rack or open-top container, LCL, or break-bulk — each with its own documentation and lashing requirements. For yacht and villa projects, the constraint is usually not the ship but the cabin door and stairwell.

1. First, check whether it actually is oversized

Most "oversized" mattress enquiries are not. Measure the packed dimensions, not the finished product, against the container's internal clear opening.

Indicative internal dimensions (nominal; varies by container age and operator) — the same figures used in our container loading calculator:

The door, not the interior, is what rejects cargo. A 2.40 m wide mattress does not fit a 2.35 m interior — and a 2.30 m wide one may still fail the 2.34 m door once it is inside a crate.

Oversized triggers:

• Width above roughly 2.30 m packed.
• Length above 12 m packed (rare for mattresses, common for sectional bases).
• Height above door height, where the item cannot be tilted.
• Rigid curvature or a circular plan that cannot be compressed or nested.
• Non-stackable items that waste the container's cubic capacity even when they physically fit.

2. Vacuum compression: the cheapest oversized solution

For foam-core, fibre-filled and pocket-spring constructions, vacuum compression reduces volume by roughly 60–70 % and turns a "won't fit" problem into a standard container.

What to confirm before relying on it:

If compression is not acceptable, move to OOG options.

3. Flat rack, open top and break-bulk

All OOG movements require the same extra layer: an out-of-gauge declaration, carrier approval, a stowage plan, and a lashing/securing plan. Some ports and some vessels simply cannot take OOG on a given service — confirm before you quote the client.

Air freight, where it is used, is priced on chargeable weight rather than actual weight, and a mattress is almost entirely volume; our guide to chargeable weight calculation shows how the figure is derived.

4. Crating and protecting a curved mattress

Soft goods fail in transit for mechanical reasons, not customs reasons:

• Custom cradle or plywood case that matches the curvature, so the piece is supported along its shape rather than resting on two points.
• ISPM 15 heat-treated timber for any solid-wood crate; untreated wood is refused at destination.
• Moisture barrier inside the crate, not outside. A sealed outer wrap traps condensation against the fabric; the barrier belongs between the product and the crate lining.
• Centre-of-gravity and lifting-point marks on the case, plus weight on all four faces.
• No stacking unless the crate is designed for it — mark and enforce it.
• Photograph the packing before closing. For a bespoke piece, the packing photo set is the only evidence that the damage did not exist at origin.

For natural-fibre constructions, add desiccant and follow the moisture controls in our guide to shipping natural-fiber mattresses.

5. The yacht constraint: cabin access, not container size

Superyacht mattress projects fail at the last metre. The mattress fits the container, the container reaches the yard, and then the piece cannot enter the cabin.

Check before production, not before shipping:

1. Cabin door clear width and height, measured with the door removed if the yard will remove it.
2. Stairwell and companionway geometry — the tightest turn, not the widest point.
3. Lift or hatch access, including any temporary opening the yard can create.
4. Split design — many yacht mattresses are built in two halves with a joining system precisely because the cabin cannot accept a single unit.
5. Delivery sequence — a mattress delivered before the cabin is finished gets stored on board, where humidity and dust are worst.

Marine environments add a second problem: humidity. A yacht in the Mediterranean summer, or a cabin under fit-out with wet trades working, is a high-humidity environment. Moisture-barrier packaging should stay on until the cabin is closed and climate control is running.

Customs treatment for yacht goods depends on the vessel's status — new-build, in service, or in a yard for refit. Goods for a yacht under construction are normally imported into the yard's country; spares for a vessel in transit may qualify for temporary admission. Confirm the status with the agent before shipping, because it changes the documentation set.

6. Insurance and value declaration

OOG and bespoke cargo is where under-declaration hurts most:

• Declare the real commercial value. A bespoke curved mattress has no replacement on the shelf; a total loss means a new production cycle, not a reorder.
• All-risks cover, not carrier liability only. Carrier liability is limited by convention and rarely covers the full value.
• Photograph and document at packing, at loading, at transhipment if visible, and at delivery. See our cargo damage evidence checklist.
• Note the securing method on the shipping documents. If a claim arises, the lashing plan is part of the defence.

7. Timeline for a bespoke project

For a yacht with a hard delivery window, the realistic lever is to ship earlier, not to ship faster. Air freight for a single oversized piece is usually possible but expensive; it is a recovery measure, not a plan. Lane choice and carrier acceptance for this kind of cargo are covered in our guide to industry-specific China shipping.

8. What to send us for a quote

To price an oversized or curved mattress movement accurately, we need:

• Packed dimensions and gross weight per piece
• Whether compression is permitted
• Number of pieces and whether they can stack
• Curvature or plan drawing, where relevant
• Origin factory and destination address, including floor and lift access
• Required delivery date and any installation window
• Declared value for insurance

Send the drawings and dimensions and we will confirm whether it sails in a standard box, a flat rack, or needs break-bulk.

Q: What is the widest mattress that fits a standard container?
A: Roughly 2.30 m packed, limited by the 2.34 m door and the 2.35 m interior. Anything wider needs a flat rack or open-top.

Q: Can a curved mattress be vacuum compressed?
A: Only if the construction allows it and recovers to the specified shape. Rigid cores and hand-tufted fibre constructions often cannot, which pushes the shipment to OOG.

Q: How are superyacht mattresses usually shipped?
A: Often in two halves, vacuum-packed where possible, crated, and delivered to the yard in sequence with the cabin fit-out. The cabin door and stairwell, not the container, set the design.

Q: Do I need special documents for OOG cargo?
A: Yes: an out-of-gauge declaration, carrier approval, a stowage and lashing plan, and often destination road permits for the last mile.

Q: Is air freight realistic for an oversized mattress?
A: For a prototype or a single replacement, yes. For a project, the volumetric weight usually makes it a recovery cost rather than a planned option.

Container dimensions, carrier OOG acceptance and customs treatment of yacht goods vary by operator, port and vessel status. Confirm with your forwarder before production release.