There are a lot of moving supply lists out there. As a result, it might be difficult for you to decide what items you really need—or even to know what the items on the list are! Many of these lists include furniture pads, otherwise known as moving blankets. Here, we’ve put together a helpful guide to moving blankets to help you better understand what they are and how to use them.
Table of Contents
Definition
Moving blankets are heavy-duty, cushioned pieces of fabric used to protect items with sensitive surfaces. They are also referred to as “moving pads” or “furniture pads” and are often made from polyester and cotton.
Pro Tip: Blankets vs. Skins
Although moving blankets, furniture pads, and moving pads are all the same item, “moving skins”—or “skins”—are not. Skins, as their name suggests, are much thinner, which means they offer less protection. They may prevent surface scratches on some of your items, but they are not heavy-duty.
Purpose
Do you really need a moving blanket? The short answer to this question is yes. Professional movers work extensively with moving blankets, which can be used in many ways. Here are some of their uses.
Dust Protection
Moving blankets are great for protecting your items from dust, especially in the moving truck, since they act as a second skin for your furniture and appliances. Even if your fridge is sitting next to a dirty outdoor furniture set, the fridge can remain dust-free and run smoothly.
Transport Safety
One of the biggest upsides of moving blankets is that they provide added protection to your items. Beyond preventing scratching, they also help fill empty space, decreasing moving and shifting that can cause nicks and scratches.
Moving Aid
Moving blankets can also help you transport things from one end of your house to the other. Movers often recommend folding the moving blankets and placing your heavier boxes, space heaters, small furniture items, etc. on top.
Using your furniture pads as transportation is easy. First, place the items you wish to transport on top of the moving blanket. Next, decide if you are going to push or pull the items. Then, you can swiftly and safely slide them across your carpeted or hardwood floors without damaging the items or the floor itself.
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How To Find
Typically, people who are moving buy moving pads. However, renting them is also an option. And, in a real pinch, you can use a substitute.
Buying Moving Pads
Moving blankets can be purchased at many stores. Some common retailers include:
- Lowes (about $20–30)
- Home Depot (about $15–25)
- Harbor Freight (about $5–15)
- Amazon (about $20–40)
- Walmart (about $20–30)
Renting Moving Pads
Some companies do offer the option to rent moving blankets. If you are planning to move to your forever home, or want to move cheaply or sustainably, then renting moving blankets may be an economical option for you.
Some places that offer furniture pads for rent include U-Haul (prices start at $5 for 6 furniture pads of standard size), Budget, and Penske. You will need to call your local office for exact rental information and pricing.
Rentable furniture pads have been used many times. This means that they may not be in perfect condition, and, in some cases, have snags or tears that may not protect your furniture fully.
Substituting Moving Pads
If you don’t want to add the expense of buying or renting moving pads to your moving budget, luckily, there are alternatives. For smaller items, you can protect them with bubble wrap, or more eco-friendly alternatives like honeycomb paper.
For larger items, take stock of your house. If you have thick blankets such as comforters, towels, or even sheets, you can use these to wrap your items. You won’t get the same protection that a heavy-duty moving blanket would provide, but you can still spare your possessions from smaller scratches and dust this way.
How To Use
Moving blankets are easy to use. First, decide which items you would like to cover. Next, fully cover the piece of furniture with the blanket. Then, tape around the blanket to make sure it stays secured over your item throughout transport.
An additional recommendation is to wrap the outside of the moving blanket in plastic wrap. This will help protect the blankets from water damage if you’re moving on a rainy day. It will also help better secure the blankets around the furniture.
After The Move
After the move, you may be wondering what to do with your furniture pads. You have a few options, from selling them to donating them to creatively repurposing them.
Selling
With 10–15% of Americans moving each year, you’re likely to find a market for your lightly used moving supplies. You can use platforms like Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace to find a buyer.
Donating
Besides selling your moving blankets, another option is to donate them. Stores such as the Salvation Army or Goodwill may accept them as donations. Alternatively, consider giving them to an organization like the Humane Society to be used as bedding for animals. Lastly, if you ask around, you can probably find someone else to give them to.
Repurposing Ideas
Moving blankets have a variety of creative uses after the move. Some of these uses involve hanging them. If you plan to hang your moving blankets, consider buying blankets with eyelets or grommets (types of reinforced holes). These holes will make hanging much easier.
Redecorating Protection
When you decide to personalize your new home, you can use moving pads as furniture or appliance covers during painting and redecorating.
Seat Protectors
Moving blankets can serve as seat covers to protect the upholstery of your car from cuts, spills, and sun damage. They are also great seat protectors for people who have pets.
The next vet visit will be a breeze when you know that your seats will remain scratch-free from fur baby paws. If you’re planning on making your move with your pet, be sure to check out our tips on how to move with your fur best friend.
Soundproofing
Additionally, they can help soundproof your room or your new home office from distractions and Zoom interruptions. Placing them over doors, filling in the spaces between the doorframe and the carpet, etc. will help reduce the noise coming in and out of your workspace. It can also help you make a DIY soundproof recording studio if you decide to pick up a new hobby.
How Many Do I Need?
People often wonder how many moving blankets they will need for a move. A good rule of thumb is to have one blanket for every item you intend to wrap.
Pro Tip: Determining The Number
The easy way? Use our furniture pad calculator.
The slightly harder way? First, grab a pen and paper. Next, walk through your home, decide what you want to wrap, and write it down. Then, tally up all of your items.
Note that larger items, such as dining room tables, headboards, large bookshelves, etc. may need two or three blankets to be fully covered. Plan accordingly!
Conclusion
We’ve covered a lot of ground! Now you know that moving blankets are heavy-duty moving supplies that can help protect your items from nicks and dust. You can buy them or rent them, or use substitutes in a real pinch. They’re easy to use, and after the move, there are ample options for selling, donating, or repurposing your moving pads.
FAQs
Moving blankets are heavy-duty, cushioned pieces of fabric used to protect items with sensitive surfaces throughout transport. Beyond protecting surfaces from scratching or dents, they have a variety of other uses.
Most importantly, moving blankets can protect items from nicks, scratches, and dust. In addition, you can use them to push and pull heavy items.
Old blankets are not recommended as a substitute unless you really don’t want to use moving blankets. Regular blankets may protect your items from some scratches; however, they typically aren’t heavy-duty enough to provide greater protection to your furniture from the nicks and pokes that may happen during transport. They may not be long enough, or thick enough, to provide your furniture with an even amount of all-around protection.
Moving blankets are very versatile. They can be used to protect practically any item in your house, including dressers, nightstands, bookcases, refrigerators, TVs, couches, chairs, patio sets, grills, large space heaters, dining room tables, armoires, and pianos.
Aubrey graduated from UCLA in 2019 with dual degrees in English and Psychology, as well as receiving a concentration in Fiction Creative Writing. Her writing can be found at Locale Magazine, UCLA's MindWell pod, HerCampus, Westwind, and Bloody Donuts. Aubrey currently lives in Los Angeles with her orange tabby cat, Bowie, and spends her free time reading anything she can get her hands on and soaking up the golden California sun. You can find her hiking the Laguna trails, making jewelry, or exploring the local library.
Sophie Pollack-Milgate has a day job as a research assistant. In her free time, she likes to read 10% of the library books she checks out, complain about how either ice or heat are ruining her runs (depending on the season), and modify recipes beyond recognition.
