Best Moving Blankets & Pads

With a simple Google search of “moving blankets” you’ll be greeted by an endless sea of different moving blanket styles, colors, and prices. Picking the right ones for your move can be daunting, so in this article we’ll breakdown which are the best for your move and your budget.

Does it really matter?

Does it really matter? They all do the same thing, right? Wrong. While the rental truck salesman might be trying to convince you that their moving pads are just as good as any other  moving pad—think again. While nuanced, the differences are very important to distinguish. The most premium of moving blankets are woven. Woven moving blankets are the most durable and the most protective. Any respectable moving company will predominantly use woven moving blankets to protect your belongings. The next tier down is non-woven moving pads. Non-woven moving pads are made of rolls of polyester similar to that of drainage fabric. It is not a truly “woven” fabric, in a textile sense, and can easily be torn. This isn’t to downplay their benefit though especially for a budget-minded consumer. The last tier is raw or “skin” moving blankets. These are simply just pads made of recycled materials pressed into a pad-like shape. These are the moving blankets / pads offered by most rental truck companies. While useful, skin pads are not equal in the level of protection to that of either a non-woven nor a woven moving blanket.

Old moving blankets make for perfect floor protection for your home DIYing.

Skin Moving Blankets

Let us start our moving blanket breakdown with “raw” skin moving blankets  / pads. As mentioned previously, these are the moving blankets that a particular “haul it yourself” rental truck company will offer as “moving protection”. Now don’t get me wrong – they’re better than nothing, but depending on what you’re trying to protect they might not be many more steps better than “nothing”. The biggest issue with skin moving pads is they’re very thin and very prone to sheering. Don’t plan to set anything on top of an article with just one skin draped over it or the piece on top is sure to dig through the skin and into your furniture.

It’s not all negatives for skin moving blankets / pads though! They make for excellent padding in a low friction setting. An example would be wrapping bedframe boards that are all strapped together to the truck’s wall in skins. The boards, if strapped properly, will have minimal movement and therefore wrapping each board in a skin instead of a woven or a non-woven blanket saves you space and money. Each board wrapped in a thick woven moving blanket would eat up precious truck space.

Non-woven Moving Blankets

Next, lets take a look at non-woven moving blankets / pads. These blankets are made from polyester sheets (akin to drainage fabric) that is sewn to multiple layers of padding. The padding is usually made from the skin moving blankets. So if the non-woven blankets are made from the skin pads, why use the non-woven blankets over the skin pads? The asnwer is for durability and protection. The non-woven pads outer layer will keep the skin pad intact for longer which will increase the pads lifespan. Also, the blankets usually are made out of multiple layers of padding. This means that a more premium non-woven blanket may be two or even three skin pads thick! The thicker the better!

But it’s not all positive for non-woven pads. The non-woven pads outermost layer is prone to tearing. Which means you might only get a couple of moves out of them before they’re worthless. Similarly to skin pads, non-woven moving blankets are just not going to last that long. If you’re the type of person to move themselves frequently, spending money on more premium pads might just be the better option.

Left is woven, middle is non-woven, and right is raw or a “skin” moving blanket.

Final thoughts on “budget” blankets

While both non-woven and skin moving blankets are a perfect option for a budget-minded mover, it’s always a good idea to keep the price/value and the longevity of the blanket in mind. While you may save 50% now buying more “budget” padding, if you’re the type of person to move yourself often, spending a little more now on moving blankets that last may be the better option. 

Woven Moving Blankets

The holy grail is woven moving blankets. They are made of woven cotton or cotton/poly blends. This ensures that the pads are thick and durable for any size job. Their woven construction also means that they can last a very long time. Here at Easy Moves, we have moving blankets that have been on thousands of moves with little to no sign of wear. Also, most woven moving pads are machine washable! A non-woven or a skin moving blanket is sure to tear in a washer. Woven moving blankets are the best option if sheer protection is your goal, but it does come at a steep price of around $18/pad on average.

The biggest drawbacks to using woven moving pads is they are costly and can be cumbersome. Their cumbersome nature can make it hard to wrap them around furniture without proper equipment (shrinkwrap, rubber bands, etc.) or technique. Unless you plan to start a moving company or move every couple of years—woven moving pads are hard to recommend to the average user.

Properly padded and shrink wrapped furniture should look similar to this.

What does Easy Moves recommend?

There is no wrong answer for choosing moving blankets for your move. Your decision should be based on your budget and your future use of the blankets. If you’re moving into your dream home chances are you wont be moving anytime soon, right? So you don’t need premium blankets that will survive multiple moves. If your career requires constant relocation then maybe a more premium blanket may pay dividends. Lastly, if you’re using a moving service they should provide the blankets, so you don’t have to worry! If you need assistance deciding what moving pads work best for your situation call us at (205) 434-1615. Not using our moving services? Doesn’t matter! We’re here to help, so give us a call today!

Need professional movers? We got your covered! Get an estimate today by filling out our contact form or calling us at (205) 434-1615!