Guide
Moving blankets: buy, borrow or leave it to the movers
If a removalist is moving your furniture, you probably need no blankets at all: crews bring their own. If you are hiring a truck and doing it yourself, buy or borrow about one blanket per large piece of furniture. On 25 October 2026 a 1.8 × 2m moving blanket cost $10 to $16.87 at Mitre 10 and Bunnings.
Last checked 25 October 2026
Do I need moving blankets if I have booked movers?
Usually not. Removal crews arrive with a stack of their own blankets, plus wrap and straps, and pad every piece of furniture as part of the job. Buying your own for a professional move mostly means paying for something that sits in the hallway while the crew uses theirs.
The exception is anything you are moving yourself on the side, in the car or a trailer before or after the truck: the TV, a mirror, a good chair, the bike. That is where a blanket or two of your own earns its keep. Ask your removalist when you book whether blankets and wrap are included in the hourly rate, because the answer decides whether you need any.
What do moving blankets cost in NZ?
Most hardware-store moving blankets are about 1.8m by 2m, which covers a dresser, a fridge or the back of a couch. These are the prices listed online on 25 October 2026. Store prices and specials change, so check the retailer's page before you go.
| Retailer | Blanket | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitre 10 | Jobmate Moving Blanket, black | 2 × 1.8m | $10.00 |
| Bunnings | Wrap & Move Quilted Moving Blanket | 1.8 × 2m | $15.95 |
| Mitre 10 | Jobmate Blanket Movers Felt, grey | 1.8 × 2m | $16.68 |
| Bunnings | All Set Moving Blanket | 1.8 × 2m | $16.87 |
| Bunnings | Wrap & Move Premium Moving Blanket | 1.8 × 3.2m | $34.85 |
How many moving blankets do I need for a DIY move?
Count the large pieces that can scratch or be scratched: the couch, dining table, each chest of drawers, the fridge, the washing machine, bookcases, the bed head and anything with glass. Roughly one blanket per piece is a sensible starting point, with a couple spare for the gaps between items on the truck. A one-bedroom flat might get by with four to six; a family home with a full lounge and dining room needs more.
Mattresses are the exception. A blanket does not keep a mattress clean or dry; a plastic mattress cover does, and it is a lot cheaper. Small items do not need blankets either, because they should already be in boxes.
- Couch and armchairs: one each, more if the fabric is pale
- Dining table: one for the top, the legs off and bundled if they come off
- Chests of drawers and bedside tables: one each, drawers taped shut or emptied
- Fridge, washing machine and dryer: one each, mainly to protect the walls and the truck
- Mirrors, art and glass-fronted cabinets: a blanket plus a proper picture box if you have one
Buy, borrow or hire?
Buy if you move often, store furniture, or want the blankets afterwards: they turn up again as dog bedding, boot liners and drop sheets. The cheap ones are thinner felt and wear quickly; the quilted ones last longer and pad better, which matters more for polished timber than for a couch.
Borrow if you know anyone who has moved recently, has a trade ute, or runs a business that ships furniture. Moving blankets are one of the things people keep and never use again, and a few posts on a local community page often turns up a stack.
Hire if your truck or trailer hire company offers them with the vehicle. Some do, and it is the simplest option for a one-off move, because they come back with the van. Ask when you book the truck rather than on the morning.
If you are only moving a few pieces, old duvets, towels and bedspreads do the same job for nothing. Tie them on with stretch wrap or straps so they stay put on the trolley.
How do you use a moving blanket properly?
Wrap the piece fully, so no corner is exposed, then hold the blanket in place with stretch wrap, tape on the blanket (never on the furniture), or a strap. A blanket that slips off on the stairs protects nothing. Load the heaviest wrapped pieces against the front wall of the truck, stand mattresses and table tops on their edges, and tie everything to the rails as you go so nothing shifts on corners.
At the other end, unwrap in the room the piece is going to rather than at the door. Most scratches on a DIY move happen in the last ten metres, in hallways and doorframes, not on the road.
What about everything else?
Blankets protect furniture. Everything else in the house still has to go in boxes, taped and labelled, before the truck arrives. Our moving kits are sized by bedroom count and include the boxes, tape and paper for the whole house, so the only thing left to borrow is the blankets.
Sources
Moving soon? Tell us your house and we will size one kit for it, or ask for a removalist quote if you would rather not pack at all.