How to buy a moving blanket by weight.
The trade specs a blanket by weight per dozen, not by adjectives. This guide is the weight classes, the seven tests that catch an underweight pad, the price ladder across sellers with dates, and when to buy.
Weight classes
Weight is the quality proxy: more fill means more cushion and a longer life. The second axis is the shell (woven survives daily use; non-woven felt snags and tears), the third is the fill (bonded batting over loose fiber). Standard size is 72 by 80 inches.
Each block is one weight class, in lb per dozen.
| Class, lb per dozen | A blanket | Shell | Fill | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 to 35, "skins" | 1.8 to 2.9 lb | non-woven | thin polyester | one move, sold with the job |
| 43 to 45, economy | 3.6 to 3.8 lb | non-woven | mixed fibers | budget DIY, dust covers |
| 54 to 65, standard | 4.5 to 5.4 lb | woven one side | recycled blend | rental trucks, light pro use |
| 75 to 85, professional | 6.3 to 7.1 lb | woven both sides | dense recycled batting | daily pro mover pads. Forty Foot Co. sells the 84 lb dozen |
| 90 to 95, supreme | 7.5 to 8 lb | woven polycotton | maximum-density batting | pianos, van lines |
Classes as published by the trade's buying guides and catalog pages, read 2026-08-01. Vendors publish pounds per dozen, not grams per square meter; a 7 lb pad works out to about 855 g/m2.
Seven tests for an underweight pad
The classic cheat is a "7 lb" pad that arrives at 5.5 lb. Every test below takes minutes and needs nothing more than a kitchen scale, a tape and a lighter.
- Weigh it. A claimed 7 lb pad should weigh at least 6.65 lb; five percent under is the limit. This catches the number one cheat in sixty seconds.
- Measure it. 72 by 80 inches finished, give or take an inch. Weight divided by 3.72 square meters gives grams per square meter.
- Count the quilting. Rows about 2 inches apart, 8 to 12 stitches per 3 inches. Tug across a row: skipped stitches open up.
- Check the binding. All four edges bound, corners double-stitched. Binding is the first thing to fail in daily use.
- Cut one open. The fill should be carded, bonded batting in a sheet, not dusty chunks of rag.
- Burn a tuft, outdoors, over a sink. Polyester melts to a hard bead with black smoke; cotton burns to soft gray ash. The result should match the fiber content on the sewn label.
- Rub and smell. A damp white cloth should pick up no dye, and the pad should smell of nothing.
The price ladder
Per blanket, across sellers and classes. Catalog prices run two to four times the bulk price for the same weight class, which is the whole reason to buy by the container's math rather than the catalog's.
Seller, with the class in lb per dozen beneath; the price is per blanket.
| Seller | Class, lb per dozen | Per blanket |
|---|---|---|
| Forty Foot Co., pickup | 84, woven both faces | $6.83 ($82 a dozen) |
| Forty Foot Co., delivered Baltimore to Washington | 84, woven both faces | $7.92 ($95 a dozen) |
| Trucking Depot, cheapest mid-range | 54 to 64, non-woven | $6.33 ($76 a dozen) |
| Uboxes, dozen packs | 35 to 65 | $7.06 to $10.28 |
| Cameron, pallet of 144 | about 80 | $10.48 |
| Trucking Depot, van and furniture pads | 78 to 93 | $10.50 to $11.33 |
| US Cargo Control, 12-packs | 43 to 95 | $12.33 to $24.17 |
| ULine, economy | 52 | $12 to $14 |
| ULine, standard | 76 | $17 to $19 |
| ULine, deluxe | 96 | $31 to $33 |
| New Haven, 72 lb line | 72 | $20.00 |
| New Haven Dreadnaught | 96 | $37.25 |
Observed on each seller's published pages on 2026-08-01; re-checked quarterly. Trade prices on invoice run below list. Whoever quotes you, ask for the weight per dozen next to the price.
When to buy
More than 60 percent of US moves happen from May to September, and fleets restock from March to May. Ocean freight from Asia is cheapest in the post-peak trough in October and after Chinese New Year in February, so a container bought in winter lands before the season at the lowest freight of the year. That is the calendar Forty Foot Co. runs on, and the reason to lock summer supply in the winter.
Movers in the corridor
Same-week delivery from Baltimore, or pickup at the dock. $82 and $95 a dozen at 84 lb, minus $3 from 25 dozen.
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