As Spring approaches, so does moving season, a time when millions of American families and businesses pack up their belongings and relocate to new destinations across the country. Nearly 60% of the annual move in the United States takes place from May to August, making this the busiest time of year for moving companies, storage facilities, and do-it-yourself movers.

Why Use Moving Blankets?

Also known as moving pads or furniture pads, moving blankets are an essential tool used to protect furniture, appliances, and home furnishings from damage during transportation and storage.

Important Factors to Consider

The most critical factors to consider when purchasing moving blankets include the following:

·     Protection Rating

·     Moving Distance

·     Repeat Use

·     Colors

·     Colorfast

·     Branding

·     Ordering

·     Pricing

Protection Rating

We categorize the protection rating of our moving blankets based on the following items:

·     Jacket Materials

·     Binding Materials

·     Batting Materials

·     Stitching

·     Weight

Jacket Materials

·     Outer Jacket

·     Inner Jacket

We construct our moving blankets with the following jacket materials:

·     Woven Fabric

·     Non-Woven Fabric

·     Cotton Batting

Woven Fabric

Woven fabrics may include 100% polyester or a blend of polyester and cotton. Our woven fabric consists of strands of material weaved together throughout the blanket in a crisscross pattern to form a tight, durable, and sometimes semi-water-repellent outer jacket for the blanket. Our professional-grade moving blankets use 100% woven fabric or a combination of woven and non-woven fabric materials. Woven blankets tend to be higher in quality and durability because the weaving process they go through adds more strength to the materials used in the weave.

Recommended Use-Case

·     Professional Moving Companies

·     Professional Delivery Companies

·     Furniture Retailers

·     Long Distance Moves

·     Repeat Use

Suppose you are a professional mover or a do-it-yourself mover on a long-haul trip. In that case, we highly suggest a woven moving blanket, either from our premium moving blankets or heavy-duty moving blankets categories. These blankets offer maximum protection. Blankets in these categories are designed to protect your valuables from damage, scuffs, and scratches in some of the most demanding situations.

Non-Woven Fabric

Economy and single-use moving pads feature non-woven polyester fabric. While non-woven also uses polyester as the base, the process of making the jacket material involves superheating the materials in one large piece, causing the molecules in the polyester to bond together. This process creates a less durable but more cost-effective alternative to woven moving blankets.

Recommended Use-Case

·     DIY Movers

·     Startup Moving Companies

·     In-State Moves

·     Storage

·     Utility Application

These blankets are also commonly used for dust/debris protection for furniture and valuables in storage. Since they don't hold up as well during the hustle and bustle of a long-haul move, we recommend non-woven blankets, such as those in our standard blankets and light-duty blankets categories, to perform these tasks.

Cotton Batting

Our lowest-priced moving pads are the ProSkin series moving blankets. ProSkin pads use filler material that the rest of our blankets use and are ideal for one-time use. They are the most affordable but do not hold up for serious moving needs.

Recommended Use-Case

·     DIY Movers

·     In-Town Moves

·     Storage

·     Home Improvement Projects

Binding Materials

The binding material is used to stitch the blanket together.

Batting Materials

Batting is the material used to fill up the blankets. All our blankets have 100% recycled cotton batting. If some of the batting begins to show, it will not scratch or hurt any of the valuables the blanket is covering. Recycled cotton batting combined with a zig-zag stitch pattern guarantees the inside materials will not shift during use.

Stitching

The most durable and commonly used stitching style is a "zig-zag" pattern, which every blanket in our catalog has stitching uses. We make sure to sell blankets with a zig-zag stitch pattern to ensure that even our economy and light-duty pads can stand up to daily wear and tear. The design of the seam can make a big difference in the durability of the moving blanket.

Weight

We measure the weight of moving blankets as Pounds Per Dozen. Generally, the heavier the moving blanket, the higher quality it is. Much of the durability/quality comes from the jacket material.

Which Moving Blanket Is Right for You?

Now that you know the most critical pieces of a moving blanket let's look at which of our blankets fits your needs. Our customers typically fall into one of the following categories:

·     Professional Moving or Delivery

·     Startup Moving or Delivery

·     Consumer DIY Long-Distance Move

·     Consumer Storage/Utility

Professional Moving or Delivery

We recommend using our ProSeries ProWrap or ProFormer premium moving blankets; built for the professional and long-haul movers. The ProWrap™ and ProFormer™ feature 100% polyester woven material and a 100% woven trim complete with zig-zag lock stitching and four finished corners. The ProWrap™ is our heaviest blanket, weighing 80-85lbs per dozen, making it the most durable blanket in our inventory. The ProFormer™ is our second heaviest blanket, weighing 75-80lbs per dozen, and is slightly less expensive than our ProWrap™. Both blankets offer maximum protection and suitable for repeated use.

Startup Moving or Delivery

Our heavy-duty and standard categories offer professional-grade pads for lower-volume startups and small businesses.

Consumer DIY Long-Distance Move

Our standard category is an excellent choice for long-distance moves.

Consumer Storage/Utility

For those who need storage protection, we recommend our ProSeries ProStorage blanket. This economical pad provides stationary protection such as furniture left in a storage unit. With a non-woven jacket, zig-zag lock stitching, and 100% recycled cotton batting, the ProStorage protects your assets during one-way moves or while in storage.

For utility applications, we recommend our ProSeries ProCamo blankets. These unique, camo-patterned blankets work as moving pads, picnic blankets, or ground cover. With the 100% polyester woven jacket and zig-zag double-lock stitching, and a machine-washable design, the ProSeries ProCamo blanket is one of our most versatile pads.

Additional Information

United One Source is a specialty distributor of moving and delivery equipment. We offer quality products at competitive prices and customized solutions tailored to your business needs. For more information on our moving blankets, please contact us at 1-800-338-6679.