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Home / Elevator & Vertical Transport

Freight vs Passenger Elevator for Furniture

Cab depth and door height decide whether a sofa or mattress rides up. Enter your item to see whether a passenger cab works or you need the freight.

Trusted across thousands of fit checks · updated daily
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Fit summaryFIG. CLEARANCE

The trap is a cab that takes the item through the door but is too shallow to turn it. Enter your piece to see whether the passenger cab works or the freight is required.

6 ft33 in+12 in tightest
Embed this diagram
The spacePassenger cab: ~5 ft x 4 ft, 36 to 42 in door. Freight: larger, taller door, higher capacity
What decides itItem dimensions and weight vs. cab depth, door height, ceiling, and posted capacity
What to measureMeasure each piece, including height for diagonal loading

Real openings run about 1 to 2 inches under the labeled size, and a single inch can flip the result. Check your own measurements before you buy or move.

ReferenceFurniture DimensionsElevator GuideElevator Dimensions
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Verdicts compare all six item orientations against the space using verified building standards. See our methodology

10,000+ fit checks run·Last check: a few minutes ago

“Showed the delivery guy the measurements. He agreed — we used the freight elevator instead.” — Apartment dweller

Measure smart

What to measure.

Four numbers decide nearly every fit check. Get these right and the rest follows.

  1. 01Cab interior depth and width, since a piece must rotate inside, not just pass the door
  2. 02Door opening height and width, the first gate the item must clear
  3. 03Cab ceiling height for items that must stand upright or ride diagonally
  4. 04Item and helper weight against the posted cab capacity

Don't make these

Common mistakes.

Most “it didn't fit” stories trace back to one of these oversights.

  1. ⚠Checking only the door and forgetting the cab must be deep enough to rotate the item
  2. ⚠Assuming any building has a freight elevator, when many residential towers do not
  3. ⚠Not reserving the freight elevator and the loading dock window in advance
  4. ⚠Ignoring the cab weight limit when moving a safe, piano, or stacked appliances

Frequently asked

Questions we keep getting.

  • What is the difference between a freight and passenger elevator for moving?

    A passenger cab is about 5 by 4 ft with a 36 to 42 in door and a roughly 7 ft ceiling, sized for people. A freight elevator is deeper and taller with a wider, taller door and a higher weight limit, built for furniture, appliances, and carts.

    01
  • Will a sofa fit in a passenger elevator?

    Often yes. A standard sofa fits in a passenger cab if it can angle diagonally inside, which needs both a clear door and enough cab depth. A long sectional or a deep sofa frequently needs a freight elevator instead.

    02
  • Will a queen mattress fit in a passenger elevator?

    A queen mattress (60 by 80 in) usually fits in a passenger cab stood on edge and angled across the cab diagonal, as long as the door height and cab depth allow it to tilt in. A boxed mattress is harder than one that flexes.

    03

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Measured from real ItemFits checks

ItemFits fit data

Across real fit checks on itemfits.com, the measurement most likely to block this kind of space was the elevator doorway, decisive in 27 checks.

See the data: What stops things fitting

Based on real fit checks run on itemfits.com. When exact measurements are not given, ItemFits estimates typical dimensions, and items are modeled as rigid rectangular boxes tested across orientations.

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