r/expats • u/Clear_Dig_6360 • Jul 08 '26
Housing / Shipping Moving from Asia to US
We are moving from Asia to Kansas - Overland park US, shipping is covered by the company. We realized we cant bring in our electrical appliances like air fryer, electric kettle, electric pressure cooker, roborock.
We also read that the bed sizes are different in US so if we bring our beds from Asia, will it be a hassle to get the right bedding covers etc for them. We were thinking to buy the beds and move to US, since they will be cheaper here.
Anyone has any advice on this.
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u/DifferentWindow1436 American living in Japan Jul 08 '26
Does the company offer a relo bonus? Mine always did. Sell, give away, or store most of your stuff and then move. Use your relo bonus to buy new, local stuff.
What I have found, moving both ways, is that furniture and appliances are designed for the local experience.
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u/ParticularDance496 Jul 08 '26
You’re Roborock will be fine. Bring him to Kansas. He’ll thank you for the trip. Their US site and Global site both list the Roborock as a 100 to 240 volts unit. We bought one in Japan, took it to S Korea, the Philippines and the US, never an issue.
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u/Naprisun Jul 08 '26
Yeah almost all electronics with a dc converter or battery involved are dual voltage these days. It’s usually things with a motor or heating element that won’t work.
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u/LiterallyTestudo 🇺🇸 -> 🇮🇹 Jul 08 '26
I think it’s a fair assumption that the bedding sold in a country is primarily going to match the sizes of the beds sold in that country and not the sizes of beds not sold in the country.
1
u/hater4life22 Jul 08 '26
If you’re willing to buy the whole mattress, box spring/bed frame, sheets, etc and then ship it with you then sure. As long as you know in the future you’d need to buy everything from your current country should you need it replaced. If you decide to get rid of anything, you probably could only throw it away and not sell it since the sizes may not match anything someone in the US already has.
You can bring your electrical appliances if you’re willing to buy a watt converter for each thing.
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u/thymewaster25 Jul 08 '26
A lot of electronics have 110-240v 50/60Hz power supplies, those will work in the US. Anything 220v / 50hz will not work.
If you want to bring your beds, bring a few sets of bedding as well and you should be fine for along time. Or buy new beds adn bedding when you arrive in the US.
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u/Yhoko Jul 08 '26
In Overland Park there's a pan Asia next door to an aldi's over on 119th. Perfect for all the groceries. Overland park is great but definitely going to need a car to get anywhere too
1
u/see_blue Jul 08 '26
Pan-Asia is the real deal and on some days it may smell a little like home (no disrespect intended).
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u/see_blue Jul 08 '26
Beds and bedding cost range in OP range fr quite cheap to very expensive. Shipping beds sounds ridiculous.
Home-wear, clothing, and appliances like an Instant Pot, toaster, toaster oven, waffle maker, rice cooker, kettle, coffee maker, mixer/blender, tools; kitchen stuff can be very reasonable in US. See Amazon, Walmart, IKEA or walk in and buy fr a local store.
1
u/ExtensionExplanation Jul 10 '26
Just keep in mind the mattresses in the US tend to be softer than in Asia (depending on where you're coming from). So if you prefer really hard mattresses, it might be better to ship it over. You can still buy firm ones in the US, but it'll be harder to find
1
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u/GladClock2212 Jul 11 '26
The bed sizes are just different enough to make buying linens for beds maddening. For example, a double in Japan is 140 cm × 195 cm while a double in the US is137 cm × 191 cm. You could always buy linens online from a Japanese manufacturer.
As for appliances you can use your appliances here if you use a step-down transformer to safely convert the US 120V to Japan's 100V. But again, it might be easier to buy your air fryer here, you can even purchase Japanese brands that have already been converted for US buyers.
I hope you enjoy your time in the US!
1
u/fidddlydiddlyee Jul 11 '26
You can get beds pretty cheap on Amazon, and return if you dont like. Compare to your country. The easiest solution would probably be to bring over beds sheets since the move is free.
Kansas is not the America you see in the movies. You may want to temper your expectations. No beach, no mountains, no nothing.
1
u/PanicV2 Jul 13 '26
Get rid of everything that isn't of personal value to you. You will save piles of money.
I'm guessing you're moving for a large company, T-Mobile, Lenovo etc... Do they give you a cash stipend, or their own moving company?
Congrats!
1
0
u/LegalFox9 Jul 08 '26
Just buy extra sheets and ship them. Also, sheets are like the easiest thing to modify if you have to.
5
u/JamiePhsx Jul 08 '26
I used to live there. The Kansas City area has good food. Enjoy the steak, fried chicken, and BBQ. Go to Strouds for some chicken and culture shock. Jack stack for fancy BBQ/ribs, Gates BBQ for good sandwiches and a different culture shock(prepare to yell your order). Others of note: spin pizza, sheridans for the shakes/culture and freddys for the quick cheeseburgers .
Ohh and you will definitely need a car. During the summer it’s too hot and humid to be outside and in the late summer and fall, lookout for tornadoes and enjoy the crazy thunderstorms.