Table of Contents
There are a number of reasons why you would be curious as to how much a piano weighs. Perhaps you’re getting ready to move or you’re looking at purchasing one.
Whatever the reason, I thought it would be wise to give you a breakdown of what the average piano weighs. There are definitely a couple of things to consider with this question, however, I have averaged out 7 upright pianos(new and old), and 7 grand pianos(including baby grands).
Keep in mind that this is only 14 pianos, however, I grabbed all of the major brands and tried to grab new and old models to get the average price.
Note: If you came here because you’re curious about moving a piano and wondering if you can do it, the short answer is yes, however there are some precautions to take. Keep reading below to get to that section of the article.
In short, the average piano weighs 753 lbs (342 kg). To get to this number I took 14 popular pianos, both upright and grand, then I proceeded to average them out.
Here is a quick table that breaks down the 3 most popular types of pianos and their weights. The data breakdown is listed below and gets into specifics.
This article was updated in June of 2024 to include several new piano models to get an accurate answer overall.
Type Of Piano | Average Weight |
Upright | 300-500 LBS |
Baby Grand | 500-650 LBS |
Grand | 700-1200 Lbs |
Average Weight Of An Upright Piano
To get to the bottom of this, I took 7 examples of upright pianos below. Take a look at the data below. Below are examples of much upright pianos weigh.
- Young Chang 121: 496 lbs (225.9 kg)
- Steinway & Sons Model 1098: 480 lbs (217.8 kg)
- Bösendorfer 130: 582 lbs (263.9 kg)
- Baldwin BH-122: 542 lbs (245.9 kg)
- Yamaha P22: 490 lbs (222.3 kg)
- Steinway & Sons Model K-52: 600 lbs (272.2 kg)
- Kawai K300: 500 lbs (226.7kg)
The average weight of an upright piano: 527 lbs or 239.043 kg.
You will notice that a lot of people claim that upright pianos weigh around 300 lbs. This just isn’t true. There are some that do. However, most come in closer to 400 and 500 lbs.
If you are attempting to move a piano, the easiest way is to have two people and to use a 4 caster dolly.
Average Weight Of A Grand Piano
Grand pianos are typically going to weigh between 500 and 1,500 lbs. Most of them, however, will not be over 1,300 lbs. It depends on how big they are and the year they were made. A lot of the materials used today are lighter than what was used years ago.
Note: Some of these are baby grand pianos, as I wanted to present data that included larger grand pianos and smaller ones as well.
- Mason & Hamlin Artist Grand Piano BB: 1,090 lbs (494.4 kg)
- Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano: 990 lbs (449 kg)
- Steinway Model S: 540 lbs (245 kg)
- Yamaha C3 Studio: 705 lbs (319.3 kg)
- Young Chang Y185: 671 lbs (304.4 kg)
- Mason & Hamlin CC: 1,399 lbs (634.6 kg)
- Steinway & Sons Model B: 760 lbs (344.8 kg)
The average weight of a grand piano= 879.3 lbs or 398.9 kg.
It would be safe to say that most grand pianos will be slightly under 1,000 lbs and slightly over 600 lbs on average.
879 lbs is a very fair analysis, as I have calculated some of the heaviest and lightest grand pianos.
I would not recommend moving a grand piano on your own as they are too expensive. The last thing you would want to do is put any blemishes on such a nice investment.
Spinet Piano Weights
Spinet pianos, like the one above typically, weigh between 200-400 lbs (91-181kg). These are the smallest vertical pianos that are made. As far as height, they are usually between 36 & 40 inches tall (91-101 cm).
How To Move A Piano Without Movers
Should you choose to move your piano, it would be best to get an estimate of its weight by using our chart above. Once you determine the type of piano, you should have a good understanding of exactly what it weighs.
When it comes to moving your piano, do the following:
- Measure the pianos height and width
- Measure the room that you are placing the piano in to insure it fits
- Measure doorways height and width(There’s nothing more frustrating than moving a piano and finding out it doesn’t fit after an hour of carrying it)
- Use the chart above to determine weight of piano
- Use a dolly when possible(Make sure the dolly can handle the weight of your piano
- Place caster cups where you will be putting the piano down should you have hardwood floors
- Always get more people to help than you think(I recommend 3-4 people for most pianos)
- Use caution with stairs(try to use elevator)
- If you are going upstairs, remember it’s dangerous(place more people on the bottom of the piano to push it up the stairs)
*Remember, we are not responsible should you get injured moving your piano or should you damage yourself, others or your piano/property damages.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire Movers
On average, it will cost between $150 at the lowest to upwards of $1,000 depending on how large the piano is and how far you have to move it.
Can You Move A Piano On Your Own?
The short answer is, yes. The long answer is, it depends. It depends on the weight and if you’re going upstairs. Typically, two people can move a heavy piano with a 4 caster dolly pretty easily.
I have moved my Story & Clark piano up and down flights of stairs for years with 3 people total. This weighs 505 lbs. Keep in mind, this is by no means easy. I heavily recommend hiring movers to move your piano if it’s valuable and you’re dealing with stairs.
Materials Used Varies The Weight
A lot of the weight in pianos come from the iron cast that is used. Sometimes older uprights are going to be heavier because of the wood used as well.
Looking For A Lighter & More Portable Option?
If you’re a pianist or aspiring pianist who doesn’t want to deal with heavy pianos, you can check out the best digital pianos here.
I personally will always choose to play an acoustic piano over a digital one, however, digital pianos have gotten so much better with time.
Should You Buy A Heavy Piano?
My honest opinion is that you shouldn’t let the weight be a factor in the choice of your piano.
If you’re head over heels about a piano, go for it and figure out the rest later. Yes, you may have to spend a couple of hundred dollars to move it, but just make sure you plan out your moves and anticipate that.
After all, pianos last a lifetime, so don’t worry about having to move a couple of times with them.
What Makes Pianos Heavy?
Pianos are heavy because of their overall construction. Pianos are typically constructed with heavy wood, cast iron plate, and the keys and wheels.
70% of the piano’s weight comes from the harp (cast iron plate).
Conclusion
I came to the conclusion from my case study that the average piano weighs about 879.3 lbs or 398.8 kg.
4 comments
Where can I buy the caster dolly for my upright Yamaha piano- any brand your recommended?
Thanks
Pran H
It’s also known as a furniture dolly. Two carpeted boards fastened parallel on top of two boards to make a square shape so that four caster wheels sit in the corners. They can hold up to 1000lbs so just fine for upright pianos. U-Haul stores/storages generally sell them. If you needed it that day you can go there or call another storage facility to find out if they sell them as well (probably a good idea to call the UHaul closest to find out if they do or not as well. Depending on the size of the city you’re in they may not). Last time I moved they were like 20$, but definitely gone up since then. If you’re not like me and have a planned moving date in the future…Amazon has a 60$ dolly (which is the one you want) or a two pack of them for $40 but they are both needed for moving 1000lbs. Big box stores would probably offer them as well.
Harbor Freight had lots of furniture dollies when I was there today.
Whoever belongs to this site is sadly lacking in piano moving knowledge, and has no business trying to instruct others how to move any piano. There is a lot more equipment and knowhow than this site suggests.
There is basically a whole lot of nothing here. Before attempting to move your own piano using the general information here, contact a piano mover local to you. Most businesses will be happy to share the pros and cons with you at no charge. This will help to prevent injury to you, the piano and the premises.