Koala Mattress

Koala Mattress Review

The Koala Mattress is one of the most popular and well known mattresses in Australia. It is made mostly of foam and is certified as non-toxic and eco-friendly.

Like some of its online competitors, this mattress comes with a customisable design. This feature allows you to adjust the firmness level of the mattress to suit your preference.

The review below reflects the current model of the Koala Mattress that was released in March of 2024. The (original) Koala Mattress was first released in 2015, with design changes taking place in 2021 and again in 2024.

✏️ Product summary

• Customisable, foam mattress
• Choice of firm or medium-firm
• Mattress in a box
• 120 night trial period
• Current best price is $1,161 (queen)
• Click SHOP NOW and use code BEDBUYER10 for best price

The current Koala Mattress forms part of Koala’s mattress range that also includes the the entry-level SE Mattress and the flagship Koala Luxe Mattress.

Purchase and delivery

As with other mattress in a box products, you can order the Koala Mattress online (through the Koala website), and it will be delivered to your door.

Due to the design of this mattress, larger sizes (e.g. queen) come in two separate boxes – one for the main base layer, and the other for the comfort layer.

If you order a queen, king, or super king size, you have the option of selection either Flippable Firmness or Partner Preference. More on this shortly.

Delivery of the Koala Mattress is free and it can be delivered to almost anywhere in Australia. Koala offers an impressive same-day delivery to major metro areas. For more details about delivery, see our Delivery information section further down.

Due to the 2 box delivery system, removing the Koala Mattress from its packaging takes a little longer (15-20 minutes) than single boxed competitors. As always, we recommend having two people available to unpack a mattress in a box.

Removing the plastic wrapping shouldn’t be difficult and props to Koala for using recyclable packaging. The Koala toy was a nice touch.

You can see how to set up the Koala Mattress in Koala’s video below:

As per our standard testing process, we gave the mattress 24 hours to decompress before we conducted our testing.

In terms of pure aesthetics, the Koala Mattress presents nicely with a clean, modern style. It sits 25cm high and uses a natural green and white colour theme. Its brand name label at the mattress base gives it a nice finishing touch.

The brand label on the zip puller is also a fine example of Koala’s attention to detail.

In the past, the (Original) Koala Mattress had been available to try out at Myer and at ‘The Treehouse‘ in Sydney. Currently though, the Koala Mattress isn’t available to try out in a showroom. The only way that you can try this mattress is through their 120 night trial.

Mattress construction

The Koala Mattress is essentially a foam mattress that is made up of 3 main components.

1. Breathable Tencel™ Lyocell Cover

The cover of this mattress is made from Recycled Polyester (83%) and carbon-zero TENCEL™ Lyocell (17%). It has been specially designed for moisture absorption and breathability.

2. Kloudcell™ Comfort Layer

This layer is made up of a 7cm layer of responsive and breathable Kloudcell™ foam.

This layer of polyurethane foam gives you the option to choose between a ‘medium-firm’ feel or a ‘firm’ feel (Flippable Firmness option) or ‘medium-firm’ on one side, ‘firm’ on the other (Partner Preference option).

3. 3-Zone Support Layer

The support layer of the Koala Mattress is a 3 zone, high density support layer. This section is designed to give responsive support that aligns the shoulders, hips, and feet.

All Koala Mattresses also have an ‘anti-slip bottom’ that helps to reduce movement of the mattress when placed on a bed base.

How does the customisation work?

As mentioned earlier, the Koala Mattress can be ordered in either a Flippable Firmness option or a Partner Preference option.

1. Flippable Firmness

This option allows you to choose between two firmness options over the entire mattress – medium-firm or firm.

The separate comfort layer is fairly easy to position, and needs to be positioned on top of the 3-zone support layer, but under the top cover. Once the comfort layer is positioned correctly, the top cover can be zipped up and the mattress is ready to use.

You can switch between the two firmness options (medium-firm and firm) by unzipping and flipping this top comfort layer. This is quite easy to do as the zip is large and easy to use.

The comfort layer comes with convenient tags (at the base) to indicate which side is firm and medium-firm. Flipping this top layer should be manageable with one person, but is much easier with two people.

2. Partner Preference

With this option, each side of the mattress has an individual firmness level – medium-firm for one, firm for the other.

It’s worth noting though that the Partner Preference option is only available in queen, king, and king size mattresses.

Other mattress in a box options that include a similar customisation feature include the Macoda Mattress, the Ecosa Mattress, and the popular Sleeping Duck Mattress.

Comfort and support

The medium-firm version feels dense and spongy, with a moderate amount of pressure relief. It absorbs body weight nicely but as with many foam mattresses, changing sleeping positions may require a little effort.

This configuration should suit all sleeping positions (side sleepers, back sleepers, and stomach sleepers), but understandably its suitability may vary between individuals.

All of our expert reviewers agreed that this medium-firm version has a ‘medium-firm’ feel. By majority vote, we settled on a 7.5 / 10 on the firmness scale (with 10 being the firmest).

Medium-Firm Version

Please note that our firmness ratings are just a guide and they do not necessarily relate to comfort.

Furthermore, our firmness ratings are assigned based on Bedbuyer’s testing process and these may differ from firmness ratings given by individual companies. Mattress firmness will also vary depending on the type of bed base used.

We tested the Koala Mattress on the Chiropedic Bed Base which is a good quality bed base with rigid slats.

As you would expect, the firm version is firmer and has a dense, supportive feel. The amount of comfort in this configuration may not suit everyone, but we wouldn’t describe it as ‘rock hard’.

As with many customisable mattresses, the difference between the firmness options (in this case between the firm and medium-firm) is not significant.

This firm configuration would most likely suit back sleepers, but depending on the individual, it may still offer enough comfort for side sleepers and stomach sleepers.

All of our expert reviewers agreed that this firm version has a ‘firm’ feel. By majority vote, we settled on a 8.5 / 10 on the firmness scale (with 10 being the firmest).

Firm Version

Both firmness configurations feel stable and both offer good back support.

This mattress should accommodate people of all sizes, however we would recommend a more robust, innerspring mattress (such as the Yinahla Posture Gel) if you or your partner weigh over 100kgs.

As we touched on above, the Koala Mattress doesn’t have the natural bounce and responsiveness of some innerspring mattresses. In basic terms, this means that changing sleep positions (and intimate activities) may be easier on other mattresses.

Responsiveness

Please note that our responsiveness scales are just a guide and preferred responsiveness levels will vary between individuals. It’s worth noting also that innerspring mattresses are generally more responsive than foam mattresses.

The finer details

In terms of build quality, the Koala Mattress is certainly respectable. The quality of materials and finishings is commendable, and it is a notable improvement from its original, 2015 original version.

The ‘anti-slip’ bottom (100% Polyester with PVC dot) seems to be effective and should prevent any sliding or slipping of the mattress on your bed base.

As mentioned earlier, the Koala Mattress sits 25cm high. With this in mind, any standard size fitted sheet should fit easily around this mattress.

A notable improvement from its original, 2015 version.

Like the original version (and many other foam mattresses), this mattress isolates movement well, so a restless partner shouldn’t cause too much disruption.

With that said, motion transfer may vary. A larger mattress (e.g. king size) will usually involve lower amounts of motion transfer. Partner disturbance will also depend on the size of the occupants of the bed.

If we are to be critical, the lack of side handles is disappointing. Side handles will always make moving or transporting a mattress easier.

Edge support is not particularly firm, but is within normal limits for a foam mattress. Most users should be able to use the entire surface of the mattress, without fear of falling off the edge.

According to Koala, the foams used in this mattress are certified as non-toxic by CertiPUR-US®. This certification gives customers the reassurance that a product (or product components) has been tested for toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead, formaldehyde, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).

What bed base should I use?

As with most mattresses, we recommend the Koala Mattress to be used on a bed base with flat panel slats such as the Koala Paddington Bed Base.

A bed base with solid slats such as the Chiropedic Bed Base, would also be very suitable.

Koala Paddington Bed Base

We would advise against using a bed base with flexible (posture) slats as this type of base may not provide adequate support. Ultimately, the use of an unsupportive mattress foundation will void the mattress warranty.

We don’t recommend the Koala Mattress be used with an adjustable (electric) bed base. as this may cause damage to the mattress components. Here is our full list of mattresses that are compatible with an adjustable bed base.

It’s worth noting here that mattress firmness, performance, and durability will vary with different bed bases.

Trial period and warranty

The Koala Mattress comes with a 120 night trial period, which is slightly superior to a typical trial period (of 100 nights) in the online mattress market.

This trial period means that you can return the mattress for a refund if you are not satisfied. As you would expect, conditions do apply.

This mattress also comes with a 10 year warranty to cover any faulty materials or workmanship. This is a typical warranty period in context of similarly priced competitors.

Available sizes

This mattress is available in 6 sizes (super king, king, queen, double, king single, and single size) so it should accommodate almost all sleeping arrangements.

Here are Australia’s standard bed (mattress) sizes in 2025.

Did you know?

Koala released a famous video in 2015 that went viral. The short video may have been (in part) responsible for Koala’s massive growth in the years that followed.

The video demonstrated how well the original Koala Mattress was able to minimise partner disturbance by having someone jump onto the mattress with a full wine glass. See the video here.

Final verdict

The Koala Mattress is a nice mattress that combines comfort, support, and versatility.

Although the difference between the firmness options isn’t hugely noticeable, its customisation and non-toxic certifications will be appealing to many.

Bedbuyer’s rating:  4.1 / 5

Here are our ratings for each category:

For a full roundup, see our guide to the best mattresses in Australia.

If you have any questions about the Koala Mattress, please comment below.

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*Once Bedbuyer discount code is applied. Click SHOP NOW and use code BEDBUYER10 for best price.

Koala Payment & Finance Options

VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, PayPal, Afterpay, Zip Pay

Delivery information

Koala offers same day delivery on furniture and mattress orders in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide (for in-stock products).

Delivery is FREE on mattresses and small items and our fast & flexible furniture delivery lets you choose a window that suits you.

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Metro customers can also select premium delivery that includes assembly and rubbish removal on select items at an additional cost.

Product information – Koala Mattress

• Weight: 33.35 kgs (Queen mattress)
• Height: 25 cm

Certifications

TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres

Derived from sustainable wood sources, TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres are naturally soft to the touch and offer long-lasting comfort. Carbon-zero TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers are certified as carbon neutral products by a third party partner. These fibers help mitigate climate impact and protect the environment.

Materials

Ticking Fabric

83% Recycled Polyester, 17% carbon-zero TENCEL™ Lyocell

Side Wall Fabric

65% Polyester, 35% Recycled Polyester

Anti-Slip Base Fabric

100% Polyester with PVC Dot

Other Fabrics

100% Polyester

Sustainability

CertiPUR-US® certified Foam

Cover made with carbon-zero TENCEL™ Lyocell

Country of Origin

Designed by Koala in Sydney, Manufactured in China.