Koala SE Mattress

Koala SE Mattress Review

The Koala SE Mattress is the entry-level mattress in Koala’s well known product range. It is made predominantly of foam and is certified as non-toxic.

✏️ Product summary

• Foam mattress
• Mattress in a box
• 120 night trial period
• Current best price is $855 (queen)
• Click SHOP NOW and for best price

The Koala SE Mattress is inspired by the hugely popular (Original) Koala Mattress that was first released in 2015.

Purchase and delivery

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

Delivery of the Koala SE Mattress is free and the mattress can be delivered to almost anywhere in Australia. Koala offers an impressive ‘same-day delivery’ to major metro areas, so delivery times can be fast. Please see delivery times in our Delivery information section further down.

The box arrived in good condition and although the box didn’t have wheels (for easy transport), it wasn’t too heavy and may be manageable with one person.

Removing the mattress from the box and packaging is fairly straight-forward with the plastic wrapping tearing away easily. As always though, we recommend having two people available to unpack a mattress in a box.

The mattress includes a Koala fluffy toy and a small information booklet – a nice touch by Koala.

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

We did notice a strong new product smell with this mattress, so you may need to air it out (outside, undercover, or open windows) for a few days to let this dissipate.

Aesthetically, the Koala SE Mattress presents nicely with a natural, modern style. It uses a white, grey, and dull green colour theme, and its brand name label gives it a warm, finishing touch.

Mattress construction

The Koala SE 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 Polyester (65%) and Tencel™ Lyocell fabric (35%). It has been specially designed for moisture absorption and breathability.

This top cover also includes a fixed, quilted topper to help give a ‘float-on-top’ feeling.

2. Comfort Layer

This section includes a layer of antimicrobial bamboo charcoal foam. This is designed to absorb excess moisture and regulate sleep temperature.

Also forming part of this comfort section is a layer of responsive and breathable Kloudcell™. This layer of polyurethane foam is added to help enhance support, cooling, responsiveness, and durability.

3. 3-Zone Support Layer

The support layer of the SE 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.

Comfort and support

The top cover feels thick yet breathable, and the quilting does add a nice level of comfort to the mattress.

The main comfort layer (of bamboo charcoal foam and Kloudcell™) feels spongy and comfortable. It absorbs bodyweight smoothly and is reasonably responsive, considering it is a foam mattress.

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

In terms of firmness, our team rated the Koala SE Mattress as a 6.5 / 10 on the firmness scale (with 10 being the firmest). This was the same firmness rating that we assigned to the Original Koala Mattress.

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 SE Mattress on the Koala Kirribilli Bed Base which is a good quality bed base with flat, panel slats.

The Koala SE Mattress provides reasonable back support and should accommodate most people in terms of weight. If you are on the heavier side though, we would recommend the Koala Calm As Mattress or the Koala Soul Mate Mattress – these mattresses simply offer a better level of stability and support.

Although it is a foam mattresses, the Koala SE Mattress responds well to normal sleep movements. In basic terms, this means that changing sleep positions (and intimate activities) shouldn’t be too much trouble.

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

The Koala SE Mattress does resemble the (Original) Koala Mattress in some ways. This is not surprising, as Koala mentions in the product information that the SE Mattress was inspired by the Original Model.

In terms of overall quality, the Koala SE Mattress is respectable. The stitching and finishings are free from imperfections, and the foams seem to be durable and of a good standard.

It’s worth noting that the Koala SE Mattress is the same height as the Koala Mattress (24cm). With this in mind, any standard size fitted sheet should easily fit around this mattress.

The Koala SE Mattress should suit all sleeping positions.

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.

The lack of side handles is not a deal breaker, as the mattress is not particularly heavy (30.7kgs, queen size). With that said, handles will always make moving or transporting a mattress easier.

The fact that this mattress is light in weight is noteworthy in context of lifting and changing the sheets. Its light weight also makes it suitable for use in caravans.

Other foam mattresses like the Onebed Original Mattress (35 kgs) and the Ergoflex Mattress (39 kgs) are somewhat heavier than the Koala SE Mattress. The Eva Comfort Classic Mattress (which uses pocket springs) weighs 55 kgs.

Considering that this is a relatively low profile, foam mattress, we didn’t expect a high level of edge support. Not surprisingly, edge support is a bit soft but still within normal limits for a foam mattress at this price point.

It’s worth noting that the Koala SE Mattress is 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).

Additionally, all Koala mattresses have antimicrobial additives to prevent the growth of mould and bacteria.

What bed base should I use?

As with most mattresses, we recommend the Koala SE 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 (with slats no longer than 8 cm apart) 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 SE Mattress to 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 SE 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 means that you can return the mattress for a refund if you are not satisfied (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 5 sizes (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 2024.

Final verdict

The Koala SE Mattress is a good value mattress that has plenty of appeal. It is comfortable, light weight, and comes with a 120 night trial period.

Bedbuyer’s rating:  3.9 / 5

Here are our ratings for each category:

Did you know? Bedbuyer recently announced Australia’s Top 12 Mattress in a Box in 2024!

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

Retail Prices

• King Mattress: $1,150
• Queen Mattress: $950
• Double Mattress: $850
• King Single Mattress: $750
• Single Mattress: $650

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Koala Payment Finance Options

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

Delivery information

We offer free delivery to almost everywhere in Australia for any order that includes a mattress.

If you’re in one of our same-day delivery areas (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth) you can select a delivery time that’s convenient for you.

Order a mattress or furniture item before 3pm on any weekday and we can deliver your order within 4 hours, if its in stock. Weekday evening and Saturday morning deliveries are also available!

Outside of our same-day delivery areas delivery is still completely free. Your items will be shipped from our metro warehouses so delivery will take longer. You will receive your delivery in 1-10 business days.

Product information – Koala SE Mattress

• Weight: 30.7 kgs (Queen mattress)
• Height: 24 cm
• Maximum Weight Limit: no weight limit

Certifications

Top Fabric
65% Polyester, 35% TENCEL™ Lyocell

Anti-Slip Base Fabric
100% Polyester with PVC dot

Other Fabrics
100% Polyester
Polyurethane foam

Country of Origin
Designed by Koala in Sydney, assembled in China.

Inspired by the Koala Mattress that started it all, the Koala SE gives you the sleep comfort essentials at a price that’ll have you smiling in your sleep.

Key Features

• Featuring Kloudcell®: Feel like you’re floating on a cloud with superior support, cooling, responsiveness and durability.
• Breathable cover with TENCEL® Lyocell Cover: This soothing fabric absorbs and releases moisture to make nodding off a breeze.
• 3-Zone Support: Aligns your spine for enhanced support.
• Fixed quilted topper: Extra plush quilted topper for that float-on-top feeling.
• Zero Disturbance®: Built to isolate motion, guaranteeing you’ll sleep soundly no matter who you sleep next to.
• Antimicrobial Bamboo Charcoal: absorbs excess moisture and regulates sleep temperature.

Champagne Sleep on a Beer Budget

Tight budget? Tight schedule? The new Koala SE Mattress takes the stress out of both. Inspired by the award-winning Koala Mattress that started it all, it’s our comfy mattress at a comfy price, conveniently delivered. With our years of sleep expertise, we know how to make your next mattress one less thing to worry about.

Cloud-like comfort

The Koala SE Mattress features a fixed quilted topper that’s extra plush for that float-on-top feeling.

All Koala Mattresses have:

1. Anti-Slip Bottom – this little gizmo reduces the movement of the mattress when placed on the bed frame.

2. Anti-Bacterial Treatment – all mattresses have antimicrobial additives that help prevent the conditions that microscopic little monsters love.

3. CertiPUR-US® – all our mattresses are tested to ensure they are made without formaldehyde, are low-VOC, and free from nasty chemicals.