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Mattress shopping can either be really fun or extremely arduous. Some people love rolling around and testing them out while others would rather skip the whole process entirely. Luckily, there’s now a solution for people who fall into the latter — the mattress in a box. These days, you can choose a mattress online, have it delivered to your house in a box and try it out for a few nights before making a decision.
If you’re thinking about taking the plunge and trying one for yourself, you’ll be happy to know you’re spoiled for choice. There are around 40 different brands currently offering boxed mattresses in Australia, but which one is the best?
When it comes to finding the mattress in a box, you’ll need to consider everything from pricing and warranty to design and aesthetics. Here, we’ve broken down the top eight options and laid out everything you need to know about each. Sweet dreams!
This mattress has all the right ingredients to give you the best night’s sleep yet. Emma is Australia’s only mattress constructed from 3 layers of premium memory foam and zoned in 7 areas for optimal pressure relief. Emma has won 22 awards internationally from consumer testing associations for quality, comfort, durability, and ergonomics.
According to the website, the mattress has a medium-firm feel and is available in seven different bed sizes. They also offer a 100-night trial so you can see if it’s right for you before making the long-haul commitment.
The Emma Comfort Mattress was awarded the top spot through an independent test by CHOICE (Australia’s leading consumer advocacy group) and named Australia’s best foam mattress in a box in 2021.
Price: King (now $719.40, usually $1,999). Queen (now $659.40, usually $1,099). Double (now $599.40, usually $999).
Delivery: Free delivery. Usually 10-15 business days Australia-wide.
Trial Period: 100 nights.
Returns Policy: Free returns.
Warranty: 10 years.
Shop here.
We reviewed the Emma Diamond Hybrid mattress here.
Koala is a name almost everyone has heard of when it comes to bedding. Given the name, it makes sense that the brand is Australian-designed and owned. Mattresses are made with Koala’s trademarked Kloudcell and Ecofoam technology to create a memory foam surface with an advanced cooling system.
Koala has launched a number of top-tier mattresses over the years including the New Koala Mattress (from $750), and of course, the OG Koala mattress (from $780) – each of which has taken years of research and applied to your sleeping options.
The mattresses boast designs that claim to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. They seek to keep you cool, cosy and supported, with Zero Disturbance tech so over-active sleeping buddies are no longer an issue.
When it comes to ensuring your purchase makes a difference, Koala has thought of just about everything, too. With every mattress sale, a donation will be made to the World Wildlife Fund to help protect the futures of our beloved koalas.
The materials used within the mattress have been chosen with sustainability in mind, free from harmful substances and certified by GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia). If you’re also looking to dispose of your old mattress before receiving your new one, Koala has partnered with Soft Landing to remove and recycle your old one; the service is even free for those living in Sydney and Melbourne.
Price: Starting from King ($1250). Queen ($1050). Double ($1,000).
Delivery: Free delivery. 4-hour delivery in metro areas via the Koala website and 1-10 days in regional and rural areas.
Trial Period: 120 nights.
Returns Policy: Free in metro areas.
Warranty: 10 years.
Shop here.
P.s. We recently reviewed Koala’s office furniture range if you’d like to keep reading.
The Eva mattress is another affordable option for people seeking a decent night’s sleep without breaking the bank.
Composed of six different layers, a lot of thought has gone into designing this mattress for maximum comfort and support. In short, there’s a top cover, gel memory foam, premium latex foam, density foam, five-zone pocket spring (designed to minimise partner disturbance and provide relief) and edge support to help the mattress maintain its integrity.
Eva Mattress was awarded the title of ‘Australia’s Best Mattress in a Box’ for 2017-18 by BedBuyer — an independent and unbiased Australian review platform.
Price: King ($1000). Queen ($900). Double ($800).
Delivery: Free delivery (timeframe dependent on location).
Trial Period: 120 nights.
Returns Policy: Free returns.
Warranty: 12 years.
Shop here.
We reviewed the Eva mattress here.
Designed by two young Aussies, the Macoda mattress aims to strike the perfect balance between comfort and support. Attempting to hit the sweet spot with its 4-layer design, it works to target a range of concerns like comfort, durability, body temperature and pressure relief. The Macoda mattress uses bamboo fabric to help keep you cool in summer and warm in winter with advanced cooling gel technology constantly reading and responding to your body’s temperature. If you’re someone who often runs too hot or too cold during the night, this could be a great option for you.
Macoda has taken the BedBuyer award for ‘Australia’s Most Comfortable Mattress’ two years in a row, against over 150 other mattresses.
Price: King ($1200). Queen ($1100). Double ($950).
Delivery: Free delivery (timeframe dependent on location).
Trial Period: 100 nights.
Returns Policy: Free returns.
Warranty: 10 years.
Shop here.
Sleep Republic’s mattress is medium/firm and provides a high level of support. It’s not too soft but not too hard – the Goldilocks of mattresses. According to reviews, it’s a great mattress for people who tend to run hot in their sleep. Natural latex allows the airflow to be regulated and your body temperature to stay at a consistent level, while thousands of ventilation holes work to cool you down.
The mattress features up to 2250 high definition spring pockets which provide support to 5 different body zones. This also makes it perfect for co-sleepers because you won’t even know your partner is there (even if they toss and turn all night long). It’s been certified as non-toxic by CertiPUR-US, one of the world’s leading authorities in foam and fabric testing. The mattress has also been awarded Bedbuyer’s coveted Best Overall Mattress in a Box Award two years in a row for 2020 and 2021.
It’s also worth noting that Sleep Republic offers the largest range of payment options in the online mattress market. They accept credit cards, interest-free finance like Afterpay, Zip Pay, Split It and Klarna and even Cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Price: King ($1,449). Queen ($1,249). Double ($1,039).
Delivery: Free delivery, Australia-wide.
Trial Period: 100 nights.
Returns Policy: Free returns.
Warranty: 12 years.
Shop here.
If price is your main concern, the Zinus mattress could be a great option for you.
The Support Plus iCoil Eurotop Mattress is all about layering, starting with individually wrapped iCoil innerspring, a layer of high-density foam and two layers of comfort foam on top. Once combined, you’ll have an extremely comfortable, supportive sleep experience, with each coil working to relieve pressure within the body. After unboxing, the mattress will expand to its full shape in 72-hours.
The Zinus mattress is currently sitting on just shy of a five-star rating with 37 reviews on Amazon Australia.
Price: King ($409). Queen ($359). Double ($319).
Delivery: Free delivery (timeframe dependent on location).
Trial Period: N/A
Returns Policy: N/A
Warranty: 10 years.
Shop here.
A great option for people who suffer with back pain, the Ecosa mattress has been specifically designed to support the spine’s natural alignment. Reviews have mentioned the mattress can feel quite firm which is something to bear in mind if you prefer sleeping on a softer surface.
Available in varying degrees of firmness (medium, medium-firm and firm), you can customise the mattress to suit your needs. The upper layer of the mattress can actually be flipped which switches between each level of firmness — this is a big selling point as it allows you to adjust the level of support over time. A three-layer system is in place to ensure maximum comfort — a memory foam layer (to keep you cool), ergonomic support foam (to support the body’s key pressure points) and an open-cell foam that is soft and breathable. It also comes with a waterproof inner cover to prevent dust mites, bacteria and stains.
The Ecosa mattress was awarded the ‘Best For Couples’ award for 2021 by the Best Mattress Australia awards.
Price: King (now, $949, usually $1,199). Queen (now $849, usually $1,099). Double (now $749, usually $999).
Delivery: Same day delivery for metro area orders placed before 1:30 pm and 1-7 business days for non-metro areas.
Trial Period: 100 nights.
Returns Policy: Free returns.
Warranty: 15 years.
Shop here.
The last mattress in a box to make the cut is the Ergoflex 5G mattress. This brand was established in 2006 and have been continually updating and improving their product offering over the years. This is a great option for people seeking a high-quality memory foam mattress and people suffering with back pain.
Made with a 5-layer sleep system, the levels work together to ensure adequate airflow, back support, breathability and structural longevity. Rated medium-firm according to the standard Australian mattress firmness rating, it strikes the right balance of firmness and elasticity.
Last year, Ergoflex was awarded Product Review’s Mattress of the Year.
Price: King (now $699.30, usually $999). Queen (now $1070.30, usually $1529). Double (now $944.30, usually $1349).
Delivery: Delivery cost depends on location, can range from $25 upwards.
Trial Period: 30 nights.
Returns Policy: Free returns.
Warranty: 10 years.
Shop here.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.