Our latest review includes over 60 mattresses from popular brands such as Sleeping Duck, Sealy, Ikea, A.H. Beard, Koala, Macoda and more
Experts assess key factors that are important for a good night’s sleep, such as how comfortable and supportive the mattresses are – brand new and after eight years’ use – how stable they are, and how well they regulate temperature
Become a CHOICE member to access our full mattress reviews and compare products across over 200 product and service categories
We spend about a third of our lives in bed, so it’s essential to find the right mattress for the best night’s sleep. But be careful – buy a middling mattress, and it could turn into a nightmare.
Choosing a mattress instore or online can be confusing and downright stressful, with so many types, builds, firmnesses, features and amazing “new technology” claims being touted. Not to mention prices soaring into the thousands of dollars for some models. It’s enough to warrant a serious lie-down!
To help you choose, CHOICE has been testing popular mattresses for years – and no, it’s not just some lucky staff member sleeping on them all day. (We wish.)
Lab lie-down: Our comfort tests use lasers to monitor spinal alignment.
Instead, our lab partners in Europe scientifically test the most important factors, including body support for petite and large builds, stability, sagging resistance, breathability and more.
We’ve also looked at aspects relating to the sustainability and environmental impact of each mattress, including what materials it’s made from and how easy it is to clean and recycle.
Members can view ratings for all these factors in our ‘Compare all’ table in our mattress reviews (though sustainability and environmental results don’t yet contribute to the overall performance scores).
While Emma products have previously performed well in our testing, we no longer include them.
In light of ongoing member complaints and ACCC allegations regarding misleading advertising, we’ve decided to remove Emma mattress reviews from our website. We may revisit this decision in the future.
We remain committed to providing unbiased and impartial product reviews to our members and Australian consumers.
Here are six mattresses that did not perform well in our independent testing.
1. Original Mattress Factory Refresh
This mattress could do with a rebrand: You’ll wake up anything but refreshed.
CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
Support when new: 54%
Support after eight years: 62%
RRP: $2798 (Queen)
This mattress, which came in last overall in our tests, is proof of the fact that you can’t always trust advertising.
It markets itself as a ‘firm’ mattress, but scored a low 56% for resistance to sagging, which doesn’t bode well for how long it would maintain its firmness.
To assess longevity, we measure height and firmness (among other things) straight out of the box when the mattress is new, then again after a test that simulates eight years of use to note any differences. Mattresses with a higher score show less sagging over time, while lower-scoring mattresses show increased sagging.
This is also one of a few mattresses we reviewed that charge a fee for returns and exchanges
Original Mattress Factory also charges a fee for returns and exchanges – and this even applies during the 30-day trial period. These costs are on top of any shipping expenses you may incur to replace the mattress during the free trial period.
And while some brands will provide a free pick-up of the mattress you want to return, don’t expect such luxury with this product: the cost of a pick-up will come out of your own pocket.
On other criteria, such as stability, this mattress was on par with others reviewed by our testers, but did not perform noticeably well in any areas.
The Aspen Chalet’s price doesn’t reflect performance.
CHOICE Expert Rating: 65%
Support when new: 52%
Support after eight years: 88%
RRP: $7599 (double)
With a recommended retail price of over $7500, this is the second most expensive mattress in our test. For the cost of this mattress you’d expect exquisite comfort and the best night’s sleep of your life.
But the price doesn’t reflect its performance, as it falls short of the cosy conditions implied in its name. A sleepy chalet this is not.
It falls short of the cosy conditions implied in its name. A sleepy chalet this is not
Most of the Exquisite Aspen Chalet’s test scores are pretty average, though stability is poor. This will likely lead to a pretty bouncy night’s sleep if you, or your partner, tend to toss and turn.
You have to wonder whether the sale price ($3799 at the time of writing) is a better reflection of its quality. But even then, almost $4000 is a lot of money for a mattress that’s so ordinary.
This mattress won’t change much over time – but you’ll wish it did.
CHOICE Expert Rating: 65%
Support when new: 54%
Support after eight years: 94%
RRP: $579 (Double)
The Soho may be cheap, but it’s definitely not cheerful: you’ll wake up feeling grouchy after a night sleeping on it.
It’s uncomfortable from the get-go, and it’ll stay that way, even after 8 years’ use. At least it’s consistent, right?
What you’ll save in money you’ll lose in poor sleep
What you’ll save in money you’ll lose in poor sleep: it scored just 12% for stability – the lowest of all the mattresses in our review. That means you’ll feel every single movement your partner makes while they’re asleep.
It’s also likely to sag over time, so you’ll be stuck with a bed that’s uncomfortable, saggy and bouncy.
That’s not the kind of Slumberland that anyone would want to visit.
Art & Science is a bit of a mind-boggling brand. On the one hand, it’s made some good quality mattresses for the price, including one that’s among our top performers.
But for every winner, there’s another model that’s only OK.
The Somerset falls into the latter category, mainly because it’s not very comfortable from day one. These borderline results are far too low to recommend this mattress at any price.
Signs of sagging are pretty substantial. The Somerset will lose quite a bit of firmness over time
Signs of sagging are pretty substantial as well. The Somerset will lose quite a bit of firmness over time.
In a way, you can always rely on Art & Science to be consistently inconsistent. Check out our test results for their models that we do recommend and avoid this new release.
Mattresses are so overrated. Why sleep in a supportive bed when you can rest your weary head on the indoor equivalent of a bouncy castle? That sounds fun, right?
For the second time ever, we have a mattress with a stability score of zero. Just one other mattress has achieved this infamous accolade – Sealy’s Posturepedic Aspire Revive.
For the second time ever, we have a mattress with a stability score of zero
It takes a long time for the mattress to settle if you, or someone adjacent, moves around. Imagine being bounced about at two o’clock in the morning because your better half dared to roll onto their back.
Otherwise, the Acclaim Alpine is generally OK. Unfortunately, it’s got far too much spring in its step to guarantee a good rest, even for the most solid sleepers.
This is what it looks like brand new, but over the years it will soak up lots of your sweat.
CHOICE Expert Rating: 66%
Support when new: 53%
Support after eight years: 88%
RRP: $599 (double)
You’re unlikely to get a super rest on this Suparest.
It’s uncomfortable, very bouncy and will soak up sweat over the years, leaving it smelly and damaged. (Not exactly a recipe for sweet dreams.)
Aside from the Soho above, it has the lowest stability score of the mattresses in our test, so you’ll be in your partner’s bad books if you’re a restless sleeper.
There are plenty of other mattresses around this price and even cheaper that are far more comfortable
At 22kg it’s nice and lightweight, so it’ll be easier to make the bed – and to move it out of your room once you’re fed up with it.
While it’s affordable, there are plenty of other mattresses around this price and even cheaper that are far more comfortable – check our detailed mattress reviews to find the best for your budget.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
Peter Zaluzny is a Content producer in the Digital home team. He covers everything from home entertainment and personal safety devices to tech for your car and mattresses.
Peter enjoys cutting through the nonsense to help people understand the products they’re considering to buy. He helps consumers make educated, informed decisions.
Peter has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wollongong.
Peter Zaluzny is a Content producer in the Digital home team. He covers everything from home entertainment and personal safety devices to tech for your car and mattresses.
Peter enjoys cutting through the nonsense to help people understand the products they’re considering to buy. He helps consumers make educated, informed decisions.
Peter has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wollongong.
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