When WA business owner John started to notice durability issues with his Origin mattress a couple of years after purchasing, he decided to revisit the website where he had bought it.
“I went back to check the website, because I was really angry about it,” he says.
That’s when John noticed the Origin Mattress Australia site had been overhauled since he last visited, with the mattress company making “completely new claims”.
John had just opened a can of worms. “I did quite a lot of research and contacted a few people and it appeared to me that a lot of the claims didn’t really add up,” he says.
Concerned that Origin was being dishonest to consumers, John contacted CHOICE.
When we first started looking into Origin, its website said its mattresses are made and designed in Australia, they partner with local wildlife charities and have irresistible sales of up to 50% off.
We have found evidence to suggest that these claims may have been inaccurate.
Origin’s website claimed its mattresses are a “Product of Australia”, but that is in dispute.
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), a company can only make “Product of Australia” claims if all significant materials come from Australia and most manufacturing happens in Australia.
Any business making misleading representations about a product’s country of origin may be breaking Australian Consumer Law.
Origin told us its mattresses sold in Australia are made in China
Australian review websites Time to Sleep and Bedbuyer state that Origin’s mattresses are manufactured in Malaysia (Time to Sleep) and China (Bedbuyer), so we contacted Origin for an explanation.
Origin told us its mattresses sold in Australia are made in China, and other manufacturing occurs in Bangladesh and Malaysia, depending on the product and market. Origin has since removed “Product of Australia” from its Australian website.
Origin’s website also said its mattresses are “Australian Design Certified” and “designed on home soil”, despite another page on the same site stating its mattresses are designed in Germany.
Origin’s website claimed their mattresses are a “Product of Australia” and “Australian Certified Designed”, despite telling CHOICE they are made in China and designed in Germany.
The customer service chat on Origin’s Australian website told us that “our mattresses were always designed in Germany and assembled in Malaysia”.
Origin removed the “Australian designed” claims after it was contacted by CHOICE, telling us its “mattress design and innovation hub was established in Germany, while mattresses sold in Australia are developed and adapted specifically for Australian sleepers”.
The company said “we have revised the relevant website wording to describe this more accurately”, although “Designed in Germany” has also disappeared from the Origin site.
These statements on Origin’s website have joined a growing list of inaccurate and contradictory claims about where its products are designed and manufactured.
Origin also previously displayed the green and gold “Australian Made” kangaroo logo on its site, until citizen sleuth John reached out to the Australian Made Campaign, the group that regulates the use of the logo.
The campaign contacted Origin with explicit instructions to remove the logo from its homepage in 2024.
The Australian Made Campaign contacted Origin with explicit instructions to remove the logo from its homepage
In the United States, Origin’s website proclaims “Product of USA” and “Designed in USA”, partnering with “local farmers who hand raise the wool we use”. The customer service operative on the same site told us: “Our mattresses are designed in Germany and assembled in Malaysia”.
Origin’s UK site states its products are “Certified British Design”, despite UK customer service telling us their mattresses are designed in Germany.
Origin Australia said it would not comment on websites outside of Australia, but said its products may vary across markets.
Charity partners ‘don’t know who these people are’
Consumers previously looking at buying an Origin mattress may have been delighted to hear each purchase “finances The Kangaroo Sanctuary in support of the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned joeys,” according to the Origin website.
“When you choose Origin,” Origin’s website claimed, “you help to provide care, shelter and a second chance for these iconic Australian animals safely to the wild”.
This was news to Tahnee Passmore-Barns, general manager of the Alice Springs-based wildlife shelter.
“I don’t know who these people are. We certainly don’t have any affiliation with them,” she told CHOICE.
“None of the photos are of our kangaroos. Or taken at our sanctuary.”
Origin Mattress displayed The Kangaroo Sanctuary branding on their website, despite the shelter telling CHOICE they had no affiliation with the mattress company.
The sanctuary’s records show that they receive a monthly donation of $25 from Origin Sleep (the company’s registered business name in Australia), but Passmore-Barns says this does not justify the level of relationship implied on Origin’s website.
WWF-Australia became aware that Origin’s website was displaying the iconic WWF panda logo and asked that it be removed
“Even if it is them, we have not provided permission for them to add our info and logo to their website. I want it off.”
This is not the first time Origin Sleep has been loose with their charitable claims.
In July 2024, environmental organisation WWF-Australia became aware that Origin’s website was displaying the iconic WWF panda logo and asked that it be removed.
“WWF-Australia has never had a formal partnership with Origin Mattress and did not approve the use of WWF branding on its website,” a spokesperson told CHOICE.
Origin told us it has made donations to The Kangaroo Sanctuary and WWF, and it was not the company’s intention to create the impression of an official partnership. Origin has since removed references to these organisations from its Australian website, although they are still active on its Hong Kong and Singaporean sites.
In May this year, Singapore’s Competition and Consumer Commission (CCS) took action against Origin Sleep for sales that were promoted as “limited-time” with a countdown, when they had actually been running for nearly two years under different names.
Despite Origin committing to cease its misleading practices in Singapore, similar sales methods continued in Australia.
When we visited Origin Australia’s website between August and September, it featured generous sales of “up to 50% off sitewide”, with a countdown timer urging customers to buy before the offer ends.
Once the countdown timer expired, however, the same 50% off sale reset under a different name
We noted during this time that once the countdown timer expired, however, the same 50% off sale reset under a different name, like the “Father’s Day Sale”, “End of Winter Sale”, “Afterpay Day Sale”, “Sweet Dreams Sale”, all within the same month.
A close inspection of the fine print, however, revealed that the “baseline savings of up to 50% are calculated against the average prices of comparable brands and will continue after the timer ends”, with the promotion therefore representing no direct discount on Origin’s prices.
In April this year, the Federal Court fined Emma Sleep, another mattress company, $15 million for making misleading claims about their sales.
Emma Sleep admitted it falsely claimed products were discounted (such as “50% off”) when they were never sold at the higher price, and created a false sense of urgency by using a countdown timer, despite products continuing to be sold at the same or similar price once the countdown finished.
Origin’s seemingly limited-time promotion of 50% off had no direct discount on its products and continued under different names each time the countdown expired.
When asked about its own 50% off sale, Origin says “the countdown timer relates to the specific additional weekly promotion identified alongside it, rather than the ongoing baseline saving of up to 50%”.
“We have explained on our website that the baseline savings comparison (up to 50% off compared to similar brands’ average price) continues even after the timer runs down”. The promotion on Origin’s website has since been updated to “Save up to 50% sitewide vs Similar Brands”.
Many of us know better than to take a brand’s claims at face value, so savvy consumers might head to an independent review website to make sure they’re buying the best product.
Until recently, an internet search for mattress reviews might have led you to thebestmattress.com.au, where mattresses are “independently vetted for quality”. This website rated Origin Mattresses higher than any other brand.
A disclaimer, however, stated that the website’s operator shares ownership with Origin Sleep Australia Pty Ltd.
Although they claim to independently evaluate products, Origin’s mattresses score highest on each
CHOICE asked Origin how it ensures the independence of this site given its ownership. Origin responded saying it would ask thebestmattress.com.au team to remove the term “independent”.
Origin then claimed thebestmattress.com.au was owned by a separate legal entity that was an affiliate partner, contrary to what it had previously told us, and the site has now become inactive.
Despite this, thebestmattress.com.au also appears to operate several other mattress review sites including thebestmattressuk.com, top5bestmattress.com and bestmattresshk.com. Although they claim to independently evaluate products, Origin’s mattresses score highest on each.
We asked Origin why these websites did not disclose their relationship with the mattress company, but the company did not comment.
According to its website, Origin Mattress is owned and operated by Das Umbrella, a Singapore-based company that claims to “gamify e-commerce” and “hack growth”. We asked Origin whether these business strategies amounted to repeatedly misleading customers.
Origin told us “Origin Australia does not have a parent company. Das Umbrella is a separate legal entity”. According to Australian government records, ownership of Origin Australia is in the name of two shareholders based in Singapore, one of which shares a registered address with Das Umbrella.
As consumers, we should have faith that the companies we’re dealing with are not just making stuff up
John, Origin Mattress customer
In relation to the inaccurate claims CHOICE has identified, Origin told us “the suggestion that these human errors are deliberate is without basis”.
“Our marketing is intended to communicate the features, value, and benefits of our products accurately and clearly. We take any concerns raised about specific wording seriously and review our website content regularly, including with legal guidance where appropriate”.
Origin Mattress has displayed “CHOICE Recommended” badges on its website in the past, which CHOICE had licensed to Origin based on the brand’s Hybrid Mattress, which scored highly enough in our lab tests to earn the recommendation.
In light of the issues we have identified with Origin’s sales practices, CHOICE has decided to discontinue the licence agreement.
John, who brought the claims Origin was making to our attention, says accountability to customers is what drove him to spend his time investigating the business.
“As consumers, we should have faith that the companies we’re dealing with are not just making stuff up,” John says.
Full responses from Origin Mattress Australia
CHOICE: How would Origin explain the usage of The Kangaroo Sanctuary and WWF’s branding without the organisations’ permission, and claims to be partnering with One Tree Planted, who say they have no current partnership with Origin?
Origin’s response At Origin Australia, our focus has always been on selling the best sleep products, communicating their benefits clearly, and having a positive impact through charitable contributions.
Over the years, Origin Australia has supported a range of charitable organisations, including One Tree Planted, WWF, the Black Dog Institute, the Salvation Army and ReLove Australia.
For example:We donate returned mattresses to charitable organisations, including the Salvation Army, to help provide beds for people inneed and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Through a one-time donation initiative with ReLove Australia, we donated 1,247 mattresses with an estimated retail value ofA$1.5 million. (ReLove is a charity that supports people experiencing homelessness and domestic abuse.)
We have also made monetary donations to One Tree Planted, WWF, and The Kangaroo Sanctuary. We have since removed the three logos of the charities we have made monetary donations to.
Meanwhile, Origin Australia remains committed to supporting charitable causes where we believe our contributions can have a meaningful impact.
CHOICE: How would Origin explain the accuracy of claims such as “all our products have been developed by our award-winning British design team” that appears on Origin’s UK website, as well as “Product of USA” and “Designed in USA”, partnering with “local farmers who hand raise the wool we use”, which appears on Origin’s US website?
Origin’s response Origin is run by different legal entities in different countries. We will not be answering any questions with regard to the operations of entities in other countries, as this is beyond our scope, and CHOICE is unrelated to these foreign markets. Regarding any questions for entities in different markets, we will only point out that Origin products vary across markets. Mattresses in different markets have different designs & specifications and may be produced at different manufacturing centres.
CHOICE: Origin Mattress Australia’s website features logos including “Certified Eco-Friendly Corporation” and “Sustainable Design 2022 Award”.
CHOICE could not find any evidence of the existence of these accolades anywhere other than Origin’s sites. How would Origin explain these claims?
Origin’s response We’re proud to have received over 100 awards and editorial features across the world, including the ProductReview.com.au 2026 Award, Product of the Year Australia in 2024 and 2026, GQ Recommendations 2024-2026, Cosmopolitan Tested & Approved Award, and Red Dot Design Awards.
Following CHOICE’s enquiry, we conducted a comprehensive review of the 100+ awards & editorial features displayed across our website. We are happy to confirm that all of the 100+ features & awards are accounted for, except for the two badges highlighted by CHOICE (“Certified Eco-Friendly Corporation” and “Sustainable Design 2022 Award”).
These 2 badges were both put up around 2022. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to locate the original articles which had given these badges,so we have removed both from the site.
CHOICE: Origin’s website (and review sites) claim its products are OEKO-TEX certified [a standard given to materials free from toxic chemicals]. OEKO-TEX said this messaging did not comply with its strict advertising requirements. Origin also does not seem to appear on OEKO-TEX databases. How would Origin explain the use of OEKO-TEX branding on its website?
Origin’s response Regarding the OEKO-TEX®️ mark that was shown specifically next to our “Origin ChillMate Pillow”, this pillow is made in Australia together with local manufacturers, using Australian White Alpaca Blend and Suprelle Blue®️ filling. The mix-up occurred as Suprelle Blue®️ filling itself is OEKO-TEX®️ STANDARD 100 certified, hence the mark was placed for the pillow. However, the finished pillow has not been certified under this standard, so
the mark has been removed. Regarding Origin Australia’s mattresses themselves, the polyurethane foams used in our Australian mattresses are CertiPUR-US®️ certified.
CHOICE: Is the high frequency of inaccurate claims made on Origin’s websites a deliberate marketing strategy, given Origin’s parent company Das Umbrella’s aims are to “hack growth” and “gamify e-commerce”?
Origin’s response Origin Australia does not have a parent company. Das Umbrella is a separate legal entity. May we know where you got information that Das Umbrella is Origin Australia’s parent company, so we can reach out to the relevant party to correct this information?
Furthermore, the assertion that there is a high frequency of inaccurate claims is misguided. A clear example is that, out of Origin’s 100+ awards and media features, only two were found to not have clearly linkable source.
Also, the suggestion that these human errors are deliberate is without basis. Our marketing is intended to communicate the features, value, and benefits of our products accurately and clearly. We take any concerns raised about specific wording seriously and review our website content regularly,including with legal guidance where appropriate. If we identify any statement that is unclear, outdated, or insufficiently supported, we promptly clarify or correct it as we have within this collaboration with CHOICE.
CHOICE: Is Origin Mattress confident it is not engaging in false or misleading conduct under Australian Consumer Law, or similar laws of other jurisdictions? If so, please justify.
Origin’s response We take our responsibilities under Australian Consumer Law seriously and consult an Australian lawyer to help us understand and meet our obligations.
We are committed to complying with the laws in every market where we operate, communicating our offers clearly and transparently, and giving consumers access to genuine value and competitive deals.
CHOICE: Where are your mattresses manufactured?
Origin’s response We follow a similar manufacturing approach to brands like Apple: sourcing materials internationally and working with manufacturing partners across different countries to deliver the highest-quality products.
Origin Australia’s mattresses are manufactured in high quality factories in China, and shipped from our local Australian warehouses as seen in the “OurStory” page. Our Australian mattresses are specifically developed and adapted for Australian sleepers, taking into account local preferences, climate,and market requirements.
CHOICE: Explain what the relationship is between Origin/thebestmattress.com.au and the following sites: thebestmattressuk.com,top5bestmattress.com and bestmattresshk.com. Given the connection, why do these sites not display a disclaimer about Origin’s connection to them? Is it also appropriate that each of these sites claim independent evaluation in their reviews?
Origin’s response Origin Australia has 169 affiliates, and thebestmattress.com.au is one of them. This affiliate website (and the others) are operated by a separate legal entity from Origin. Just like any other affiliate, they earn commissions on qualifying sales, which they also disclose on their website. We will not comment on disclaimers that are shown or not shown by a separate legal entity on their own website.
Also, Origin mattresses receive “very favourable reviews” from a multitude of organisations & consumers worldwide, such as: Which? (UK’s largest independent consumer organisation), Good Housekeeping (one of the world’s largest consumer organizations), Red Dot Design Awards, GQ, Vogue,The Telegraph, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, T3, Product of the Year, and many more.
CHOICE: On the Origin homepage, there is a countdown timer next to the “Save up to 50% sitewide” message. Once the countdown finishes, it simply restarts, and in the pop-up text for the sale, it says “Compared to similar brands’ average prices. Baseline savings of up to 50% are calculated against the average prices of comparable brands and will continue after the timer ends”. This is not therefore the 50%-off sale that is implied. How would Origin respond?
Origin’s response The countdown timer relates to the specific additional weekly promotion identified alongside it, rather than the ongoing baseline price comparison.
The baseline savings comparison (by comparing against similar brands’ average prices) is separately explained in the promotional information and is calculated against the average prices of identified comparable products. We have explained on our website that the baseline savings comparison (up to 50% off compared to similar brands’ average price) continues even after the timer runs down.
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James is a journalist with CHOICE's editorial and investigations team, decoding complicated consumer issues and reporting on how corporations and businesses affect the lives of Australians.
He has previously created podcast series for We Are Explorers and Protect Our Winters Australia, and has published in Cosmos and The Citizen. James has a particular interest reporting on science, environmental and social issues, and was a recipient of a JEERA Ossie Award for his journalism.
James has a Master of Journalism and Bachelor of Science in Physiology from the University of Melbourne. LinkedIn
James is a journalist with CHOICE's editorial and investigations team, decoding complicated consumer issues and reporting on how corporations and businesses affect the lives of Australians.
He has previously created podcast series for We Are Explorers and Protect Our Winters Australia, and has published in Cosmos and The Citizen. James has a particular interest reporting on science, environmental and social issues, and was a recipient of a JEERA Ossie Award for his journalism.
James has a Master of Journalism and Bachelor of Science in Physiology from the University of Melbourne. LinkedIn
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