Koala Soul Mate vs Emma Comfort Mattress Comparison

Honestly, at this price point the Koala Soul Mate mattress should be for everyone (*who can afford it). Though we say it’s more a master bedroom mattress than a guest or kids one.

It does seem to deliver a good night’s sleep for all types of sleepers. Because of the 5 zone support that’s specifically for your head, shoulders, lower back, thighs and feet, it works really well for side and back sleepers, helping ensure your spine stays in the correct alignment. The addition of the bamboo charcoal memory foam layer ticks both hot sleepers (it’s breathable) and bed-sharers’ (it reduces motion transfer) boxes.

Any type of sleeper who’s after a supportive, cradling night’s sleep might appreciate the Emma Comfort - especially if you prefer a firmer mattress. With its great ability to minimise partner disturbance, it’s ideal for co-sleepers.

The Koala Soul Mate has a lot of tech in it. For a mattress in a box, it’s more comparable to a shop-bought mattress which makes it very good. But what you get for the higher price point doesn’t bowl us over. You’re basically getting a bamboo charcoal layer and foam springs. Most sleepers seem to love it although it doesn’t always live up to its price, with a few people pointing out that for them, it’s not zero partner disturbance. If you’re looking for a firm, supportive mattress in a box and you’re happy on the higher end of the price scale, we reckon the Koala Soul Mate is worth a go.

• The oh-so supportive, cradling feel.
• That it offers a flippable firmness level between medium and medium-firm.
• Luxe feel, thanks to the 9cam sleeping surface plus 2cm quilted cover.
• Koala itself with their planet-friendly focus.

• It’s quite high (33cm) so you’ll probably need new sheets.
• No handles so turning and moving it is tricky.
• It’s heavy - the king weighs almost 60kg so handles would be even more helpful.
• That price though.

Thousands (literally) of Aussie sleepers reckon the Emma Comfort mattress is a very good mattress. Even CHOICE, Australia’s leading consumer advocacy group, named it as their top scoring mattress for 2021. This all-foam mattress is supportive and pressure relieving for all sleepers and sleeping positions, although some sleepers do find it very firm.

From our personal experience, we feel the Emma Comfort mattress is one of the best budget mattress buys on the market, just bear in mind it suits sleepers who like it firm.

• The removable, washable cover which is the only one we’ve found.
• It’s pretty light for a mattress in a box so it's easy to move.
• The lack of partner disturbance.

• Some sleepers (including Daniel, our tester) found it very firm (and borderline hard).
• The buying process isn’t the most streamlined.

The Koala Soul Mate mattress is a foam mattress with 5 layers. It’s sort of a hybrid because it’s got springs as well as foam. But these springs are foam, not steel.

1. A 9cm sleeping surface made of polyester and viscose which is designed to keep you at the right temperature, whatever the weather’s doing. This is topped by a 2cm quilted cover for that plush feel.
2. The same flippable comfort layer you’ll find in all Koala mattresses. It offers a medium-firm or firm feel.
3. A bamboo charcoal memory foam layer. As well as being antimicrobial, the memory foam is pressure relieving and helps air flow nicely around the mattress.
4. A layer of 5 zoned foam springs. This tripped us up, a lot. Foam. Springs. We consulted an engineer and apparently this could be a thing but it’s certainly not well known tech. The idea behind it is that the springs respond to all your body’s movements to give you support exactly where you need it.
5. Edge support so when you’re getting in and out of it, you won’t sink.

All the foam is polyurethane foam that’s certified free of formaldehyde and other nasties and is low-VOC (volatile organic compounds).

The foam Emma Comfort mattress has 2 layers:

1. A layer of Airgocell foam which is intended to minimise partner disturbance and is also moisture wicking to keep you cool and dry all night long.
2. A layer of supportive HRX foam to help your hips, shoulders and spine stay in their correct alignment. It’s also breathable to promote good airflow.

The Emma Comfort mattress has a removable and washable cover that’s 99% polyester and 1% elastane. It’s also got a side cover (100% polyester) and a bottom cover (87% polyester and 13% polypropylene).

Emma seems less bothered about environmental concerns than other brands, with information tucked away in the ‘quality mark’ accordion. There we found that every layer complies with OEKO-TEX® Standard 10 which means it’s free of harmful substances.

Koala offers a better-than-standard 120-night free trial period. If you’re in most areas of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, it’s good news: Koala will pick up your unwanted Koala mattress for free. If you’re outside these areas, you need to bring or send it to the nearest Koala warehouse, and they won’t cover any of these costs. Although they promise a full refund, note that delivery fees are non-refundable.

Koala ships for free nationwide, with optional weekend delivery costing $70. Delivery can be same day in metro areas. Outside metro areas, you’re looking at 1-15 business days. They have a delivery checker on their website so you can get a more accurate idea of how long it could take.

Like all 3 of their mattresses, the Koala Soul Mate mattress comes with an industry standard warranty of 10 years. Honestly, for the price you’re paying we don’t think it’s great that the warranty is the same as the 2 less expensive options. The warranty doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, which includes ‘softening of the product that does not affect performance’. This sounds a little subjective to us as your idea of your mattress becoming too soft they might argue isn’t performance related.

Emma offers you 100 nights to try the Comfort in your home. They do ask that you try it for at least 3-4 weeks before deciding if it’s right for you. If it’s not, simply email them to arrange a free pick-up - as long as you live within their delivery area. If you’re outside these areas (not listed on their website), you’ll need to take it to your nearest drop off location. Once it’s been picked up (or dropped off), Emma will refund you within 14 days.

You need to wrap it in its original plastic packaging ready for collection and it needs to be free from mould, dirt, stains, smells and bed bugs.

The Emma Comfort comes with a 10-year warranty that covers sags or dips that are greater than 2.5cm, cracks or hollows in the foam, a mattress that doesn't fully inflate within 2 weeks, and damage to the cover (but not normal wear and tear). To claim under the warranty, you need to email Emma with photos of the problem.

Shipping is free, Australia-wide. If you live in metro areas (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide) and order before 10am on a weekday, you should get it between 2 and 6pm that same day. Otherwise you can expect it within 2-7 business days. Tracking information is provided via SMS for metro areas, and via email for everywhere else.