Macoda vs Koala Soul Mate Mattress Comparison

With affordable prices, the Macoda mattress is a good choice for guests or kids. It tends towards a softer, medium feel, so lightweight sleepers are best suited to it. With memory foam and pocket springs, it’s good at reducing partner disturbance so it’s a great option for co-sleepers.

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.

The Macoda mattress is a good, affordable mattress in a box option. A hybrid mattress, it’s packing layers of quality materials including latex, steel pocket springs and cooling gel-infused memory foam. Customisable firmness levels mean you can choose the ideal feel for you, from soft through to medium and firm.

• The adjustable firmness levels, including soft, medium and firm.
• The layers of quality materials, including latex and gel-infused memory foam.
• The removable cover that can be spot cleaned to keep things fresh.

• The warranty is problematic in 2 areas (keep scrolling to find out where).

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.

The Macoda is a hybrid mattress which includes:

1. A 3cm latex layer for support and bounce.
2. A 5cm layer of gel-infused memory foam for cool, cushioning support that moulds to your body, plus pressure relief.
3. 3cm of high density support foam for a stable, quality support base.
4. 5-zone pocket spring foundation to reduce partner disturbance.

It’s also got a breathable, moisture wicking removable bamboo cover and edge support so you can sit on the edge without sliding off.  All materials in the Macoda are certified free of harmful chemicals and other nasties by independent testing organisations.

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 Macoda mattress has a 100 night trial. Macoda asks that you give the mattress 28 nights before asking to return it. If it’s still not for you, contact them via their online form or email address. Macoda will then arrange a free pick up and refund you once the mattress has been picked up.

In some areas, Macoda doesn't offer free collection. Instead, you’ll need to return the mattress to a ‘suitable facility’ (provided by Macoda) at your own time and expense. Once the facility has confirmed they’ve got it, your refund will be processed. Stained or damaged mattresses can’t be returned so always use a mattress protector.

Macoda’s 10-year warranty covers ‘any indentation in the mattress greater than 3.5cm that is present when no weight is applied to the mattress’. This is a huge indentation! Most mattresses in a box cover indentations greater than 2cm or 2.5cm at a push. Macoda also states that the warranty won’t cover ‘Any damage due to abnormal use or moving of the Macoda mattress, including the use of an inappropriate bed base’. Yet according to their own FAQ, you can even use the mattress on the floor so we’re unsure how they can then refuse any warranty claims about an inappropriate bed base.

Macoda offers free shipping Australia wide and it takes anywhere from 2-10 business days, depending on where you are. Delivery is available Monday to Friday and you can leave a note on your order if you want delivery on a certain date. However, Macoda admits that specific dates for regional areas might not be possible.

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.