5 Best Foam Mattresses in Australia for 2023
Or how to sink into a great night’s sleep.
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In this guide
If you just think of foam as the perfect topping to your daily flat white, friends you’re missing out. Foam is an essential part of a great night’s sleep which is why so many manufacturers include it in their mattresses. One of the most popular mattress types out there, foam, including memory foam, mattresses have plenty of sleeper benefits. These include pressure relief, minimal partner disturbance, and a gentle hugging sensation for all night support.
With so many options, how do you pick the right one? You read our guide to the best foam mattress in Australia. We’ll take you through what we think are the best memory foam mattresses currently available. It’s informed by hours of research, including hands-on testing.
The best foam mattresses in Australia
The Koala Calm As Mattress
Pros
- The supportive comfortable feel of the mattress.
- Customisable firmness level that can be flipped.
- The attention paid to keeping you cool on hot nights.
- Koala’s environmental and sustainability focus.
Cons
- It’s pretty deep at 29cm so check if your fitted sheets will work.
- No handles which makes turning and moving it tricky.
- It’s heavy, weighing up to 51.75kg for the king - those handles really would have come in handy.
Specifications
Looking for the best foam mattress? We reckon you can’t go too wrong with the Koala Calm As mattress. Koala’s had a bit of an overhaul recently, bringing in 3 mattress in a box options. The Calm As is their mid-range all foam offering.
It’s got 5 layers including a 7cm polyester sleeping surface, a flippable comfort layer which offers you a medium-firm or firm feel, a support layer with 3 support zones that are targeted to your important bits, like your back and shoulders, and a deep support layer which acts as the firmest core of the mattress.
Most people think that the Koala Calm As mattress feels more medium than medium-firm or firm, even with the flippable layer on the firm side. Because it’s packing 4 layers of foam, it feels really cushioning. There’s a definite sink factor with foam, but not so much that you can’t get out or sink for centimetres. It feels like being gently cocooned by your mattress. If you’re after a soft foam mattress, the Koala Calm As could work.
Koala has worked hard to make the Koala Calm As mattress as cool as possible. This includes the sleeping surface that’s made with COOLMAX technology. These polyester fibres are designed to wick away any moisture (er, sweat) so you stay cool and dry all night. The third layer has air tunnels to help air move freely around the mattress, which should also help on hot nights.
With the Calm As’ minimal partner disturbance and Koala’s commitment to environmental sustainability, we think the Calm As is a great foam mattress.
Choose this if…
You want a cool and somewhat soft night’s sleep from a great Aussie eco-friendly company.
Further reading:
Emma Comfort Mattress
Pros
- 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.
Cons
- Some sleepers (including Daniel, our tester) found it very firm (and borderline hard).
- The buying process isn’t the most streamlined.
Specifications
Unlike the Ergoflex 5G, the Emma Comfort mattress doesn’t contain memory foam. But it’s still a great all-foam mattress. Instead of memory foam, it’s got 2 layers of moisture wicking Airgocell foam and supportive HRX foam. Together, they deliver a cool, breathable night’s sleep that ensures your hips, shoulders and spine stay in their proper position. We also like that the Emma Comfort has a removable, washable cover to ensure your mattress stays sweet smelling.
Because there’s no deep top layer, it’s just straight onto foam, the Emma Comfort mattress doesn’t have that soft, plush feeling that traditional spring mattresses offer. Instead, it’s more of a gentle hugging sensation as it moulds to your body as you move. It has great pressure relief and is very supportive, whatever sleep position you’re in.
Most Aussie sleepers rate it as a medium feel, with quite a lot finding it firm to begin with. This was the exact experience of our tester (a side sleeper), finding the mattress really firm (almost uncomfortably so) to sleep on. If you’re looking for a soft foam mattress, the Emma Comfort won’t be right for you.
However, with a 100-night trial you can try it for yourself - or the other of Emma’s foam mattresses online. The Emma Diamond is a hybrid mattress, so it combines foam with springs.
Choose this if…
You want a firm foam mattress.
Further reading:
Ecosa Mattress
Pros
- Wide range of sizes, from single all the way up to super king.
- Flippable firmness layers so you can choose from anywhere from medium to firm.
- Proudly Aussie company that’s certified carbon neutral.
- Removable and washable cover.
Cons
- No handles (although the Ecosa mattress doesn’t need rotating or flipping).
- Some sleepers find it too firm, even on the medium feel.
- Returns can be hit and miss.
Specifications
The Ecosa mattress is a true memory foam mattress in a box, containing not 1 but 2 layers of memory foam. As well as cooling, cushioning memory foam, it’s got ergonomic support foam to ensure correct spinal alignment and to reduce partner disturbance. Unlike any other mattress we’ve reviewed, the Ecosa has a waterproof inner cover so any night time drink spills won’t stain or damage your mattress. It’s also got a removable washable outer cover to keep things fresh.
The great thing about the Ecosa mattress is that you can make it feel however suits you. It has flippable layers that let you choose from a medium, medium-firm or firm feel. Most Aussie sleepers think even on the medium side it feels like a firm mattress.
Because the top layer is memory foam, the Ecosa delivers that ‘sinking in and being held’ feeling. But it springs back as you move around so you won’t get stuck in one position. Thanks to the open cell design of the ECO-Tex memory foam, it’s slightly bouncy, like a traditional spring mattress (but without the squeakiness).
We really love that Ecosa is Australia’s first certified carbon neutral mattress company and they’ve got a great range of sustainability initiatives. If you’re looking to buy a memory foam mattress, we reckon the Ecosa mattress is a good choice.
Choose this if…
You want a memory foam mattress with flippable firmness layers from Australia’s first certified carbon neutral mattress company.
Further reading:
Onebed Original
Pros
- The adjustable firmness levels, from medium through to medium-firm and firm.
- The removable, washable cover to keep things smelling sweet.
- Quality materials, including latex and memory foam.
- Thousands of happy Aussie sleepers.
Cons
- Lack of details, including shipping and basic stuff like weight.
Specifications
We crowned the Onebed Original the best memory foam mattress in our guide to the best mattress in Australia. It’s not only got a layer of memory foam that gently contours to your body. It’s also got latex, for a gentle bounce and a cool night’s sleep. Plus, it has high density polyurethane foam to provide support for all sleepers.
Like the Ecosa, you can change the order of the top 3 layers for a firm, medium, or medium firm feel. If you choose latex as your top layer, air moves more freely around the mattress' surface, improving breathability. This means the mattress is coolest with the latex layer at the top. If you’re looking for the firmness of latex plus coolness, this is going to work. But if you’d rather have the hold of memory foam, you might have a slightly warmer night’s sleep.
Customisation and coolness aside, one of the other major reasons we rate it as the best memory foam mattress is the thousands of happy Aussie consumers. It also comes with a longer than average 15-year warranty,
Choose this if…
You want a customisable memory foam mattress that also has the benefits of latex.
Ergoflex 5G Memory Foam Mattress
Pros
Good for bad backs
An optimal firmness (medium firm) combined with 3 layers of memory foam makes this highly supportive for bad backs.
Premium materials
You’ll find the highest graded foam density of any mattress in a box in the Ergoflex 5G. This should ensure your mattress lasts.
3 layers of foam
Memory foam shapes to your body, supporting you whatever sleeping position you're in. The bottom 9cm layer of foam acts as support for the layers above, ensuring it stays firm for its entire life.
Keeps you cool
The middle layer aims to stop heat building in your mattress and keep air flowing around it so you stay cool on hot nights.
Antibacterial removable cover
If you’ve got allergies, or want to keep things clean, the removable cover is machine washable and naturally antibacterial (it’s made with Tencel).
Mattress-in-a-box pioneers
They’ve been around longer than their 10-year warranty and were the first brand to deliver their mattresses in a box. They know their stuff.
Cons
Price
Starting from $949 and going up to $1,799, they’re not the most affordable mattresses we reviewed.
No handle
Even with the premium materials, the basics are overlooked - like a handle.
1 firmness
It’s medium-firm only (although our research shows this is ideal for back pain).
30-night trial
You get just 30 nights to try it which is the lowest trial period we found.
Specifications
The Ergoflex 5G is a memory foam mattress that’s packing a top 9cm layer of memory foam. This moulds to your body, providing plenty of support and minimising partner disturbance.
As well as a memory foam top layer, this all foam mattress includes a 5cm airflow layer. As the name suggests, this layer allows air to circulate freely around the mattress for a cool night’s sleep. The final layer is another 9cm layer of foam. This provides a firm, supportive base for this quality foam mattress.
Unlike some of their competitors, Ergoflex has been around longer than the 10-year warranty of their product: this mattress was originally designed in 2006. Plus, they were the first manufacturer to deliver mattresses in a box. They’re true mattress-in-a-box pioneers. They’re loved by Aussies too, where they rack up almost 5 stars from over 1,500 reviews on ProductReview.com.au. It does only have a 30-night trial however.
Choose this if…
You want the original memory foam mattress in the box.
How we picked the best foam mattresses
Picking the best foam mattress involved looking at a range of factors, like:
- Type of mattress: every mattress in our guide is an all foam construction. There aren’t any hybrids, which combine foam with pocket springs. (We’ve got a separate guide to hybrids if you’re interested in those.)
- Materials: we wanted some mattresses with memory foam in them, and some without. Memory foam, with its contouring, hugging sensation, doesn’t work for every sleeper.
- Type of foam: as well as memory foam, we wanted to include other foam types, including gel-infused foam which can help with a cooler night’s sleep. We even threw some latex in there.
- Real Aussie sleepers: we sifted through hundreds of foam mattress reviews to see which mattresses delight Aussie sleepers.
- That special something: with so many foam mattresses on the market, we paid attention to brands that offered something extra. Like Onebed’s slightly longer than average warranty and Ecosa and Koala’s environmental focus.
Are foam mattresses any good?
Foam mattress can be really good, for the right sleeper. The 2 things that stand out about foam mattresses, and especially memory foam, is that they’re great at relieving pressure and reducing partner disturbance. Side sleepers especially might love foam mattresses, because foam contours to your body, providing plenty of support and pressure relief to your hips and shoulders. The same goes for people who suffer joint pain.
Co-sleepers will enjoy a foam mattress as it absorbs motion, so you’re less likely to be disturbed by your partner’s movements.
But if you don’t enjoy the feeling of being closely held by your mattress and you’d rather feel like you were sleeping on your bed, not in your bed, a foam mattress might not be right for you. Foam mattresses don’t tend to be that responsive either and edge support can be hit and miss. Plus, cheap mattresses can use lower quality foams to bulk them up which will quickly sag, form indentations, and lose their shape.
How much does a foam mattress cost?
Most foam mattresses online cost from around $900 for a single up to around $1,500 for a king. This is full price though and most mattress in a box retailers have regular sales.
How long will a foam mattress last?
It’s standard for most foam mattresses to come with a warranty of at least 10 years. Some, like the Onebed Original’s 15 years, come with a longer warranty. You can expect that body impressions and sagging will develop over time. These can be influenced by how much stress your mattress is under, like your size and weight, and if you’re an individual or co-sleeping with another adult or with children or pets. It also comes down to the quality of the materials and how dense the foam is near the surface.
To help ensure a long mattress life, rotate your mattress at least every 6 months, mix up where you sleep on the bed, use a supportive bed frame, and invest in a mattress protector to avoid damaging the foam with liquid spills.
Check your mattress warranty to see how deep an impression / sag must be for the warranty to kick in - most warranties won’t cover anything less than 2cm.
More expensive mattresses tend to be packing more quality foam which usually means they last longer. This is helped by taking proper care of your mattress too.
Do foam mattresses sleep hot?
Because foam mattresses are so solid and dense, airflow and heat retention can be an issue meaning that they can feel warmer than other mattress types. This is especially true for memory foam which contours to your body, stopping air from moving freely.
However, manufacturers are aware of this and have tried to address it. That’s why you’ll see gel-infused foam and open cell design to help air circulate and stop heat building up in the mattress.