When is the best time to buy a mattress in Australia?

The short answer: The biggest mattress sales in Australia cluster around Black Friday and Cyber Monday in late November, Boxing Day and the January sales, and the end of the financial year in June. Long weekends bring smaller events through the rest of the year. But many mattress brands, especially online ones, run some kind of discount most of the time — so the useful comparison is the price in the weeks before a sale, not the struck-through price on the day. And if your current mattress is hurting you, the saving from waiting months is rarely worth it.

The Australian mattress sales calendar

When	Event	What to expect
Late December to January	Boxing Day and January sales	One of the biggest periods of the year, often running well into January
Late January	Australia Day long weekend	A shorter promotion for many retailers
March to April	Easter, and Labour Day in some states	Long-weekend sales; Labour Day dates vary by state
May	Mother’s Day; Labour Day in Queensland and May Day in the NT	Bedding and bundle offers, and long-weekend sales in those two
June	End of financial year (EOFY), King’s Birthday long weekend in most states	Major sales as retailers clear stock before 30 June
September	Father’s Day	Smaller promotions
October	Labour Day in NSW, the ACT and SA	Long-weekend sales in those states
November	Singles’ Day (11 November), Click Frenzy, Black Friday, Cyber Monday	The largest online sales of the year for many brands
December	Christmas	Pre-Christmas offers, leading into Boxing Day

The pattern is consistent: the deepest discounts tend to land in late November, around Boxing Day and in June. We track Black Friday offers each year on our Black Friday mattress sales page.

Why “on sale” is normal for mattresses

Many mattress brands — particularly those that sell online — show a discount most weeks of the year. Sometimes it is a percentage off, sometimes a bundle with pillows or a protector, sometimes a code. That does not make the offers fake, but it does change what a “sale” means. The question to ask is not “how much is it off?” but “is this lower than what I could have paid last month?”

Australian Consumer Law has something to say here. The ACCC’s position is that a “was” price in a two-price comparison has to be a price the product was genuinely offered at for a reasonable period before the sale, and it has taken action against retailers whose advertised savings were worked out from prices that were never really charged. A struck-through price is a claim; you are entitled to check it.

How to check a discount is real

• Watch the price for a few weeks. If you know roughly which mattress you want, check it now and then before a big sale. A screenshot with the date is enough.
• Compare in the size you want. Advertised prices usually start from the smallest size, and discounts are not always the same across sizes. Our size guide explains why Queen is the fair comparison.
• Value a bundle at what it is worth to you. Free pillows are only a saving if you were going to buy pillows. A protector is useful almost always — see why.
• Check whether the sale changes the terms. Clearance, floor stock and some sale items can come with a shorter trial, no trial, or different return conditions. Read them before you pay.
• Compare the whole delivered price. Delivery, carrying to the room and removal of the old mattress can be free in one place and charged in another.

Buying outside the big sales

If you need a mattress in March, you do not have to pay full price. Many brands run regular promotions between the big events, and some retailers will match a competitor’s advertised price on the same product. In a store, it is reasonable to ask whether the price is the best they can do, especially on floor stock or an end-of-line model. Signing up to a brand’s newsletter often brings a code, although you may want a separate email address for it.

When not to wait

A mattress that is giving you a sore back or broken sleep costs more in bad nights than a sale will save. If yours is clearly worn out — see the signs — buy when you are ready and use the sleep trial to make sure you chose well. A trial is worth more than a discount if it saves you from living with the wrong mattress.

Buying shortly before a big sale also has a fallback. Some retailers will refund the difference if the price drops within a set period after you buy; ask before you pay, and keep the receipt.

Common questions

Is Black Friday or Boxing Day better for mattresses?
Both are among the biggest sales of the year and discounts are often similar. Black Friday tends to be stronger online; Boxing Day sales usually run longer. If you have a specific mattress in mind, compare its price in each.

Are EOFY mattress sales worth waiting for?
EOFY is a major sale period, alongside Black Friday and Boxing Day. If your purchase can wait until June, it is a sensible time to buy.

Why is the same mattress always on sale?
Many brands price with a permanent or near-permanent promotion. Compare the sale price with what it sold for in recent weeks rather than with the struck-through price.

Do sale mattresses still get a sleep trial?
Usually, but not always. Clearance and floor stock in particular can be excluded, so check the terms before you buy.