Skip to content
We earn advertising and referral fees from many of the brands we rank, and those fees affect where they appear.

Top3 Mattress compares mattresses sold in Australia, and we make our money when a reader buys through one of our links. Brands pay us advertising and referral fees, and those arrangements affect which mattresses we cover and how high they sit in our rankings. Some mattresses here have no arrangement with us at all.

Every mattress is scored against the same ten published criteria, and each of the ten scores is shown alongside the total. What those criteria measure, and how the total is set, are laid out on our How we rate page. The work behind the scores is desk work: we read published specifications, warranty documents and trial terms, and cross-check them against each manufacturer's own pages. We do not buy these mattresses and sleep on them, and no score here comes from in-home testing.

We do not cover every mattress sold in Australia, and the ones we can earn a commission on are more likely to be among the ones we do cover. Prices, trial lengths and warranty terms change without notice, so check the brand's own page before you buy. A ranking here is not a guarantee about a product and not an endorsement of it. Our full terms are set out in the Terms of use.

Head to head

Koala vs TEMPUR

Both are all-foam, but Koala is cheaper to get into, thicker, flippable between two firmnesses, and comes with a 120-night trial and free returns. TEMPUR is medium only, 20 cm deep, and has no sleep trial at all — what it offers instead is TEMPUR's own material at the lowest price TEMPUR sells it, and a warranty stated as full replacement rather than pro-rata.

Direct Verdict & Recommendation Answer-First Comparison

The Short Answer: Which mattress should you choose?

Both are all-foam, but Koala is cheaper to get into, thicker, flippable between two firmnesses, and comes with a 120-night trial and free returns. TEMPUR is medium only, 20 cm deep, and has no sleep trial at all — what it offers instead is TEMPUR's own material at the lowest price TEMPUR sells it, and a warranty stated as full replacement rather than pro-rata.

  • Price Advantage: Koala starts lower at From $890.
  • Cooling & Airflow: Koala leads cooling with a score of 7.5/10.
  • Trial Guarantee: Koala gives 120 nights vs TEMPUR with No sleep trial.

Key differences at a glance

Build & Feel

Construction & Alignment

Koala: All-foam (Flippable — Medium-firm / Firm (7/10))

TEMPUR: All-foam (TEMPUR Material) (Medium)

Comfort Scores

Cooling & Motion Transfer

Koala: Cooling 7.5/10, Motion 9.4/10

TEMPUR: Cooling 7.2/10, Motion 9.2/10

Purchase Terms

Trial, Price & Warranty

Koala: From $890 · 120 nights trial · 10 years warranty

TEMPUR: From $1,799 · No sleep trial trial · 10 years (full replacement) warranty

The differences that matter

Koala compared with TEMPUR
Specification Koala TEMPUR
Entry price From $890 (better of the two) From $1,799
Sleep trial 120 nights (better of the two) No sleep trial
Warranty 10 years 10 years (full replacement)
Overall score 9.2 (better of the two) 8.5
Cooling score 7.5/10 (better of the two) 7.2/10
Motion isolation score 9.4/10 (better of the two) 9.2/10
Edge support score 7.3/10 7.4/10 (better of the two)
Firmness Flippable — Medium-firm / Firm (7/10) Medium
Construction All-foam All-foam (TEMPUR Material)
Height / Profile 25 cm 20 cm
Key materials TENCEL Lyocell cover, 7 cm Kloudcell comfort layer, 3-zone high-density support foam, Zero Disturbance technology TEMPUR Adapt material, DuraBase support layer, Washable cover
Delivery & returns Free delivery (exclusions apply) —

Scores, pricing, trials and warranties highlight the category leader. Firmness, materials and profile dimensions are listed as individual sleeping preferences rather than absolute winners.

Koala vs TEMPUR in practice

Two kinds of foam

TEMPUR Ease 20 is built on TEMPUR Adapt material over a DuraBase support layer, the pressure-relieving foam the brand is known for, and it comes in medium only. Koala uses a 7 cm Kloudcell comfort layer over 3-zone high-density support foam, and it flips: medium-firm on one side, firm on the other.

Height and weight

Koala is 25 cm deep and TEMPUR Ease 20 is 20 cm, so the TEMPUR has less comfort layer to work with. It is also light. A queen weighs 25.8 kg, which two people can carry without trouble.

Trial and warranty

Koala gives you 120 nights at home with free returns. TEMPUR has no sleep trial: neither TEMPUR nor the retailer offers one, so a store is where you try it. TEMPUR's 10-year warranty is stated as full replacement for the whole term, not pro-rata, though it does not publish the indentation depth a claim is judged against. Koala's warranty is also 10 years.

Final recommendation: Which one is right for you?

These two suit different sleepers. Use the criteria below to match your body type, sleeping position and temperature needs to the right choice.

Choose Koala if…

You want a trial, a choice of firmness, or simply more mattress for less money.

Check Koala price

Choose TEMPUR if…

TEMPUR material is specifically what you are after and medium is the feel you want.

Check TEMPUR price

Pros and cons, side by side

Koala

Pros

  • Flippable firmness — change your mind without sending it back
  • The 120-night trial includes free returns
  • CHOICE Recommended and ProductReview.com.au awards 2023–2025 — given to the Koala range, not to this model alone
  • All-foam build with Zero Disturbance makes it strong for couples

Cons

  • All-foam, so it runs warmer than a spring hybrid
  • Only five sizes — no Long Single or Super King
  • Three support zones, where Emma, Origin and Newentor use seven
  • At $1,249 for a Queen it is priced well above budget boxed mattresses

TEMPUR

Pros

  • The warranty is stated as full replacement for the whole ten years, not pro-rata
  • TEMPUR’s own material is the reference point for pressure-relieving foam, and this is the cheapest way into it
  • The cover unzips and washes at 30 °C
  • Seven retailers stock it, so you can shop the price rather than take one seller’s number

Cons

  • There is no sleep trial at all — neither TEMPUR nor the retailer offers one
  • Medium is the only feel, so if it is wrong for you there is nothing to switch to
  • At 20 cm there is less comfort layer to work with than in a typical 25–30 cm build
  • The warranty does not publish an indentation depth, so the test a claim is judged against is not stated

Koala vs TEMPUR: Frequently Asked Questions

Is TEMPUR better than Koala?

It depends what you are paying for. TEMPUR Ease 20 gets you TEMPUR's own pressure-relieving material in one medium feel, with a 10-year full-replacement warranty and no sleep trial. Koala is all-foam as well, flips between medium-firm and firm, and comes with a 120-night trial and free returns.

Does TEMPUR have a sleep trial in Australia?

Not on the Ease 20. Neither TEMPUR nor the retailers that stock it offer one, so a store is the place to try it. Seven Australian retailers carry it, which at least lets you compare prices before you buy.

Is Koala or TEMPUR better for side sleepers?

Medium to medium-soft is the usual starting point for side sleepers, so on Koala begin with the medium-firm side. TEMPUR's medium feel and pressure-relieving material suit side sleeping too, but with one feel and no trial there is nothing to switch to if it turns out wrong.

Is Koala or TEMPUR better for back support and spinal alignment?

Koala: All-foam, firmness Flippable — Medium-firm / Firm (7/10). TEMPUR: All-foam (TEMPUR Material), firmness Medium. As a general rule, zoned pocket-spring hybrids push back more under the lower back and hips, while all-foam builds contour more closely around the shoulders and hips. Firmness preference matters as much as construction.

Which mattress sleeps cooler in Australian climates: Koala or TEMPUR?

Koala scores higher for cooling: 7.5/10 against 7.2/10 for TEMPUR. The cooling score is our assessment of each brand's published materials and construction; we do not run temperature tests.

How do the trial periods and warranties compare between Koala and TEMPUR?

Koala: sleep trial 120 nights; warranty 10 years. TEMPUR: no sleep trial; warranty 10 years (full replacement). Trial conditions such as minimum nights, return fees and delivery areas differ between brands, so read each brand's terms before you buy.

Other match-ups

Want a third column? Build your own comparison with up to three mattresses.