Sleeping Duck Vs Koala

Sleeping Duck Vs Koala: in this head-to-head comparison post we’ll analyze two of the best known Australian mattresses in boxes side by side. They both have a ton of great reviews and are both extremely popular. The are actually very different mattresses, and in reading through this comparison you’ll probably find one stands out to you more than the other.

Here’s an overview of Sleeping Duck Vs Koala to get you started:

	Sleeping Duck	Koala
Price	$799 - $1599	$750 - $1250
What Do They Make?	One Mattress Bedding Accessories	One Mattress Bedding Accessories Lounge Furniture
Construction	Hybrid: 2 Foam Layers And Pocket Coil Base	All Foam: 2 Foam Layers
Firmness	Customized To You, Can Have Different Firmness On Each Side Of Bed	Medium
Sleep Trial	100 Nights	120 Nights
Warranty	10 Years	10 Years
Australian Owned?	Yes	Yes
Made In Australia?	Foams Only	Yes
	READ FULL REVIEW	READ FULL REVIEW

Similarities

These are two mattresses that are quite different. However, there are a few similarities between them:

• Both are Australian owned companies offering generous sleep trials (100 nights for Sleeping Duck, 120 nights for Koala) with hassle free returns
• Both offer 10 year guarantees on their mattresses
• Similar prices (detailed price breakdown further down the article)
• Both use cooling comfort foams in the top layer

Differences

With their different construction and feel, Sleeping Duck and Koala have more differences than similarities. These are the mian ones:

• Sleeping Duck is a hybrid mattress (meaning it has pocket coils as its support core)
• Koala is an all foam mattress
• Only Sleeping Duck offers you options to customize your mattress firmness. This is done by changing around the foam layers in the top, or swapping them out for different ones if you don’t like the set up you initially choose (read more about how this works here)
• The Koala mattress contains their proprietary Kloudcell foam in the comfort layer
• Sleeping Duck has a bamboo cover, Koala has tencel (both are soft-to-touch, plant based fibres)
• Sleeping Duck is 31 cm high, Koala is 23 cm
• Sleeping Duck has been tested to simulate 10 years of sleep for 2 people, weighing up to 140 kg each. They’re the only company in Australia I’ve seen offering this sort of endorsement on their mattress
• Koala the brand is more strongly committed to environmental causes. They are members of 1% for the planet, and have partnered with the WWF to help protect Koalas

Sleeping Duck Vs Koala: Close-Up On Their Construction

Sleeping Duck:

The total height of the mattress is 31 cm, which is quite a lot deeper than many other mattresses in boxes you might be researching. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Sleeping Duck Mattress components:

Bamboo Cover (1 cm thick)

• Breathable
• Soft to touch
• Naturally antimicrobial

Sleeping Duck is one of the few companies I’ve seen to use bamboo in their cover, and I think it’s a big win. It will feel nicer than the usual polyester blends you’ll find, which don’t have the antimicrobial properties. However, the Tencel used in Koala will have similar properties so there’s no specific advantage here.

Hyper-Adaptive™ Foam (4 cm thick)

• Combines the pressure relieving property of memory foam with the buoyancy of latex
• Made in Australia

This foam comfort layer is the white one in the image above. It’s designed for maximum pressure relief with a fast response to body weight so you don’t sink too far into the mattress. It sounds like a very similar foam to the Kloudcell foam you’ll find inside a Koala mattress.

Customisable High Density Foam (6 cm thick)

• High density polyurethane foam controls the firmness, you can opt for medium or firm
• GECA seal of approval (this is an environmental certification – basically it means it’s passed tests to show it’s good for the environment and for you. Read more about GECA here.
• In the image above, this foam is purple. Please note that Sleeping Duck have recently made changes to their dyes and the medium is now light grey and the firm is now dark grey.

This is the foam layer that you can swap around or in and out to change the firmness of the mattress. It’s a higher density foam than the Hyper-Adaptive foam above, which means it has a firmer feel. If you leave it in the middle of the mattress (like I show above), it will act like a transition layer between the comfy Hyper-Adaptive foam and the pocket coils below.

5 Zone Pocket Springs (20 cm thick)

• 5 zone support to ensure targeted support for your body
• Pocket coils move independently of each other to minimize partner disturbance and ensure better support
• Reinforced edges

The zoning you’ll find inside the Sleeping Duck is a feature that in-store brands often keep as an up-sell for luxury mattress models, so it’s really good to see it here inside a reasonably priced mattress in a box.

Koala:

The total height of the mattress is 23 cm, which is slightly thinner than other all foam mattresses, which typically stand 25 -27 cm tall. Koala 8 cm shorter than Sleeping Duck, which has more foam and some extra height from the springs.

• Cover: As you can see, the cover has a white top and blue sides. The white top is Tencel Lyocell, which is a plant based fiber loved for its softness, breathability and durability. Koala uses Tencel sourced from Eucalyptus trees.
• Foam 1: 6 cm of Kloudcell foam. Kloudcell is the comfort layer of the Koala mattress. It’s a proprietary foam exclusive to Koala. It’s not a memory foam and it’s not a latex foam: instead, it’s been engineered to have the best features of both. It’s an open cell foam that’s breathable, a little bit bouncy, and pressure relieving.
• Foam 2: 17 cm of high density polyfoam for the base. This is pretty standard, and gives a nice strong foundation for the Kloudcell to do its thing.

You’ll find a lot of other mattresses in boxes have 3-4 layers, but Koala just has the two. However, the 6 cm of Kloudcell foam is generous and it’s a nice foam. If you want an Australian made all foam mattress that’s a bit taller, Hugo is another option.

Price Comparison

The prices listed below are RRP. You should note that mattress-in-box companies pretty much always have a deal going on. I’ve noticed that Sleeping Duck run less promotions than other brands, so you’re more likely to get a discount on Koala than you are on Sleeping Duck.

Which Is Better?

It depends on what you want from your mattress. Personally I would go for the Sleeping Duck because I think  you’re getting more mattress for your money, I prefer coils, and you can customise the firmness. Koala is a great mattress too though, and is one of Australia’s best rated.

Shop Koala If:

• You want all foam (which is better for motion isolation and is lighter to maneuver)
• You’re happy with a medium feel mattress
• You want the most eco friendly option

Shop Sleeping Duck If:

• You want coil support (stronger edges, better air circulation, more bounce)
• You want to customise the firmness on each side of the mattress
• You’d like the option to change the firmness after you’ve tried it for a while

Sleeping Duck Vs Koala: FAQ