Sleeping Duck vs Koala Comparison 2022
- By: James Lee (Certified Sleep Coach)
- Last Updated On January 2, 2022
In the market for a mattress? Struggling to choose between Sleeping Duck and Koala? Well we’re not surprised: both are award-winning choices, ideal for the discerning Australian sleeper, but which is best for you? We’re here to help you find out!
Let’s put them both to the test and see which one makes a better fit for your bedroom.
Quick Comparison - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
Sleeping Duck Mattress
Why it’s great: An innovative modular design makes this hybrid mattress ideal for those with picky partners or specific night-time pressure points.
Best For
- Sleepers with specific firmness needs.
- Couples with differing sleep preferences.
- All sleeping positions [Back, Side, Front or Combo]
- Heavier folks.
Overall Score: 9.4
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Koala Mattress
Queen: $1,449 $945
Why it’s great: Unique Kloudcell foam technology makes this a mattress with a balanced feel. Bonus points for the company’s eco-friendly focus.
Best For
- Sleepers looking for a bouncy & responsive mattress.
- Environmentally conscious consumers.
- Back, front and side sleepers.
- Individuals looking for a made in Australia mattress.
Overall Score: 9.6
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Overview of Differences – Sleeping Duck vs Koala
Time is money, and we don’t all have money to spare! If you’re short on time, money or both, take a look at the core differences between these two products:
- Hybrid – The Sleeping Duck mattress gains elements of bounce, breathability and support thanks to its hybrid ‘foam and pocket spring’ design. In comparison, Koala’s just got foam; there’s not a spring in sight.
- Pressure Relief – While the Koala mattress opts for a balanced feel, the Sleeping Duck—particularly with its ‘firm’ option—is ideal for pressure relief and helping those with chronic pain issues.
- Eco-Friendliness – Koala is famous for its charitable pursuits and eco-friendly production processes. Sustainable materials, production processes that minimise environmental impact and a partnership with the WWF themselves. Oh, and who could forget how the company donates 1% of all of its proceeds to various environmental charities, including (obviously) those that help the Koala!
- Balanced feel – Not too firm nor too soft
- Supportive yet comfortable
- Eco-friendly
Table of Contents
Know what point of comparison you’re after? Skip around to a specific section with this table of contents.
Brand Info - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
While Sleeping Duck was founded in 2014 and Koala in 2015, both Australian companies have found extraordinary success in the mattress market, both having won ‘Good Design’ awards. Additionally, Sleeping Duck has earned a CHOICE ‘Recommended’ award three years running, and its owners famously turned down a lucrative $500,000 offer from Shark Tank’s Steve Baxter. Why? They cared about the company and wanted to grow it ‘right’. Koala has its own accolades to be proud of too, for instance, it was a proud winner of the productreview.com.au “Furniture and Bedding” award four years in a row.
Construction - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
Both mattresses offer GECA certified foams, meaning that they’re 100% free from harmful substances. Koala goes a few steps further, however, boasting sustainable, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood pulp for its natural fibres and a production process free from ozone-depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).
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Consisting of two foam layers atop a pocket spring base, all topped with a bamboo cover. In total, reaching 31cm high.
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Two Foam layers and two covers (one washable and removable) make up the Koala mattress, coming in at 23cm high.
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The naturally antimicrobial and breathable bamboo cover provides both cooling and comfort.
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The removable top cover combines 70% polyester with 30% Tencel (naturally sourced from the wood pulp of trees).
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A hyper-adaptive foam layer combines the pressure-relief of memory foam with the ‘bounce’ of latex.
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The inner cover is 100% polyester.
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The customisable, high-density polyurethane foam determines the mattress’ firmness—medium or firm.
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On top is Koala’s own Kloudcell foam. Ultra breathable and comfortable, this proprietary foam blend according to Koala, feels like “sleeping on a cloud”.
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A 5-zone pocket spring base gives this mattress its hybrid identity, aiding motion isolation, comfort and support.
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Finally, there’s a ultra-resilient Ecofoam support foam layer, providing superb motion isolation and spinal support.
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Comfort, Firmness and Feel - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
While Koala provides a relatively straightforward two-foam construction with a balanced “not too firm, not too soft” feel, Sleeping Duck’s mattress makes use of a unique modular design for a dynamic sleep experience.
Upon purchase, you’ll choose between a ‘medium’ or ‘firm’ high-density foam (or a 50-50 split on each side). Upon delivery, you can—if you want—choose to further customise your mattress with discrete foam modules, up to 5 on each side, making your Sleeping Duck mattress perfectly tailored to your firmness needs. This is ideal for targeting specific pain-points on your body. If, for example, your lower back needed more support than your shoulders, you could order a ‘firm’ module, free of charge, for your lower back and a ‘medium’ module for your shoulders.
Additionally, Koala’s mattress lacks the added support and reactivity of a pocket spring base. Some may find it a little ‘lifeless’ because of this.
Sleep Position Ratings - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
At a 6/10 or 8/10 on the mattress firmness scale (depending on which firmness option you choose), the Sleeping Duck mattress is ideal for all sleeping positions, front, back or side. Plus, with its modular design and pocket spring base, heavier folks can receive the spine and joint support they need here too!
Koala, with its ‘medium-firm’ design (roughly 6.5/10 on the mattress firmness scale), is intended for all sleep positions too. While this is mostly true, it does exclude heavier sleepers who may overpower the thin, bouncy Kloudcell layer and sink straight to the ultra-resilient ecofoam below. Not ideal.
Of course, the mattress firmness scale is purely subjective. You’ll have to try it out for yourself to determine how suitable a mattress really is for you: that’s what risk-free trials are for!
Sinkage, Bounce, Edge Support and Motion Isolation - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
Sinkage and Bounce
Koala’s mattress avoids any significant sinkage or bounce with its medium firmness and the combination of its latex-like Kloudfoam top layer and high-density Ecofoam support layer. By design, it’s a relatively neutral sleeping experience. For Sleeping Duck’s mattress, your levels of sinkage and bounce experience will depend somewhat on your firmness choice, although pocket springs will add an element of bounce regardless. All in all, the Sleeping Duck mattress is the more reactive of the two.
Edge Support
The Sleeping Duck mattress’ base layer is reinforced with steel gauge coil springs, meaning that it’s a force to be reckoned with in the edge support department. Is Koala prepared to face the challenge? No, not particularly. While foam does offer an adequate amount of sturdiness, the lack of dedicated edge support in the Koala mattress means that it doesn’t stand a chance.
Motion Isolation
Both mattresses offer strong motion isolation features, but due to its all-foam construction and ultra-resilient Ecofoam support layer, Koala just about comes out on top. Unfortunately, Sleeping Duck’s spring base causes a noticeable amount of motion transfer. This is, however, mitigated by the springs’ individually-pocketed design, meaning it isn’t too severe of an issue.
Shipping, Trials, Returns and Warranties - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
| Sleeping Duck | Koala | |
| Shipping | Free Australia-wide delivery. Next-day dispatch. | Free Australia-wide delivery (4 hours to Australian metro areas) |
| Trials | 100 nights risk-free (including free firmness module adjustments during that period) | 120 nights risk-free |
| Warranty | 10 years (covering sag of 3cm/1.2 inches or more) | 10 years (covering sag of 2.5cm/1 inch or more) |
Size and Pricing - Sleeping Duck vs Koala
In terms of price, both companies are operating in the same ballpark, although Koala just about wins out in offering a cheaper product. With that said, Sleeping Duck looks to be better value-for-money when you consider what’s packed into each mattress.
Sleeping Duck Sizes, Dimensions and Price
| Size | Dimensions (cm) | Price |
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Single |
92 X 188 X 31 |
$799 |
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King Single |
107 X 203 X 31 |
$899 |
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Double |
138 X 188 X 31 |
$1,149 |
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Queen |
153 X 203 X 31 |
$1,449 |
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King |
183 X 203 X 31 |
$1,599 |
Koala Sizes, Dimensions and Price
| Size | Dimensions (cm) | Price |
|---|---|---|
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Single
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92 X 188 X 23
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King Single
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107 X 203 X 23
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$850
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Double
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138 X 188 X 23
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Queen
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153 X 203 X 23
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$1,050
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King
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183 X 203 X 23
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$1,250
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Buyer Feedback
With an aggregated score of 4.8/5 on productreview.com.au, Sleeping Duck’s mattress is the champion of the people, although only by a small amount. On the same website, Koala’s sitting at a still impressive 4.5/5. What do buyers have to say?
Discussing their Sleeping Duck mattress, one Australian buyer, Casey, praised its pain-relieving qualities:
“Since I got my Sleeping Duck my quality of sleep has improved vastly. I’m no longer tossing and turning and waking tired and sore. I no longer wake with sore hips or shoulders and I feel so well supported when I sleep.”
Steph C. reports being made into a lifelong Koala devotee:
“Seriously the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever owned. We bought a queen koala mattress about 4 years ago and have never turned back!”
Final Verdict:
The Koala mattress may be slightly cheaper and sturdier when it comes to motion isolation, but for a smidge more money, the Sleeping Duck offers a well-rounded hybrid experience with bounce, support and cooling galore. Plus, with its modular design, you can target specific pain points and enjoy a sleep experience that’s tailored to both you and your partner.