The Highlights
Take Note
Why we love the Sleeping Duck mattress:
The Sleeping Duck Mattress is one of the most well-known and universally loved mattresses in Australia.
While on the pricier side, the extra dollars you spend are well worth it thanks to this mattress’s incredible level of customisation – with the Sleeping Duck mattress, you truly can make a mattress that suits your needs (and even the needs of your sleeping partner).
This review is based on the latest Sleeping Duck model released in November 2020 – Sleeping Duck Mach II Mattress
Look at any online reviews of the Sleeping Duck mattress and you’ll quickly come to realise it’s one of the most popular mattress in a box products in Australia. While it wouldn’t be classified as a budget mattress by any means, it certainly makes up for the bigger price tag in features, comfort and customisation.
Featuring a customisable, modular foam layer that can adjusted in 12 separate areas (6 on each side of the bed), the Sleeping Duck mattress goes above and beyond in its customisation capabilities – from whether you want a medium or firm overall, with a soft, medium or extra-firm micro-setting.
What’s even better is that you can have a different level of firmness to your sleeping partner, which is a truly unique feature of the Sleeping Duck. Ideal for front, side, back or combo sleepers, there’s not much not to love about the Sleeping Duck.
Who will love it?
- You want a highly customisable mattress: If you are someone who likes to have control over the firmness and softness of your mattress, a highly customisable mattress like the SD will be the perfect choice for you. With several layers that can be adjusted to suit your individual needs and preferences, you’ll find the ultimate fit.
- You need minimal partner disturbance: If you are someone who shares your bed with a partner, a mattress that isolates motion transfer and minimises movement can be a great solution. The SD has great motion isolation, so you and your partner can enjoy a peaceful and undisturbed sleep.
- All types of sleepers: Whether you are a side sleeper, back sleeper or stomach sleeper, the SD mattress can be adjusted to suit your preferred sleeping position. This means you can enjoy a comfortable sleep without having to worry about waking up with aches and pains.
Who should consider alternatives:
- You like traditional memory foam mattresses: If you prefer the sinking feeling and contouring support of traditional memory foam mattresses, you may not enjoy the customisability and firmness options of the SD.
- You want a budget mattress: Highly customisable mattresses can be more expensive compared to traditional mattresses due to the additional layers and materials used to make them. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly mattress, consider an alternative.
The Sleeping Duck Mattress Video Review
How firm is the Sleeping Duck?
The Sleeping Duck comes in two initial firmness options: medium, firm and half-half. Medium is recommended for side sleepers or front sleepers, while firm is recommended for back sleepers or for those with back problems. Half and half is for couples with different firmness needs. SD also offers soft and extra firm options which are custom made Precision Foam Pads available after purchase.
Is Sleeping Duck Mattress Good For Larger (100kg+) People?
The Sleeping Duck mattress can take a total weight of 280kg, or 140kg per person. So while it should suit most people, for those who are heavier or have a combined partner weight of more than 280kg, it might not be the best mattress for you.
What Does The Sleeping Duck Feel Like?
Thanks to its AntiGravity Surface Foam layer, the Sleeping Duck mattress offers excellent pressure relief with superior comfort and cushioning. With Variable Pressure Foaming, Sleeping Duck has created a mattress that adjusts to the microcellular structure of foam, giving the mattress softness and moveability that gently cradles the body.
Sleeping Duck Mattress Customisation
The Sleeping Duck Mattress has an incredible level of customisation, allowing you to choose the exact firmness level of the mattress that suits you (and your partner). When you first place an order, you choose either the ‘firm’ or ‘medium’ option. Also, on the initial order you can choose half-half (firm one side, medium on the other).
If after 21 days you aren’t completely happy with your initial selection, you can request from Sleeping Duck (at no charge) additional foam pieces to alter the firmness of your mattress. The additional pieces of foam can be soft, medium, firm, or extra firm.
Also, they’re also the only ones where you can change the firmness level on each side of the bed, meaning if your partner doesn’t like a firm mattress, they can sleep on a ‘softer’ side.
And for the record, no, you can’t feel the divide of the pads when you roll from one side to the other because it’s covered in a comfort layer.
Is The Sleeping Duck Cooling?
As with most hybrid mattresses, the SD offers great temperature relief throughout the night thanks to its BreatheTech cover made from naturally-cooling bamboo. Meanwhile, the pocket springs allow for sufficient airflow resulting in a cool and comfortable sleep.
How Is The Edge Support Of The Sleeping Duck Mattress?
The Sleeping Duck is a hybrid mattress with solid edges, meaning you can expect great support from this mattress. The coils are stronger than foam and can withstand heavier weight, even if you’re sitting on the edge.
Motion isolation
While hybrid mattresses typically are not as good at preventing motion isolation as traditional foam mattresses, the Sleeping Duck is somewhat different. With a thick foam cushion above the coil system, it blocks some movement and makes the mattress less responsive to motion in the bed. Meanwhile, its coils in the pocketed coil system aren’t interconnected, which actually reduces motion transfer and makes the mattress more comfortable overall.
How Is The Responsiveness Of The Sleeping Duck Mattress?
Being a hybrid mattress the SD Mach II is highly responsive – yet still holds strong in motion isolation. When sleeping with my partner, I can sometimes feel him move, but only if he’s very restless.
Motion Isolation: Is It Good For Those Who Share A Bed?
The SD mattress is great for couples, especially as you can customise each half of the bed to suit the sleeper’s unique needs. It does have a weight limit of 280kg, however, so heavier couples might opt for a mattress that has a better capacity to hold heavier loads.
Sleeping Duck Mattress Construction
The Sleeping Duck Mattress starts with a ‘BreathTech’ cover made from bamboo fabric, which has been specially designed for breathability and comfort. This cover is also removable (and washable) and is an important part of the SD mattress customisation process.
The BreathTech cover sits over an AntiGravity Surface Foam and ComponentAdapt Customisation layer underneath. The ComponentAdapt layer controls the firmness of this mattress, which is the layer that can be altered to suit your firmness preferences.
These two comfort layers sit over a ‘multi-zoned’ pocket spring system (dubbed the ‘Motherboard’), which can accommodate people of body shapes and sizes.
BreatheTech Cover
- Made from vortex spun bamboo yarn
- Maximum breathability
- Soft and silky to touch
- Removable and washable
Antigravity Surface Foam
- Made from high density AirGrown polyurethane foam
- Creates a feeling of weightlessness
- Porous and breathable
- GECA approved
ComponentAdapt Customisation System
- Made from high density AirGrown polyurethane foam
- Available initially in medium or firm
- GECA approved
Motherboard Multi-Zoned System
- Tailored support zones to suit specific parts of your body
- Springs act entirely independently
- Reinforced perimeter support
- Made from twice tempered steel springs
How Much Does The Sleeping Duck Mattress Cost?
| Sizes | Price |
|---|---|
| Single | $999 |
| King single | $1,099 |
| Double | $1,349 |
| Queen | $1,649 |
| King | $1,999 |
Shipping & Unboxing Of The Sleeping Duck Mattress
Sleeping Duck offers free next-day delivery to most Aussie metro areas, as well as many regional areas too.
In terms of unboxing, the SD in Queen is heavy. It weighs a whopping 52kg. Thankfully, however, it has a handle and wheels on the box for easing maneuvering. I’d still recommend getting a friend to help unbox.
SD is also the only ones to offer essentially a ‘white glove’ service where they will move their 52kg mattress into the room and take your old one away. Very handy.
Trial Period & Returns
SD offers a 100 night trial period with free firmness adjustments so you can tailor your sleep experience as you go. While there is no limit as to how many adjustments you can make, they ask that you try your firmness for 21 nights before making changes.
If after 100 nights you still don’t love the mattress, SD will coordinate your mattress collection with one of their charity or recycling partners depending on the condition of the mattress.
They’ll then notify you via email of your refund once they’ve received confirmation that the mattress has been picked up.
Sleeping Duck Mattress Warranty Information
The warranty lasts for 10 years and covers excessive body imprints only. In the general course of use, if you find the body imprint you have left on the mattress is larger than 30mm deep then SD will assess it as a warranty case.
The warranty does not cover:
- Normal body impression. A mattress has a break in period where it will conform to your body’s natural contours and weight. Essentially individualising itself to you. Up to and including 30mm is perfectly normal and is not covered under the warranty
- Changes in firmness preference. If over the course of use you find you are not sleeping well due to a firmness or feel issue, this is not covered under the warranty.
- General wear and tear
- Damage arising from shifting or moving the mattress. E.g. if you tear or rip any of the seams while rotating the mattress, changing the sheets or moving it in general.
- Damage arising from abnormal use, or abuse
- Odour (some of the materials used have a natural odour)
- Sheet fit
- Soiled mattresses
- Minor manufacturing anomalies e.g. a small tear that can be fixed with minor hand sewing
Addressing Sleeping Duck Mattress Complaints
There aren’t all too many complaints with the SD Mach II – it’s a very popular and highly rated mattress. In saying that, you can’t please everyone so here are some of the more common complaints:
Some suggested shipping took a lot longer than expected. Another complaint was that the mattress sleeps too hot. Others suggested they slept comfortably for the first few months, before having issues with sagging.
My personal complaint is that firmness level is not immediately changeable. While the SD is highly customisable BUT you have to custom order the replacement parts.
The replacement pads are completely free but it would be handy to be able to immediately change it. I suppose that it’s a good way to reduce waste… so I guess it’s a positive.
Final Verdict
As a hybrid mattress fan, I have to say the Sleeping Duck mattress really is a game-changer. I wasn’t totally satisfied with the medium level of firmness (although comfy, I prefer a super soft mattress). So, I decided to order additional soft foam pieces after 21 nights to really make my side of the mattress as soft as possible.
It definitely made a difference in comfort and I found I nodded off a lot faster. Meanwhile, my partner prefers a firm mattress, so he kept it in its original state and had no complaints after 30 nights (and probably slept better than he has in a while).
If you’re interested in learning more about Sleeping Duck Mach II, visit sleepingduck.com.
Get the best mattress reviews in Australia! Our detailed comparisons guide you to the perfect mattress. Discover top options at mattressreviews.com.au for a restful sleep.
Read more:
- What’s the Best Mattress for Sex?
- Best Mattress For Hot Sleepers in Australia
- What’s the Best Mattress for Back Pain?
- The 4 Best Mattresses For Tall People
- The Best Australian Mattress in a Box Brand
- Best Hybrid Mattress in Australia
Community Reviews