How to Choose the Right Mattress: A Complete 2026 Guide

How to Choose a Mattress: 6 Key Factors

Buying a mattress is one of the most consequential purchases you will make; Australians spend an average of 26 years of their life in bed, according to the Sleep Health Foundation. Getting it right requires evaluating six interlocking factors.

1. 1

   Identify Your Sleep Position

   Your dominant sleep position determines where pressure accumulates and how much contouring you need. Side sleepers place significant weight on their hips and shoulders, requiring a softer comfort layer (firmness 3–6) to prevent painful pressure points. Back sleepers need medium-firm support (6–7) to maintain the natural lumbar curve. Stomach sleepers risk lower back strain and need a firmer surface (7–8) to prevent the hips sinking out of alignment. If you switch positions, a medium (5–6) is usually safest.

2. 2

   Consider Your Body Weight

   Body weight affects how deeply you compress a mattress. Sleepers under 65kg will not activate the deeper support layers in many mattresses; they typically need a softer surface to feel any contouring. Sleepers between 65–100kg will find medium and medium-firm options perform as intended. Those over 100kg compress further into the mattress and need robust support layers (high-coil-count pocket spring or firm latex) to prevent bottoming out. A mattress that feels perfect in a showroom may perform very differently once you're sleeping on it nightly.

3. 3

   Determine Your Firmness Preference

   Firmness is rated on a 1–10 scale: 1 is extremely soft (like sleeping on a cloud), 10 is rock-hard. Most Australians sleep best somewhere in the 4–7 range. Critically, firmness is subjective, the same mattress feels softer to a lighter person than to a heavier one. Ask about ILD (Indentation Load Deflection) ratings when available, as these provide an objective measure of how soft or firm a foam layer is under a standardised weight.

4. 4

   Choose Your Mattress Type

   The core construction of the mattress determines its long-term feel, temperature regulation, and durability. Pocket spring mattresses use individually wrapped coils and tend to sleep cooler and more responsively. Memory foam conforms precisely to body shape but retains heat. Latex offers natural bounce with good temperature neutrality. Hybrid mattresses combine a coil base with foam or latex comfort layers, aiming to deliver the benefits of both. AI/smart mattresses use body-mapping sensors and adaptive zones to customise support in real time. See the comparison table below for a full breakdown.

5. 5

   Account for Partner Considerations

   If you share a bed, motion isolation becomes critical; a mattress that transfers movement will disturb your partner each time you shift. Memory foam and individually wrapped pocket springs both perform well here. If you and your partner have significantly different firmness preferences, look for split-firmness options or a king-size mattress where each side can be customised independently. AI smart mattresses with body-mapping technology, like the DeRucci T11+, can automatically adjust each sleeping zone to individual body profiles.

6. 6

   Evaluate Budget and Longevity

   A quality mattress lasts between 7 and 10 years. When evaluating cost, divide the purchase price by 3,650 (10 years × 365 nights) to calculate the cost per night. A mattress at the upper end of the market often costs less than $2 per night over its lifetime, less than a daily coffee. Cheaper mattresses may feel adequate initially but often deteriorate rapidly in the first 2–3 years. Warranties of 10 years or more are a reasonable indicator of manufacturer confidence in longevity.