6 Best Soft & Plush Mattresses in Australia for 2024
Get that ‘cloudlike’ feeling every time you head to bed with these soft and plush mattresses.
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There aren’t many things better than jumping into bed after a long day, especially when it’s topped with fresh sheets and a fluffy doona that perfectly crumples into a delicious hug that makes you never want to leave the confines of your bedroom ever again.
And a plush mattress might be the closest thing to sleeping on a cloud, while soft mattresses make a great match for those who want to relax their joints with that sink-in, cradled feeling.
Just ask our news.com.au checkout Editor Hannah, who switched out her spring mattress for a hybrid option for the first time with the Koala SE Mattress. She said the brand’s budget option was “soft but still supportive”, and even made her realise how unsupportive her old mattress since “waking up feeling more refreshed and less stiff”.
Another popular brand Emma Sleep also delivers with the Emma Comfort Essential Mattress, which reviewers are calling “super comfortable”.
“I’m sleeping better, sleeping much better with a partner, and am less sore in general. I was very nervous to buy a mattress online without trying it, but I’m so happy I did!” one reviewer raved.
OUR TOP PICKS
BEST SOFT AND PLUSH MATTRESS OVERALL
Yinahla Copper Gel (Double) Mattress, $3119 (down from $4159) at Yinahla
What You Need To Know
Prefer to invest more into where you sleep? This Australian-made pillow top mattress from Yinahla doesn’t skimp out on anything when it comes to finding the right plushness to support ratio.
It houses a nine-zone ultra coil pocket spring system to provide targeted support for many areas of your body, rather than the usual three zones many others offer. The mattress also features reinforced edges to improve durability and longevity, as well as minimise motion transfer so you’re not constantly waking up by your partner’s tossing around.
For cushioning, the mattress features a copper-infused gel memory foam layer and a five out of 10 score on the brand’s firmness scale to give that soft, cradled feel. The copper gel foam layer is also great for keeping cool since copper is naturally good at drawing out and dispersing body heat. It also works well with the visco foam layer in providing joint pressure relief and encouraging airflow throughout the mattress.
“Being small and elderly, the plush but highly supportive mattress is gentle on my shoulders, knees and hips. It is like sinking into a cloud,” an impressed reviewer posted.
“This mattress took a few nights to get used to after having something much more towards the plush end of the scale, but after that it has been excellent. You feel the softness on top but it is also very supportive across the whole body,” agreed another.
“(We) wake up with no soreness at all and being hot sleepers, this has totally changed everything by not waking up in the night in a bit of sweat like we used to. Well worth the extra cost to tick all those boxes.”
Origin Hybrid Pro Mattress, $1503.20 (down from $1879) at Origin
What You Need To Know
Having received over 30 international awards for design, innovation and value, including ‘Premium Mattress of the Year 2023’ in Australia and UK, the Origin Hybrid Pro is a popular choice for those in search of a good night’s sleep. A multi-layered design combines quality memory foam and premium steel springs, to provide enormous support and relief from aches and pains. Another standout feature is Origin’s unique advanced cooling system to help regulate the temperature and keep you cool and comfortable all night long. And best of all, it has a super plushy pillowtop that offers a silky cloud-like feel against the skin, as well as a layer of Australian wool below, to further increase air flow and breathability.
With a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Product Review, this award-winning hybrid mattress has attracted hundreds of positive reviews with customers raving about the quality of sleep this mattress brings.
“This mattress has been an incredible change,” wrote one happy shopper. “I get a lot of pain in my hips and lower back, and my old mattress had almost no support. Middle of the mattress is obviously most prone to sagging. This has been so great, the layers provide support in all the pressure points I need it, and it’s like sleeping on a cloud. I’ve just returned from holidays, and although I stayed in great hotels, I just couldn’t wait to get back home to my awesome Origin mattress!”
Another five-star reviewer said, “The Origin mattress is fantastic—comfortable, supportive, and cool throughout the night. My sleep quality has improved, and there’s no more back pain.”
BEST SOFT AND PLUSH MATTRESS FOR SIDE SLEEPERS
Koala SE Mattress, $950 at Koala
What You Need To Know
Sleeping on a cloud doesn’t have to break the bank or mean forking out more cash for a mattress topper. The Koala SE Mattress is the brand’s value option and boasts a fixed extra quilted topper to complement the 6cm Kloudcell Comfort Layer. It also features a three-zone support core design to target areas around the shoulders, hips and legs.
Our news.com.au checkout Editor Hannah Paine was originally a firm traditional spring mattress user but changed to a foam mattress fan after trying the Koala SE.
“I was a little afraid it wouldn’t be as supportive as my old mattress as I suffer from lower back pain from an old gym injury. On top of that I usually have a stiff neck at the end of the day from sitting in front of a computer for work (and let’s face it, from scrolling on my phone),” she mentioned in her hands-on review.
“But my fears were allayed after my first night. The Koala SE mattress’ Kloudcell layer was soft, but still supportive — it hugged me like a cloud and encased me gently, like a hammock. The quilted fixed topper was a plush layer that added to the cloudlike feeling. Sleeping on the Koala SE Mattress has now made me realise how unsupportive my old mattress was, as I’m now waking up feeling more refreshed and less stiff than I was before.”
RELATED: Koala SE mattress review – The bargain mattress that ‘changed my sleep’
Emma Comfort Essential Mattress, from $1520 at Emma Sleep
What You Need To Know
Boxed mattress brands like Emma Sleep have rocked the mattress industry with convenient free delivery services and, most importantly, long trial periods which let you test the bed for at least three months.
For a relatively wallet-friendly option, you can opt for the Emma Comfort Essential Mattress. It’s the brand’s revamped version of the original Emma Comfort Mattress and features both steel pocket springs and foam layers, along with arguably underrated additions like an anti-slip bottom layer for stability as well as a removable UltraDry Breathable Cover so you can do more than the odd spot clean to keep your mattress fresh and clean.
This hybrid mattress is a medium soft, scoring a five out of 10 on Emma Sleep’s firmness scale.
“Fastest delivery I’ve ever had,” praised one reviewer.
“Mattress was ready to use within six hours of unrolling. Super comfortable! I sleep mostly on my front and sometimes on my back. I’m sleeping better, sleeping much better with a partner, and am less sore in general. I was very nervous to buy a mattress online without trying it, but I’m so happy I did!”
BEST LUXURY SOFT AND PLUSH MATTRESS
SleepMaker Lifestyle Modena Plush 7 Mattress, $4299 at Myer
What You Need To Know
‘Plush’ can be a difficult firmness level to master but SleepMaker might have nailed the right balance with its Lifestyle range. Impressed shoppers call this super soft memory foam mattress a “great buy”, with fans particularly praising the quality build and comfortable feel. It doesn’t seem too hard on the joints either, according to some online reviews, which is a sign this option still provides enough support to make sure you’re not waking up with aches.
“Fantastic mattress! Feels like sleeping on a cloud. This replaced one of those boxed mattresses you order online and fair to say… (it) blows the other mattress out of the water in terms of support and comfort. Worth the spend,” praised a Myer shopper, rating it five stars.
“The perfect combination of plush but supportive... The delivery was quick and easy. Highly recommend. Wish I had purchased sooner!” a second agreed.
Another reviewer pointed out the “supportive and comfortable” mattress feels firmer at first, but softens after a week.
It’s worth keeping in mind plush mattresses are generally better suited for those with a smaller or lighter body frame, and people no mobility issues.
BEST SOFT AND PLUSH MATTRESS FOR COUPLES
Macoda Mattress, $1200 (down from $1300) at Macoda
What You Need To Know
Sharing a mattress can be a little tricky, especially if you’re looking for a softer mattress since it can end up feeling more plush than you expected. This can be down to natural wear and tear, as well as the weight of everything (and everyone) on the bed.
The Macoda hybrid mattress can comfortably support up to 300kg and scores a five out of 10 on the brand’s firmness rating scale, although you can unzip and flip the top inserts to get a softer or firmer feel.
Other features include a five-zone pocket spring base for support and pressure relief, and a cool-touch cover and airflow comfort foam for temperature regulation and breathability.
“We replaced a queen size innerspring mattress that we’d had for years with another online box mattress brand. However, that mattress (tagged medium) was much firmer than expected,” posted a shopper.
“We sleep very comfortably now, without the pain we experienced before. We do have a topper on it that we bought for the previous mattress – probably don’t need it, but the effect is like sleeping on a soft but supportive cloud – no partner disturbance and without the tossing and turning. Another big bonus is not feeling heat from the mattress, like the other brand.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN BUYING SOFT AND PLUSH MATTRESSES
Jumping into bed with the right soft or plush mattress can be hard, but here are some important factors we considered when compiling our top picks.
Firmness level
Plush mattresses and soft mattresses seem pretty similar, but there are some differences, with the main one being support levels. Plush mattresses feel cushiony but supportive whereas soft mattresses feature more of a ‘sinking in’ feeling and don’t usually have as much support. The plush option also tends to minimise motion transfer better than soft mattresses. Note different brands have their own firmness rating scale, so one soft mattress might feel different to another manufacturer’s soft mattress.
Factors like age, body type, existing joint or back issues, preferred sleep position and whether you’re a hot sleeper can also influence what mattress option to look for.
• Plush mattress: A plush mattress provides some level of contouring and support, plus a comfortable and cushiony feel.
• Soft mattress: A soft mattress also cradles the body, but has a much more sinkage and less support.
• Medium soft: A medium soft mattress still moulds to the body but has more resistance, which can be better for pressure relief.
Here’s a guide on which scores translates to each firmness level, based on the Sleep Foundation’s 10-point mattress firmness scale:
• Extra soft: one out of 10
• Soft: between two and three out of 10
• Medium soft: four out of 10
• Medium: five out of 10
• Medium firm: six out of 10
• Firm: between seven and nine out of 10
• Extra firm: between nine and 10 out of 10
Weight of the mattress
While you’re not carrying a mattress around the house everyday like a vacuum cleaner, weight is still important to consider since it can affect how easy it is to change the bed each week as well as transfer from your doorstop to the bedroom. Mattresses can typically weigh between 20kg and 60kg, depending on the size.
Weight capacity
The weight capacity refers to how much your mattress can comfortably hold and includes everything from bedding to pets and people. Exceeding the weight limit won’t immediately break the bed, but it will may slightly speed up the natural wear and tear process.
Body type
Did you know your body type can impact how comfortable the mattress is, including the firmness? People with a smaller or lighter body frame may find a firm mattress too hard and a soft or plush mattress just right, while heavier sleepers may find there’s not enough support and too much sinkage in softer mattresses.
Edge support
A mattress that’s too soft can make it difficult to get out of bed and edge support can make just as big of a difference. Good edge support will feel responsive and stable, and help prevent you from falling off the bed as well as maximise your sleeping surface and ensure a consistent feel overall.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
Our team of experienced writers spend hours researching products to include in articles. We find out what factors make a good product by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands of customer reviews.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHO SHOULD USE A SOFT OR PLUSH MATTRESS?
Plush mattresses are generally more suitable for side sleepers and lightweight sleepers.
• Side sleepers: Side sleepers might find the cushioning from a softer mattress easier on the hips and shoulders, whereas firm mattresses can end up putting more pressure on the shoulders and hips. If you have a traditional spring mattress, not a hybrid foam and spring mattress, it could be worth going a little softer compared to if you were buying a memory foam mattress.
• People with a petite or lightweight body type: Some people with a lighter body type might not get enough of the contouring they want from a firmer mattress, while a plush or soft mattress can cushion and mould to the body better.
WHAT ARE PROS AND CONS OF SLEEPING ON A SOFT OR PLUSH MATTRESS?
The advantages of plush mattresses, in particular, is that ‘cloud like’ feeling many of us want from a mattress and this is partly thanks to the cushioning and the way the mattress cradles the contours of your body. Plush mattresses are also said to have great motion isolation, making it easier to stay asleep when sharing the bed, although this isn’t something that can be said for soft mattresses.
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Soft mattresses also tend to be preferred by those who experience some back pain since firmer mattresses may not be able to compress as much as they would like.
The disadvantages of sleeping on a soft or plush mattress is that it can trap body heat, which isn’t ideal for hot sleepers, and more sinkage in the midsection of the mattress which can cause some discomfort (especially for back and stomach sleepers). Good edge support might also be trickier to find since softer mattresses have more of a sink-in feeling compared to firm mattresses.
Softer mattresses may also not be as durable or have as good longevity as firmer mattresses. Upgrading your sleep oasis? Sign up to our free weekly shopping newsletter to stay up to date on the latest sale events and deals, plus head to our news.com.au Coupons hub for discounts from retailers and brands like Myer, Koala, Emma Sleep, Bed Threads and more.