The Australian Mattress Survey 2018
New Technology
VS
Old Technology
Main Finding: Australians still put the traditional spring mattress as their top choice & the new-technology memory foam mattress a budding second.
833
Respondents
August
12-15 2018
All Australian states and territories except Jervis Bay
Two Questions Were Asked:
1) What type of mattress to do you have?
2) How old is the mattress you are using
Skip to All Key FindingsWhat type of mattress do you own?
Memory Foam
15%Popular with age groups
18-24 and 25-34
Spring
69%Popular with age groups
35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65+
It is also interesting to note that a significant bulk of the respondents came from age groups 45-54 years old and 55-65 years old. Spring, a traditional mattress material, may appeal more to the older age groups than a new mattress technology such as memory foam.
How old is the mattress you're using?
Mattress Age: South Australia
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 3% | 3% | 27% | 16% | 14% |
| Memory Foam | 9% | 0% | 6% | 5% | 0% |
| Latex | 0% | 1% | 1% | 5% | 1% |
Most people in Southern Australia use spring and memory foam type mattresses while a small percentage use latex-made ones.
Five other Australian states follow the same trend as South Australia. These are New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, and Northern Territory wherein spring-type and memory foam mattresses are two of the most popuplar.
Mattress Age: New South Wales
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 80% | 37% | 71% | 81% | 77% |
| Memory Foam | 0% | 26% | 20% | 9% | 8% |
| Latex | 10% | 32% | 7% | 6% | 15% |
Mattress Age: Victoria
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 39% | 50% | 67% | 86% | 73% |
| Memory Foam | 33% | 42% | 15% | 11% | 7% |
| Latex | 6% | 8% | 15% | 0% | 7% |
Mattress Age: Queensland
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 67% | 63% | 69% | 81% | 75% |
| Memory Foam | 25% | 19% | 22% | 16% | 19% |
| Latex | 8% | 13% | 9% | 3% | 0% |
Mattress Age: Tasmania
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 62% | 73% | 70% | 79% | 100% |
| Memory Foam | 31% | 9% | 11% | 7% | 0% |
| Latex | 0% | 9% | 7% | 4% | 0% |
Mattress Age: Northern Territory
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 64% | 53% | 67% | 85% | 100% |
| Memory Foam | 21% | 32% | 22% | 9% | 0% |
| Latex | 0% | 5% | 4% | 6% | 0% |
Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory deviated a bit from the trend it came to their second ranked choices. Spring type mattresses are still the most popular in these states but the second choice are latex mattresses instead of memory foams.
Mattress Age: Western Australia
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 50% | 58% | 73% | 81% | 75% |
| Memory Foam | 13% | 33% | 18% | 11% | 5% |
| Latex | 13% | 8% | 9% | 4% | 5% |
Mattress Age: Australian Capital Territory
Type of MattressType |
Age of Mattress |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year |
1 - 2 years |
2 - 5 years |
5 - 10 years |
10+ years |
|
| Spring | 50% | 50% | 69% | 63% | 76% |
| Memory Foam | 25% | 25% | 12% | 22% | 12% |
| Latex | 25% | 25% | 12% | 15% | 0% |
Key Findings
Age Influences Mattress Choice
Age may play a role in the type of mattress selected. Since the bulk of the respondents were from older age groups, it is quite expected of them to purchase the more traditional option that has established itself in the mattress industry for years now.
Younger age groups, on the other hand, are technology-savvy and possibly more open to new mattress technologies.
Memory Foam Is Still Gaining Popularity
It is also important to note that memory foam mattresses are currently dominated by mattress-in-a-box companies in Australia. Mattresses-in-a-box only started gaining popularity in the last 3-5 years – tying it with the finding that most people who own spring mattresses have had it for 5 years or longer.
Conversely, people who own a memory foam mattress are more likely to be new owners whose mattresses were bought from recently-launched mattress-in-a-box companies.