Sleeping Duck Mach 2 vs Ausbeds Cooper: an honest comparison

The Sleeping Duck Mach II and the Ausbeds Cooper are both very firm hybrid mattresses, and they're $300 apart in a Queen: $1,649 for the Mach II and $1,950 for the Cooper. The real differences are what's inside, and which parts you can swap or replace over the years.

• Sleeping Duck Mach II: polyurethane foam layers, including a firmness insert you can swap, over steel pocket springs. It comes rolled in a box, delivery is free to most of Australia, and returns are free during the 100-night trial.
• Ausbeds Cooper: 5cm of natural latex and 2.5cm polyurethane foam over firm honeycomb pocket springs. Every part inside can be adjusted or replaced, and you get a 7-month trial.

Choose the Mach II if you want the lower price, mattress-in-a-box convenience, free returns and half-half foam inserts for couples.

Choose the Cooper if you want natural latex instead of an all-polyurethane foam comfort layer, more conforming springs and full modularity, so you can adjust or replace parts as they wear out.

Sleeping Duck Mach II vs Ausbeds Cooper at a glance

Here's how they line up, using each brand's listed prices in November 2026.

What's inside each mattress

Sleeping Duck Mach II

From the top:

• BreatheTech cover: knitted from bamboo yarn. It's removable and washable.
• AntiGravity surface foam and comfort foam: high-density AirGrown polyurethane foam layers, with a bamboo yarn layer between them.
• Foam insert: the layer you swap to change the feel. You choose Medium or Firm when you order, and Sleeping Duck can send Soft or Extra Firm inserts during the trial.
• Spring unit: 5-zone steel pocket springs, with reinforced perimeter springs along the edges.

The springs sit in rows, and the unit is fixed in place with its less-conforming firmer side facing up.

The mattress arrives rolled and compressed in a box, and it's 31cm tall once it expands. A Queen weighs 52kg.

Ausbeds Cooper

The Cooper uses the same natural latex and pocket spring layers as our Aurora and Cloud. The difference is that it uses polyurethane foam in place of the micro spring layers that give those two mattresses their extra cushioning and softness. From the top:

• Tencel cover: made from eucalyptus fibre. It zips right off and goes in the washing machine on cold.
• 5cm natural latex: GOLS-certified organic latex. It's springy, responsive and durable. You stay on top of the mattress instead of sinking into it.
• Polyurethane layer: high-density polyfoam adds firm cushioning where the micro springs go on the Aurora and Cloud.
• Honeycomb pocket springs: 986 pocket springs in a Queen arranged in a honeycomb pattern. That's 28% more than the industry-standard 768. This is what high-end makers such as Hästens, Vispring and Savoir do. More springs means more elasticity and better contouring. The Cooper comes with firm springs as standard, and medium springs are available if you ask.

The mattress is delivered full size and installed by our delivery team. It weighs 53kg. We make each Cooper by hand in our Gladesville factory in Sydney.

The main differences between the Mach II and the Cooper

The differences between the Mach II and the Cooper come down to six things.

1. All-polyurethane foam vs natural latex in the comfort layer

The Mach II uses all polyurethane foam above the springs. The Cooper has 5cm of natural latex over a foam cushioning layer. Both feel firm, so the main difference is in durability.

Foam is good at absorbing movement. The trade-off is that polyurethane foam is less durable. It softens with use, which is one reason Sleeping Duck makes its foam layers replaceable.

Latex is more responsive. It springs back as you move, and it generally holds its shape for longer than polyurethane foam. In our experience, natural latex lasts 3–4 times longer than most polyurethane foams.

2. Springs in rows vs a honeycomb layout

The Mach II's twice-tempered steel springs sit in rows. The Cooper's springs sit in a honeycomb pattern, which fits about 30% more springs into the same space.

More springs means each one carries a smaller share of your weight, so the support follows the shape of your body more closely.

3. A fixed spring unit vs one you can flip

As you can see in the video, the Mach II's spring unit is fixed with a mesh layer over the top. The issue here is that the pocket springs don't move independently of one another.

The Cooper's spring unit has a soft side and a firm side. We deliver it soft side up. Flip it at home so the white-mesh side faces up and the whole mattress is around 15% firmer, without buying any new parts.

4. Modularity and firmness adjustments

The Cooper unzips completely, so every component inside can be reached and replaced, including the springs, latex, foam and cover. On the Mach II, the zip gives you access to the foam layers, while the springs underneath stay fixed in place.

To change the firmness of the Mach II, you swap the foam inserts, which come in Soft, Medium, Firm and Extra Firm. Sleeping Duck lets you swap inserts for free during the 100-night trial, once you've spent 21 nights on your first one. After the trial, replacement foam is available to buy.

The Cooper has two spring firmness settings you can change yourself at home by flipping the spring unit. If you need to go softer or firmer than that, we can swap the latex or springs. Your 7-month trial includes two free swaps, with delivery charged separately. After the trial, no single replacement part costs more than 25% of the mattress price, plus delivery.

Because every layer can be changed, the Cooper can also be upgraded later. If you want more cushioning, we replace the foam layer with micro springs, which turns your Cooper into an Aurora.

5. Different feels for couples

Sleeping Duck makes this easy. On a Queen, King or Super King, you can order half-half: Medium on one side and Firm on the other.

We don't put two spring systems in one mattress. Instead, you choose the springs for the heavier partner's weight, and we can set up half-width felt as a custom option to make one side about 15–20% firmer, at no extra cost. Request it by WhatsApp, email or phone on (02) 8999 3333, and we'll post it out to you. If you need two very different feels, you can contact us for more options.

6. Price, trial, returns and delivery

The Cooper costs $51 more in a Single, $301 more in a Queen and $251 more in a King.

Sleeping Duck is easier to buy if you're outside Sydney. Delivery is free to most of Australia and often arrives the next day. If it doesn't work out within 100 nights, Sleeping Duck picks it up for free and gives you a full refund.

The Cooper gives you longer to decide: 7 months. Delivery is free within 20km of our Gladesville factory, then $2 per kilometre up to 120km. Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra cost $190 within 15km of the CBD, plus $2 per kilometre beyond that. If you return a Cooper during the trial, there's a $90 processing fee plus the original delivery cost for the pick-up.

If you're outside our delivery areas, the Mach II is the practical choice. If you're considering materials, durability and long-term replacements, the Ausbeds Cooper is a good option.

How they feel: firmness, heat and motion

Both are very firm, sleep-on-top mattresses, and they feel more alike than the specification sheets suggest.

The Mach II's springs are very firm whichever insert you choose, and neither mattress has much cushioning. With its standard medium latex, the Cooper feels about the same as the Mach II with the Firm insert.

Firmness and sleeping position

The Cooper is built for back and stomach sleepers who like a very firm mattress with minimal cushioning. The latex takes the edge off the surface, but you lie on top of the mattress rather than sinking in. If you want it even firmer, we can supply firm latex on request, which makes the Cooper even firmer than the Mach II on its Extra Firm insert. We don't usually recommend it, which is why it isn't on our website.

The Mach II sits on firm springs too. Its comfort inserts change the surface from Soft to Extra Firm, while the springs underneath stay the same. That suits heavier back sleepers and stomach sleepers well. Lighter people and side sleepers may still feel some pressure at the shoulder and hip, even with a softer insert.

Side sleepers usually need more pressure relief at the shoulder and hip, so neither of these is our first pick for them. With Sleeping Duck, start with the Soft insert. At Ausbeds, look at the Aurora with medium latex and two layers of micro springs, or our softest Cloud with soft latex and two layers of micro springs.

Heat

Both are hybrids, so air moves through the springs more freely than it does through an all-foam mattress. Sleeping Duck uses a bamboo cover and open-cell foam.

The Cooper uses natural latex instead of polyurethane foam at the surface, and latex is very breathable. If you run hot, that gives the Cooper a very slight edge.

Motion transfer

This is one of the Mach II's strengths. Polyurethane foam feels quite "dead". It soaks up a lot of movement. Tom's Guide rated the Mach II's motion isolation among the best it has tested.

The Cooper's pocket springs also stop movement travelling across the bed. Latex is slightly bouncier than foam, though, so the Mach II has a slight edge here.

My year on the Sleeping Duck Mach II

I'm a side and back sleeper, but I get lower back pain if I'm not on a rock-hard mattress. So, I liked the Mach II. I slept on it for a year and it was very comfortable.

I tried the Medium, Firm and Extra Firm inserts. Each one changed the surface feel, but I preferred the Firm overall. The spring unit underneath stayed the same, so the support felt the same whichever insert was on top.

The Cooper is a very close match to the Sleeping Duck mattress with Firm inserts. It's made for people who want a very firm, direct mattress, with natural latex on top and a modular design. If your body or preferences change, it's easy to adjust later.

What I hear when I speak to customers

Every week, I speak to many customers who call us for a mattress recommendation. A lot of them are sleeping on a Sleeping Duck. They bought it for the convenience, but they sleep on their side, and they've found it too firm, even with the softer foam inserts.

For side sleepers who need softer cushioning and more contouring, I recommend the Aurora or the Cloud. Both have two layers of micro springs under 5cm of natural latex. Micro springs are small, individually pocketed springs that give your shoulders and hips somewhere to go, while the pocket springs underneath keep you supported. The Aurora has medium latex for a balanced feel, and the Cloud has soft latex for a plusher one.

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Sleeping Duck Mach II if you:

• want the slightly lower price: $1,649 for a Queen
• want mattress-in-a-box convenience, usually with free next-day delivery
• want free returns and a full refund if it doesn't work out
• share the bed with someone who wants a slightly different surface feel on their side
• want foam that soaks up a restless partner's movement

Choose the Ausbeds Cooper if you:

• want natural latex on top instead of polyurethane foam
• want a mattress handmade in Sydney
• want more conforming springs in a honeycomb layout
• want two spring firmness settings you can change at home without swapping parts
• want full modularity, to replace or swap parts rather than buy a new mattress
• want 7 months to decide