Moving Out? Here's How to Buy Your First Proper Mattress Without Getting Ripped Off.

You're moving into your first place, and somewhere between figuring out the electricity bill and buying a can opener, you realise you need a mattress. And honestly, for most people moving out, this is the first time you've ever had to think about it.

Here's the honest advice we give everyone who walks in looking for their first proper bed.

How much should you actually spend?

There's no right answer, but there is a wrong one — and that's "as little as possible." Your mattress is the one piece of furniture you use for eight hours every single night. A $99 mattress from a discount chain will feel fine for about three months, and then you'll be back shopping for another one.

For a first mattress, we'd usually point you toward our Mattress2Go range. These start at $249 for a queen, they're proper pocket spring mattresses (not cheap foam), and you can take them home today in a box. That's a real mattress at a price that won't hurt your moving budget.

Do you need a bedframe right away?

Honestly? No. A mattress on the floor works fine while you're getting set up. Or if you want to get off the ground, a simple bed base (the flat platform kind) is way cheaper than a full bedframe and does exactly the same job. You can always upgrade to a nice bedframe later when you've got the budget.

What about buying online?

We get it — ordering a mattress online at midnight feels convenient. But here's the thing. You can't test it. The return process on most online mattresses is a nightmare. And that "100 night trial" often comes with conditions that make it harder than you'd think to actually send it back.

Our Mattress2Go range is the same price as most online boxed mattresses, but you can come into the store, lie on it, and walk out with it same day. If something's not right, you're dealing with real people ten minutes down the road — not a call centre interstate.

The one thing most people forget

A pillow. A proper pillow that matches how you sleep. If you're a side sleeper, you need a thicker pillow to fill the gap between your shoulder and ear. If you're a back sleeper, you need something thinner that doesn't push your head forward.

We'll match you up when you come in. It takes two minutes and makes a bigger difference than most people expect.

Come see us at 35 Altin Street, Griffith. We're open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 2pm. Bring your room measurements if you've got them — it'll speed things up.

Sources & References

Australians spend an average of 26 years sleeping over a lifetime (Sleep Health Foundation, 2024). The average Australian replaces their mattress every 9.5 years, though sleep quality typically declines after year 7 (Bedbuyer Annual Survey, 2025). Pillow height should match the distance from ear to shoulder for side sleepers to maintain cervical spine alignment (Australian Physiotherapy Association). Written by Jess Curry, Sales Manager at Sleepdoctor Griffith.