History of mattresses: From primitive beds to Kloudcell® tech
Our ancestors continuously sought ways to improve their sleeping surfaces. Ancient humans lounged on piles of leaves, while medieval Europeans made do with simple straw-filled sacks. Fast forward to today, and the science of sleep has transformed these rudimentary beginnings into technological marvels.
Modern mattresses incorporate advanced materials, sophisticated support systems, and cooling technologies our ancestors could never have imagined. In this article, Koala explores the history of mattresses—how we went from sleeping on the ground to resting on breathable, responsive, and supportive surfaces.
Contents
Key Takeaways
Sleep Technology Has Existed Since Ancient Times: Humanity’s sleep surfaces have continuously evolved to offer greater comfort, protection, and support.
Breakthrough Innovations Redefined Mattresses: Key inventions like innerspring coils and memory foam paved the way for today’s advanced mattresses.
The Online Mattress Revolution Changed Everything: Direct-to-consumer brands made premium mattresses more affordable and accessible.
Koala’s Advanced Materials Set a New Standard: Technologies like Kloudcell®, CoolThread™, and 3-Zone Support systems deliver smarter, cooler, and more adaptive sleep experiences far beyond traditional foams.
First Beds from the Ancient World (10,000+ BCE)
Long before the cushy comfort of Koala’s Kloudcell® technology, our ancestors made do with what nature provided. Archaeological evidence suggests that as far back as 77,000 years ago, humans were constructing simple plant-based mattresses using layers of grasses and reeds. Imagine getting through your Monday morning meeting after sleeping on a pile of leaves. No wonder early humans were keen to make improvements!
During the Neolithic period (around 10,000 BCE), we began creating raised beds to protect ourselves from cold drafts, creepy crawlies looking for a midnight snack, and dampness from the ground.
Around 3000 BCE in Ancient Egypt, commoners slept on palm boughs heaped in the corners of their homes. The more affluent ancient Egyptians had raised bed frames with mattresses made of wool cushions placed on a woven reed base.
Classical Antiquity to Medieval Europe (3000 BCE - 1500 CE)
Wealthy Romans rejected simple straw-filled mattresses in favour of more luxurious options. They created some of the first proper mattresses as we might recognise them today, stuffed with cloth bags filled with hay, reeds, or wool. The elite even enjoyed feather mattresses. Talk about ancient luxury!
Meanwhile, in Persia, the adventurous used water-filled mattresses, the predecessor of today’s water beds. (Imagine the bravery of trusting a pre-industrial water mattress.)
By the 14th and 15th centuries, a significant innovation emerged from Europe—the rope bed. This consisted of a wooden frame with a lattice of ropes stretched across it, upon which a simple mattress would rest. It created a more supportive base for the mattress and elevated sleepers off the cold, damp floor.
By the late medieval period, mattresses known as “ticks” became increasingly common. These were durable fabric casings stuffed with feathers, straw, or wool. Ticks could be opened and restuffed, allowing easy maintenance and customisation based on available materials or comfort preferences.
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Humble Beginnings: These early mattresses, from rope beds to tick mattresses, set the foundation for many concepts Koala values today: proper structural support, layered comfort systems, and the deep, unshakable belief that better materials equal better dreams. |
The Renaissance to Industrial Revolution (1500-1850)
By the 17th and 18th centuries, mattresses were getting seriously clever. Instead of cramming everything into one lumpy sack, makers started layering materials for better comfort: coarse fibres on the bottom for structure, cotton or wool in the middle, and plush feathers or horsehair on top. Hello, luxury!
Bed frames got their glow-up, too. There were four-poster beds with heavy canopies for dramatic effect and privacy, and sturdy wooden slats that replaced sagging rope supports. You can’t overstate the importance of not falling through your bedframe during the night.
Fast-forward to the late 18th and 19th centuries, we saw innovations like the cotton gin, which made stuffing materials cheaper, and button tufting, which stopped mattresses from turning into lumpy disasters overnight.
Little did sleepers know, an even bigger game-changer was just around the corner. (Spoiler: it’s all about springs.)
The Birth of Innerspring Mattresses (1850-1950)
Straw-stuffed pallets were on the way out, and one revolutionary invention rolled in: the coil spring. In 1900, an English engineer named James Marshall patented the first coiled spring mattress. His individually wrapped "Marshall coils" provided a kind of push-back support that must have felt like magic at the time. For once, your bed actually worked with your body, not against it.
The early 20th century delivered another game-changer: the box spring. It absorbed shocks, boosted bed height, and extended mattress lifespan. Together, the innerspring mattress and box spring became the dynamic duo of sleep. Comfort and durability were no longer reserved for kings and tycoons.
By 1950, the modern mattress industry had officially arrived. Straw beds were a memory. Aussie homes embraced engineered sleep systems that delivered real comfort and support. Sure, a 1950s innerspring mattress would feel prehistoric compared to today’s smart designs. But for its time? It was the beginning of a sleep quality revolution. They set the stage for future innovations like Koala’s Kloudcell® technology.
Mid-Century Innovations (1950-1980)
The post-World War II era had manufacturers exploring new materials and technologies that would forever change how we sleep. In the 1950s, latex foam mattresses became a popular alternative to traditional innerspring designs. They provided consistent support across the entire sleep surface while naturally resisting dust mites and mould, a bloody brilliant solution for allergy sufferers.
One of the most significant innovations of this era began not in a mattress factory but in NASA laboratories. In 1966, NASA-funded research led to the development of viscoelastic foam, later known as memory foam. This revolutionary material distributes weight evenly while absorbing energy and returning to its original shape.
As these mid-century innovations laid the groundwork for today’s mattress technology, they demonstrated that the quest for better sleep is deeply intertwined with materials science and biomechanics, a philosophy that Koala would embrace decades later.
The Memory Foam Mattress Revolution (1980-2000)
NASA originally developed viscoelastic foam to improve crash protection for aircraft cushions and help astronauts handle the extreme G-forces during liftoff. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that this space-age technology made its way into our bedrooms under the name memory foam.
At first, memory foam mattresses were strictly luxury goods, priced like they came with a personal astronaut. But by the 1990s, more manufacturers jumped in, production got cheaper, and average folks could finally afford that sweet, squishy support for a good night’s sleep. People were amazed by this weird, slow-sinking material that seemed to “remember” exactly how their body was shaped.
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Evolving Standards and Demands: Memory foam beds fundamentally reset our sleep standards. We were not just asking for one-size-fits-all mattresses. We were demanding personalised comfort and revolutionary materials. |
The Online Mattress Boom (2000-2015)
For decades, buying a mattress meant wrestling with showroom sales tactics, navigating mystery markups, and wondering why lying on a plastic-covered bed for 30 seconds was supposed to tell you anything. The online mattress pioneers had a better idea: skip the middlemen, slash the prices, and deliver beds straight to your door.
These mattress manufacturers built their game plan around a few genius moves: direct-to-consumer pricing, free shipping, and extended trial periods that let you sleep on a mattress before committing. Koala didn’t just jump on this trend. We sprinted with it, offering delivery as fast as four hours in metro areas and a generous 120-night trial.
Australia was made for this new model. With our wide-open spaces and high urban retail costs, traditional mattress shopping could feel like a costly scavenger hunt. Online mattresses didn’t just deliver convenience. They democratised access to high-quality sleep across the country.
Advanced Mattresses of the Modern Era (2015-Present)
The mattress industry has moved well beyond basic memory foam, with companies developing proprietary materials that address the shortcomings of traditional foams, particularly heat retention and their tendency to feel too firm. At the forefront of this bedroom innovation is Koala's Kloudcell® technology.
Unlike conventional memory foam, Kloudcell® uses a breathable, ultra-responsive foam that contours gently without trapping heat. No more sweating through the night or feeling like sinking into quicksand.
The Australian climate demands breathability and cooling properties that many overseas mattress designs simply don't prioritise. With Koala, you can use Kloudcell® technology, CoolThread™ fabric, and other modern inventions that one-size-fits-all mattresses simply cannot match. Here are some of our mattresses featuring these innovations.
Koala Luxe Mattress
The Koala Luxe Mattress proves luxury isn’t just about softness. It’s about smart engineering. Its 7 Multi-Layered Support Zones cradle different parts of your body separately, so whether you are star-fishing or curling up like a burrito 20 times per night, you stay perfectly supported.
Australia’s wild temperature swings are no match for the Luxe. Phase-change technology built into the Kloudcell® topper absorbs heat when you are warm and releases it when you cool down. It’s like having a personal climate concierge built into your bed. A copper-infused, antimicrobial Kloudcell® Comfort Layer also removes excess heat on sticky nights and keeps things fresh.
Topping it off (literally), the Luxe wraps you in premium Australian Cashmere blend and Linen-blend boucle made with recycled fibres. It’s five-star hotel vibes, but with Koala’s signature sustainable twist—breathable, luxurious, and better for the planet.
Koala Plus Mattress
Engineered for Australia’s notoriously wild weather swings, the Koala Plus Mattress adapts like a pro. Its clever 2 cm quilted topper flips with the seasons: breathable Organic Cotton to snuggle up in winter, and cool, crisp CoolThread™ fabric for surviving tropical summer nights without breaking a sweat.
The Plus goes beyond just flipping layers. It’s packed with Koala’s most advanced cooling tech. CoolThread™ fibres and Cooling Gel Kloudcell® combine to create a mattress that sleeps 13% cooler than leading online brands, banishing stuffy nights to ancient history.
Personalisation gets a serious level-up too. The double-sided Kloudcell® Comfort Layer lets you pick medium-firm or firm comfort. Just unzip, flip, and find your happy place. No endless mattress showroom hopping required.
Koala Mattress
Australia’s most awarded mattress didn’t earn its crown by accident. The Koala Mattress, winning ProductReview.com.au awards in both 2023 and 2024, is purpose-built for Aussie sleepers—tough climate, restless partners, and all.
This mattress ditches the old memory foam “sinking” trap. Instead, it delivers a breathable, responsive support that helps you fall asleep faster and stay comfy longer, whether you are battling steamy summers or chilly nights.
Koala’s optional Partner Preference layer lets you pick half firm, half medium-firm comfort because sharing a bed with someone doesn’t mean sacrificing your perfect sleep setup.
Add the 3-Zone Zero Disturbance® support system to the mix, and you can toss, turn, or do midnight snack runs without waking your partner. Wrapped in a breathable, carbon-zero TENCEL™ Lyocell cover, it keeps you cool, dry, and dreaming even in sticky summer humidity.
Experience the Culmination of Thousands of Years of History
The evolution of mattresses reflects our deepening understanding of sleep’s importance to our health and happiness. Each mattress glow-up gets us closer to the dream sleep set-up – that sweet spot where comfort, support, and staying cool at night come together.
Koala's leading the charge with our award-winning range from the Koala Mattress with its flippable Kloudcell® comfort layer that lets you choose your perfect firmness, to the Koala Plus with its seasonal temperature control, to the Koala Luxe that feels like sleeping on a bloody cloud.
Browse the Koala mattress collection today and experience the culmination of thousands of years of mattress history, reimagined for modern Australian life.