Will Horner / Styled with Aura Home
Sleep, unfortunately, does not come easily to me. I’m restless, I run hot, and I wake up 30 times in the middle of the night to pee. For me, sleep is a luxury I seem to enjoy only on perfect, humidity-free nights and stress-free evenings, usually after 20-minutes of mindful mediation – or a glass or two, depending on my mood.
So, when it comes to choosing any sleep device, I have extremely high standards. While my current setup includes a blackout eye mask, dreamy ambient lighting, and a fan propped and stable at the perfect temperature, I will not rest (literally) until I fulfil the perfect night’s sleep.
Unfortunately, my current mattress has been the bearer of poor nights. After giving up my 10-year-old mattress for my partner’s new one following a recent home move, I’ve had to deal with more overheating and back pain than I’m generally used to.
So when I was offered the chance to review the SD MACH II mattress by Sleeping Duck, I knew I was going to take my high standards and really put this mattress to the test.
My goal? Blissful, uninterrupted sleep. Did I achieve this? Read on to find out.
Sleeping Ducks’s SD MACH II review verdict
- Our rating: 8 out of 10
- Why we rated it a 8/10: If you’re on a relentless quest for the perfect mattress but are tired of scouring every showroom in sight, then this mattress is a great choice. Its 100-day trial and easily customisable comfort levels mean that you can personalise the mattress for you. It’s definitely on the thicker and heavier side, but that’s thanks to the four layers built in for extra comfort and support.
Pros
- Customisable and interchangeable firmness options available
- Knitted bamboo cover is breathable and feels cool to the touch
- Next-day delivery
- 100-night guarantee
- Cover is removable and washable
- Handy side handles for easy moving
Cons
- Inbuilt customisation system could potentially be too complicated
- Mattress is thicker compared to traditional mattresses meaning it sits quite high
- This is a heavy mattress – beware when moving!
What’s so special about the SD MACH II?
The thing with mattresses is that yes, they’re an expensive buy, but the right one can truly change your life.
But how can you know a mattress is right for you without testing it out? Thankfully, the SD MACH II comes with a 100-night guarantee to make sure you’re sleeping happy. On top of that, it’s designed to be fully customisable. Essentially, it has four layers:
- The first layer is a silky, breathable bamboo yarn cover that is removable and washable.
- The second layer is a removable, cushioning AntiGravity surface foam, designed to relieve pressure and make you feel weightless.
- Now this is where it gets interesting. Below the AntiGravity foam is a customisation system called ComponentAdapt. Made from high-density polyurethane foam, this layer comes in two parts. When purchasing the mattress, you can choose between a medium or firm option, or both, and test each out during the 100-night trial. This takes the stress out of buying a mattress and means that if you change your mind between the medium and firm options, you can easily request a swap without the hassle of returning the entire mattress. A win!
- The fourth and final layer is a multi-zoned steel spring system crafted with independent pocketing technology, meaning it helps reduce partner disturbance (a necessary detail in my household).
SD MACH II key features
- Available in Single, King Single, Double, Queen, King and Super King
- Choose between medium, first or half-half for your first 100 nights.
- BreathTech cover is removable and washable, and is made from vortex spun bamboo yarn for maximum breathability
- Antigravity surface foam layer is a cushioning layer designed to create a feeling of weightlessness. It is also porous, breathable and removable.
- ComponentAdapt customisation system helps you find the perfect mattress for you
- Twice tempered steel springs act entirely independently to tailor to specific parts of your body, and conforms easily
- Resistant to pilling
- 10-year warranty
How to use the SD MACH II
With all the customisable options available (256, to be exact), it can feel a little overwhelming at first. Fortunately, the Sleeping Duck website offers recommendations to help you choose your initial firmness. For example, if you sleep with a partner who has a different sleep style, they suggest starting with a half-medium, half-firm setup so you can both figure out what works best.
However, much of the decision will come down to personal preference. With the 100-night trial, I recommend testing one side for 30 days and then switching to the other for another 30 days to really get a sense of what suits you. If you’re serious about finding the right fit, take notes – you might be surprised how quickly you forget how the mattress felt the next day.
Results from our test
After a month of use, I can say this is one of the best-quality mattresses I’ve tried so far. My initial impression was that it was much firmer than any mattress I’ve previously used, but I did take full advantage of the customisation options available.
In the end, I actually removed the AntiGravity foam layer, as I found it a bit too soft for my taste. Ultimately, I preferred sleeping on the firmer side of the mattress. My favourite feature, however, was the cooling cover, and paired with my breathable cotton bed sheets, it was a match made in heaven.
Sleeping Duck has assured me that if I encountered any issues, I could easily contact them to swap out the firmness level. Foam swaps are available in soft, medium, firm, and extra firm.
Overall, I really liked the mattress, though I initially felt overwhelmed by all the choices. I found that on restless nights, I tried to blame whichever side of the mattress I was sleeping on, even if that wasn’t actually the problem. While the mattress helped with overheating and kept me comfortable throughout the night, it didn’t solve every issue I have with sleep. So, while a mattress might not fix all your problems, it certainly helps in some key ways.
And as for my partner, the perfect, blissful sleeper, his review was simple: “I slept good.” No further notes.
Overall, is the SD MACH II worth it?
I think the biggest priority in a mattress is its ability to last through the years. And while that’s not something I can fully test here, I feel confident in my purchase knowing that the materials used, such as the twice-tempered steel springs, have been tested to simulate eight years of regular use. That gives me peace of mind that it will hold up well before I need to consider a replacement.
As for me, I’m still a restless sleeper, but the mattress did feel genuinely supportive underneath me. I especially appreciated the breathable fabrics, which I know will carry me comfortably through the changing seasons.
Where to buy the SD MACH II
- Sleeping Duck, from $999
Bedding supplied by Aura Home, available here.
