Sensitive Choice Approved Mattresses - The Asthma & Allergy Guide

By Michael Morrison, General Manager, Best in Beds
Updated July 2026

In short: If anyone in your household has asthma, eczema, hayfever, or chemical sensitivities, your mattress matters more than most people realise - you spend roughly a third of your life pressed against it. The Sensitive Choice blue butterfly is the National Asthma Council Australia's program that identifies products independently assessed as suitable for people with asthma and allergies. This guide explains what the certification covers, what to ignore in "hypoallergenic" marketing, and which mattress ranges at Best in Beds are Sensitive Choice approved.

What Sensitive Choice actually certifies

Sensitive Choice is a program run by the National Asthma Council Australia. Products that carry the blue butterfly logo have been independently assessed against criteria relating to asthma and allergy management - for mattresses, that typically covers things like:

• Materials and chemical content (low VOC, hypoallergenic foams)
• Antimicrobial treatment of cover fabrics
• Dust mite resistance
• Manufacturing process transparency
• Ongoing manufacturer audit access

It's not a marketing label a brand can self-apply. It's a third-party certification with ongoing review.

Whole-of-mattress vs single-component certification

Here's the detail most shoppers miss: there are two ways a mattress can carry the Sensitive Choice butterfly.

• Single-component approval. One layer of the mattress (often just the cover, or just the comfort foam) is Sensitive Choice approved. The mattress as a whole may not be. Many mainstream brands use this - they're not lying, but they're not telling you the whole story either.
• Whole-of-mattress approval. Every layer - cover, comfort foams, gel latex or memory foam, the spring unit, the encasing - is independently approved. This is significantly harder to achieve and significantly more meaningful for asthma and allergy sufferers.

In the Australian inner-spring market, A.H. Beard is the only manufacturer with whole-of-mattress Sensitive Choice approval. Every King Koil, Domino, and other A.H. Beard mattress carries the butterfly at the whole-mattress level.

Sensitive Choice approved ranges at Best in Beds

At Best in Beds, we stock several Sensitive Choice ranges. Each suits a different use case, age group, or budget.

King Koil - Sensitive Choice + chiropractor approved

From $2,249 RRP. Whole-of-mattress Sensitive Choice approval AND International Chiropractors Association recommendation. Australian-made in Padstow Sydney. The combination of asthma/allergy certification with chiropractor-approved support engineering is genuinely rare in Australia. Explore King Koil →

Domino - Sensitive Choice + AIS partner

From $1,099.95 RRP. Whole-of-mattress Sensitive Choice approval AND the official mattress partner of the Australian Institute of Sport. Ultrashield antimicrobial treatment is built into every Domino - particularly relevant for households with allergies. Explore Domino →

Yinahla - Sensitive Choice + GECA certified, Best Back Care 2026

Yinahla is A.H. Beard's premium award-winning range. GECA Certified, Australian Made, and Sensitive Choice approved. Winner of the 2026 'Best Back Care' Award. The GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) certification adds an environmental dimension on top of the asthma/allergy approval - important for chemically-sensitive households or for anyone choosing on environmental criteria. Read about Yinahla →

Eco Kids - for children with asthma or allergies

Children's mattresses are where Sensitive Choice matters most - kids spend more hours in bed than adults, their respiratory systems are more sensitive, and parents are most concerned about VOCs and chemical content. Eco Kids mattresses are Sensitive Choice approved, GECA-certified, and Australian-made in Melbourne, with a 15-year warranty and a 150-night trial. That's a rare combination - the blue butterfly approval covers the whole mattress, the GECA certification adds an independent environmental tick, and the made-in-Melbourne construction means no offshore manufacturing variables. If you have a child with asthma, eczema, or known house dust mite sensitivity, this is the range to start with. View Eco Kids →

Why this matters more in Sydney than most places

Sydney has higher-than-average rates of childhood asthma and house dust mite sensitivity, particularly through the humid spring and summer months. The combination of high humidity, traditional housing stock, and pollen seasons means that mattress hygiene is more important here than in drier climates. A Sensitive Choice approved mattress isn't a cure for asthma or allergies - but it removes one major variable from the equation.

What to ignore in "hypoallergenic" mattress marketing

• "Hypoallergenic" by itself. Unregulated. Anyone can use it. Look for the actual certification - Sensitive Choice butterfly, GECA logo, OEKO-TEX, or similar.
• "Natural" or "organic" claims without certification. Genuine GECA-certified or Sensitive Choice approved mattresses display the certification body's mark. Marketing claims without certifications carry no third-party verification.
• "Antibacterial" coating on a cheap mattress. Treatment of one layer doesn't make the mattress suitable for allergy sufferers. Whole-of-mattress approval is the meaningful standard.
• Bamboo, charcoal, copper claims. Often added to mattress covers with marketing claims about antimicrobial properties. Some of these have evidence behind them; many don't. None substitute for third-party certification.

Practical mattress hygiene for asthma and allergy households

Even a Sensitive Choice approved mattress benefits from sensible hygiene:

• Use a Sensitive Choice approved mattress protector (washable, fits over the mattress like a fitted sheet)
• Wash bedding weekly at 60°C or hotter to kill dust mites
• Air the mattress occasionally - strip the bed, leave bedding off for a few hours, vacuum the mattress surface with a HEPA-filter vacuum
• Keep bedroom humidity moderate (40-50%) where possible - dust mites thrive at higher humidity
• Replace pillows every 1-2 years (they accumulate dust mites faster than mattresses)

Try Sensitive Choice approved mattresses in our Sydney showrooms

The full King Koil, Domino, Yinahla, and Eco Kids ranges are on display at all three Best in Beds Sydney showrooms. If allergies or asthma in the household are a key factor for you, please mention it to our team - we can walk you through the certification differences and help you compare the options that genuinely suit your needs.

• Best in Beds Campbelltown - 20 Blaxland Road. 02 4628 1266
• Best in Beds Prospect - 27 Rowood Road. 02 8676 7321
• Best in Beds Warrawong - 91-95 King Street. 02 4274 3485