Bedroom Guides for Your First Home
Buying guides for getting a first home bedroom right, from the mattress decision down to blackout curtains, in the order your budget should meet them.
Start here
The three that matter first
It's the biggest line on the bedroom budget.
Buy it the same day as the mattress; the Tontine is the least glamorous insurance a new mattress will ever get.
The full setup checklist for a bare room, so you learn about the missing curtain rods before move-in day rather than at 9pm on it.
Settlement day has a particular ending nobody photographs: the removalists leave at four, the bed frame is in seventeen pieces against a wall, and you're asleep on a bare mattress by ten because the sheets are in a box labelled 'misc'. The fix is ordering the boring layers a week before you move. Order the mattress early. A ForZzz bamboo cooling set means night one feels like an actual bed.
The guides here cover the full stack of mattress, protector, pillows and sheets, plus the climate gear Australian bedrooms quietly demand: a Levoit Core Mini purifier for the pollen months, and a dehumidifier if you've bought somewhere that grows mould for sport.
Spend on the mattress and the Tontine protector first; a Hydrocool pillow is a perfectly good stand in while you work out what kind of sleeper the new house makes you. The sunrise alarm clock can wait until you've found the light switches.
The bed, layer by layer
Everything between you and the bed slats, from the mattress down to a Tontine pillow, in the order your wallet should meet them.
Full-Length MirrorsSix full length mirrors on Amazon Australia, spanning freestanding, arched, oversized and over door styles, with a plain English guide to sizing, tempered glass and anchoring a mirror so it cannot tip.
Blanket Boxes
Dressing Tables and Makeup Vanities
Lap DeskA buyer's guide to lap-cushion desks for working, studying and gaming from the bed or couch in Australia, with seven Amazon AU picks ranked on comfort, size and price.
Bedroom Rugs
Bed Canopies
MattressThe best mattress in Australia from these four Amazon AU listings is the Vesgantti Queen Hybrid Mattress 31cm, a Medium Firm pocket spring hybrid in a box, the one we would buy first. Beside it sit two Zinus Queens and a Giselle Double, compared by firmness word, layers, size and return terms, plus what to check before you order.
Blanket LaddersA blanket ladder leans against the wall to display throws, towels and quilts without eating floor space. Our top pick is the VASAGLE 5-tier wooden ladder for its solid pine frame and storage bag. The HOOBRO bamboo ladder is the smart value buy, and the OYEAL wrought iron ladder is the cheapest way in.
Duvet CoversThe best duvet cover in Australia for a Double bed is the Catherine Lansfield Seersucker Double Duvet Cover Set, a polycotton set with button fastening. This guide to Amazon Australia duvet, doona and quilt covers also compares Queen microfibre and cotton sets and a King sateen on fabric, closure, size and care.
Bolster Pillows
Bed Wedge
Reading Lights
Bed Skirts
Night LightsThe best night light for most Australian homes is the WILLED Motion Sensor Night Light, a rechargeable six pack that switches on as you walk past and off about 20 seconds later. We also compare a touch lamp for kids and a plug in dusk to dawn three pack, checked against Amazon Australia listings.
Body Pillows
Pillow ProtectorsA pillow protector is the cheapest way to keep a new pillow clean and hygienic for years. Our top pick is the Tontine Comfortech Cotton Quilted 2-pack for everyday breathable comfort, the AllerEase Standard/Queen is the best value with allergist recommended protection, and the Luxton Terry Cotton Waterproof is the budget choice for spills and sweat.
Under Bed StorageThe best under bed storage in Australia for beds with at least 18.5cm of clearance is the HaaLii FY Under Bed Storage with Wheels 2 Pack, though it has only a handful of ratings so far. For lower beds, compare the Homelux Theory at 11.4cm and the soft bag sets, and check each listing height.
HeadboardsWe chose the Artiss Headboard Double Size Bed Head Velvet Fabric Grey, a velvet double on a solid wood frame, as the best overall headboard, but its listing shows only one rating so far. The OIKITURE arched boucle single and the vidaXL dark grey set can also be bought.
Jewellery Boxes
Bed Frames
Clothes Hangers
Makeup MirrorFor a makeup mirror price comparison in Australia, we compared 8 LED vanity mirrors on Amazon Australia by brightness, colour temperature, magnification and owner reviews; each product card shows the current price. The Kottova tri colour mirror is our top all rounder, the Hasipu arched mirror is the best value, and the Mavoro compact is the budget travel pick.
Drawer Organiser DividersFor cheap drawer organisers in a small bedroom in Australia, start with our budget pick, the Qozary 2 Pack fabric cells for socks and underwear, or the Vtopmart 8 Pack expandable plastic dividers for the best value. Our top pick is the Utoplike Bamboo Drawer Divider, whose spring loaded fit holds firm in deep drawers. Measure your drawer first.
Clothes and Garment RacksA clothes rack is the cheapest way to add hanging space when your rental has no built-in robe. Our top pick is the SONGMICS HSR013W01, a 90kg single-rail rack on lockable wheels. The SONGMICS double extendable rail is the best value, and the gold mesh-shelf SONGMICS is the budget buy.
Mattress Toppers and Bed Toppers
Mattress Protector
PillowsThe Hoomegic Cooling Pillows Queen Size Set of 2 is the best overall pick here, an adjustable cooling set of two with a zip to set height and firmness, though only a handful of ratings stand behind it. We also compare a high and firm Australian Made Tontine pillow and a down alternative Amazon Basics pack of 2.
SheetsThe Lakora Bamboo Sheet Set Queen Size leads our best sheets Australia comparison, with a bamboo viscose and polyester blend, a 35cm fitted sheet pocket and only a handful of ratings so far. Compare its fabric and care with the cotton, lyocell and fitted sheet only listings before choosing.Warm bed, cold room
Heating the bed instead of the house is the cheapest trick in an Australian winter, starting with the GOTCOZY heated throw.
Dark, quiet, asleep
Light and noise wreck more sleep than an old mattress does, and the fixes are cheap: BGment blackout panels, a silk sleep mask, the Babelio white noise machine, or the blonbar that wakes you with light instead of an alarm tone.
Hot nights, cold mornings
Australian bedrooms swing from January sweatbox to July icebox, so these seven cover the lot: fans and the De'Longhi Pinguino for summer, an oil column heater for winter, and a dehumidifier, humidifier and the Levoit purifier for whatever the air is doing in between.
pedestal and tower fansSix tower and pedestal fans checked on Amazon Australia. Best overall: Philips 5000 Series, the most-rated fan here, with a remote, a timer and a 40 W rating. The bladeless Shark TurboBlade Ultra is the runner-up. Philips Series 3000 SilentWings suits bedrooms, with Philips quoting 19 dB on its lowest setting.
HeatersIt's not the heat output. It's the running cost. Heater picks across oil column, panel and fan.
DehumidifiersThe best dehumidifier in Australia for most homes is the De'Longhi Tasciugo AriaDry Multi 16L: it extracts 16 litres a day, has a laundry mode and runs at 38 dB in quiet mode. For cold southern rooms where compressor units stall, the Ausclimate Cool-Seasons Premium 10L desiccant is the pick for keeping mould down.
HumidifierMedeScan Rainbow Mist RainbowMist II RMII0125 is our best overall humidifier, a 2.8 litre top fill ultrasonic cool mist unit with 3, 6 or 9 hour timers and automatic shut off. Compare it with the other humidifiers covering warm and cool mist, evaporation and sensor based mist adjustment.
Air PurifiersFinishing the room
The Oikiture bedside table, the Artiss shoe rack for the pile by the door, and the INTEX airbed for your first overnight guests. Then the bedroom checklist catches whatever the room's still missing.
Bedside TablesA bedside table earns its spot by sitting at the right height (near the top of your mattress, roughly 55 to 65 cm) so your phone, lamp and glass of water are within easy reach. The right one depends on what you need beside the bed: two simple drawers, a built-in charging station, three narrow drawers for a small room, a matching pair for both sides, or a boho rattan statement. We weighed height, material, drawers, assembly and how honest the reviews really are. These six run from an Oikiture budget pick up to an AWASEN rattan table, and the overall winner is the Artiss 3-Drawer Solid Wood Nightstand: solid paulownia, three drawers in a narrow footprint, and no flat pack to build.
Bedside Lamp
Shoe RacksThe HOOBRO 8 Tier Vertical Shoe Rack is the best overall shoe rack here for a small space. Its listing gives a size of 28 by 28 by 135 cm and room for 8 pairs. Door pockets, a ten tier rack and open shelves are compared below.
Air MattressThe INTEX Twin Ultra Plush Raised Airbed is our pick for one sleeper: a 42cm high twin with a built in 220 to 240V pump. For two, the INTEX Queen Dura-Beam Classic Downy is the budget queen with a hand pump, while the iDOO and CHILLSUN add built in pumps and coil support.
Bedroom Must Haves: Complete Setup Guide for Your New HomeYour bedroom is where you'll recharge after the chaos of moving in. Here's everything you need to set it up properly, from mattress to blackout curtains.Set up every room in the right order.
The room-by-room checklist we’d hand a mate on settlement day, with our pick for each job. One email, then we leave you alone.
Bedroom questions, answered straight
What should come first when setting up a bedroom from scratch?
The mattress, which is the biggest line item by a long way. Then a protector, pillows, cotton sheets and blackout curtains; our guides cover each one, and the mattress guide includes memory foam options like the Zinus Green Tea queen.
Is an electric blanket cheaper to run than a heater?
Yes, by a wide margin: it heats the space around your body instead of the whole room. The Sunbeam Sleep Perfect queen is the one we'd buy, and the GOTCOZY heated throw covers couch duty before bedtime. If the whole room genuinely needs heat, that's a different appliance and a much bigger power bill.
Do weighted blankets actually work?
Well enough that our guide's own title asks exactly that question. Start with the LUXOR microfibre if you just want to test whether the pressure helps before spending more.
The Tontine protector is the least exciting buy in the room, but its waterproof backing helps protect the mattress from spills.
Anish Puri, NestPath
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.