What is an Emma mattress and are they worth buying? I'm a sleep writer, here's my take

Emma is already one of the most popular mattress brands in the UK and is rapidly growing in popularity in the US. But what exactly is an Emma mattress and is it the best choice for you?

Like many of the beds included in our best mattress guide, three out of the four Emma mattresses are hybrid, along with one all-foam offering. Two of Emma’s mattresses are also specialist cooling options. It’s a small range, but the brand offer a variety to try and appeal to as many sleepers as possible.

Emma mattresses are frequently on sale, with 40-50% being a normal discount. Currently all the mattresses apart from the new Hybrid Cooling Comfort have 50% off, meaning you can pick up a queen size Emma Original, the brand’s cheapest mattress, for $579 .

What is an Emma mattress?

• Emma has been making mattresses since 2015
• The brand’s first mattress was the all-foam Emma Original
• Emma’s signature Point Elastic Airgocell foam is designed to capture and release heat

Emma’s founder struggled to find a mattress to suit him, so ended up founding Emma in 2015 to solve the problem. Starting with the Emma Original mattress, the company now operates in 20 countries, producing four mattresses alongside beds, pillows and mattress protectors.

Emma uses its own proprietary foams to ensure proper cooling along with comfort, support and targeted spinal alignment. The Point Elastic Airgocell is specifically designed to capture heat from the body and then release it, meaning sleepers should feel cool and comfortable throughout the night. Emma’s cooling mattresses also use the brand’s Thermosync foam, a graphite-infused foam that’s designed to draw away body heat to keep sleepers cool and comfortable.

What is an Emma mattress like to sleep on?

• Emma make three hybrid mattresses and one all-foam
• Customers praise Emma mattresses for relieving back pan and cushioning joints
• Emma’s hybrid mattresses are slightly firmer than the original all-foam version

The Emma Original is the brand’s only all-foam mattress and is particularly suited to side sleepers. Like the best mattresses for side sleepers , it offers plenty of cushioning comfort around the pressure points of the shoulders and hips and customers frequently praise it for easing and relieving their back pain.

In our Emma Original mattress review (this is the UK version of the bed, but the specs are the same across the pond) our testers found the mattress instantly comfortable, with all of our side, back and combination sleepers finding it comfortable. Pressure relief is particularly good on the Emma Original, but it is too soft for stomach sleepers.

The Emma Hybrid Comfort is a newer mattress but is currently rating well amongst buyers. There’s a lot of praise for how much the mattress helps ease back pain, with one user saying their back pain of 25 years had disappeared overnight. Many reviews mention how much firmer the mattress is than its official rating, with a lot of side sleepers and those of a very light build finding it too firm to sleep on.

On the flip side, many customers are delighted with the extra support, feeling it’s a great choice for those who like a mattress they sleep ‘on’ rather than sinking into. Temperature regulation is praised, but some sleepers said they could feel their partner moving about at night. The mattress has a zoned support layer, which provides different levels of support across a sleeper’s body.

Emma has just released a cooling version of this mattress, the Emma Hybrid Cooling Comfort with an adaptive cooling cover that wicks away moisture and increases evaporation of heat and sweat. And lastly there’s also a Hybrid Cooling Elite, which adds in an UltraDry cover along with the brand’s Thermosync foam, which is infused with graphite to help reduce body temperature. These are the mattresses to choose if you’re a hot sleeper.

How much does an Emma mattress cost

• Emma’s entry-level mattress, the Emma Original, starts at $659 MSRP for a twin, but is usually discounted to $329
• Mattresses come with a 365-night trial
• Expect discounts of 40-50%, rising to 55% at major sales events

Emma mattress sales are frequent, with most of the range usually having a 40-50% discount. The exception to this at present is the brand new Hybrid Cooling Comfort mattress, which is currently being sold at full price. We’d expect this to start being discounted in due course.

As you might expect, at full MSRP the Emma Original mattress is the cheapest in the range, starting at $659 for a twin. It’s often discounted by 50% to $329, which is astonishingly good value for a high-quality mattress that’s comfortable for a variety of sleepers. A queen size mattress (the most popular size) is $1,159 but is currently reduced to $579.

The brand’s cheapest hybrid is the Hybrid Comfort, with a queen retailing at $1,319 MSRP. With the current 50% discount, this comes down to $659. The brand new Hybrid Cooling Comfort is next up in price, with a queen at $1,539 MSRP. But, as this has no discount at present, the top of the range Hybrid Cooling Elite is currently cheaper, with a queen reduced from $1,989 MSRP to $1,089 for a 45% discount.

When is the best time to buy an Emma mattress?

• Black Friday is the best time to buy a mattress
• Large discounts at other major sales events throughout the year
• Emma usually has between 45-50% discounts running throughout the year

Black Friday at the end of November is the best time to buy a mattress and last year we saw discounts of up to 55% off Emma mattresses. Black Friday is closely followed by Cyber Monday, and, in fact, you’ll often see deals running over the whole weekend.

The other major sales events in the year are Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day, although we do also see reductions for the 4th of July. At major sales events such as Black Friday you might also see Emma selling off end of line products, although these often come without a return policy.

Should you buy an Emma mattress?

Buy an Emma mattress if...

✅ You’re on a budget: You’ll nearly always find a minimum of 40% off the Emma mattresses, meaning you can pick up a queen size mattress for $695. The current 50% discount takes a queen down to $579.

✅ You’re a hot sleeper: Although Emma mattresses are not specifically cooling mattresses, the brand’s Airgocell foam does a fantastic job of keeping sleepers cool. Upgrade to the Hybrid Cooling Elite and you’ll get Thermosync foam that’s infused with graphite for even more cooling capabilities.

✅ You want a mattress range that will suit a wide range of sleepers: Across the Emma range you’ll find a mattress to suit every sleeping style.

Don't buy an Emma mattress if...

❌ You’re of a heavier build: Even the firmest Emma mattress is only a medium firm and probably won’t be supportive enough if you’re of a heavier build. Choose one of the best mattresses for heavy people instead.

❌ You want a luxurious mattress: The Emma mattresses are well-made, with many great features, but they aren’t luxury mattresses.

❌ You want superior edge support: The Emma Original mattress in particular doesn’t have great edge support, which means you may not be able to use the full width of the bed without feeling as if you might slide off.

Top 3 Emma mattresses to buy today

Emma Original mattress: Was from $659 $329 at Emma
The Emma Original mattress is particularly recommended to side sleepers, with a distinctive ‘hug’ from the Halo memory foam. There’s plenty of contouring around the pressure points of the hips and shoulders, and customers praise the mattress for helping with back and joint pain. The current price of $579 for a queen isn’t unusual, but it is a great price for an all-foam high-quality mattress. You’ll also get a 365-night trial and a 10-year warranty. View Deal

Emma Hybrid Comfort mattress: was from $812 from $409 at Emma
The Emma Hybrid Comfort mattress adds a seven zoned coil layer to the mattress, alongside the Halo memory foam and Airgocell foam that you’ll find in the Original. It’s particularly suited to back and stomach sleepers, with the ergonomic layer of pocket springs preventing the mattress from dipping or hollowing under pressure areas. A queen size mattress is currently $659 but last month (June) we saw this drop to $593. You’ll also get the yearlong trial and 10-year warranty. View Deal

Emma Hybrid Cooling Elite mattress: was from $1,449 from $799 at Emma
This is the most expensive mattress in the Emma line up, using Thermosync graphite-infused foam to refresh and cool sleepers throughout the night. The queen size mattress has a MSRP of $1,989 but it’s currently 45% off, taking it down to $1,089. The mattress, as with all Emma mattresses, comes with a 365-night trial and 10-year warranty. View Deal