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Emma Original mattress review: Tried & tested
Review scorecard
Pros
- Excellent pressure relief.
- Minimises partner disturbances.
- Great value for money.
- 200-night sleep trial.
- 10-year guarantee.
Cons
- Takes time to fully expand.
- Slight off-gassing smell.
- Moderate edge support.
- Tony Brown
About Emma
Founded in 2015, Emma is a global brand known for its reliable, reasonably-priced memory foam mattresses and sleep products. As a leading bed-in-a-box company, Emma delivers directly to consumers. They offer generous trial periods, allowing you to test the mattress at home and return it within a specified period if you’re unsatisfied.
Review background
Sleeping on an Emma Original mattress for the past three years allows me to provide an accurate, honest, and comprehensive review based on my personal experience.
Emma Original mattress: The overall assessment
The Emma Original is a competitively priced memory foam mattress. It has a medium firmness and offers effective pressure relief for side, back, and stomach sleepers. The mattress features a cooling layer to regulate temperature and absorbs movement to minimise partner disturbances. Overall, the Emma mattress provides excellent value for money and includes a 200-night trial, allowing you to return it if it doesn’t meet your expectations.
Emma Original mattress sizes
Emma mattresses come in various UK and EU sizes, including single, small double, double, king, and super king. However, they do not offer bespoke or custom-sized options. If you’re looking for a specific size for an unusually shaped room or need an extra-long mattress for a taller person, you may need to consider alternative options.
| Mattress Size | Dimensions (Imperial) | Dimensions (Metric) |
|---|---|---|
| EU single | 3’0” x 6’7” | 90 cm x 200 cm |
| UK Single | 3’0” x 6’3” | 90 cm x 190 cm |
| UK Small double | 4’0” x 6’3” | 120 cm x 190 cm |
| UK Double | 4’6” x 6’3” | 135 cm x 190 cm |
| UK King size | 5’0” x 6’7” | 150 cm x 200 cm |
| UK Super king size | 6’0” x 6’7” | 180 cm x 200 cm |
| EU double | 4’7” x 6’7” | 140 cm x 200 cm |
| EU queen | 5’3” x 6’7” | 160 cm x 200 cm |
Delivery
Emma mattress delivery times vary depending on your location, the type and availability of the mattress, the courier service, and when you place and pay for your order. Some mattresses may arrive within 48 hours, while others could take longer.
The estimated delivery time is shown at the checkout when placing your order, and you can also track your order status on the Emma website. It’s best to be cautious and allow up to two weeks for your new Emma mattress to arrive. Avoid making plans such as inviting overnight guests or disposing of your old mattress until your new mattress arrives.
Emma mattresses are compressed, rolled up, and delivered in compact, convenient packaging to your doorstep. Delivery and returns are free via third-party couriers who provide a drop-to-door service but typically don’t carry the mattress to your bedroom.
Since Emma mattresses are delivered rolled up and in compact packaging, they are much easier to handle and manoeuvre than traditional mattresses. They are ideal for those with property restrictions, such as narrow staircases, tight corners, or low ceilings, where a larger mattress is usually out of the question.
Can you sleep on a new Emma mattress straight away?
Emma states that you can sleep on your new mattress straight away. However, it is advisable to allow the mattress to fully expand before use. Typically, the Emma mattress takes 2 to 6 hours to expand fully. In some cases, the Emma mattress may take longer to expand than expected, depending on how tightly it is vacuum-packed.
Comfort and support
The Emma mattress offers medium firmness and is suitable for most body weights and types. On a firmness scale (where 1 is very soft and 10 is very firm), I rate the mattress at around 7 out of 10.
Emma suggests their mattresses are suitable for everyone. However, mattress support depends on several factors, such as your weight, build, height and preferred sleeping position. For example, a person weighing under 11 stone may find a medium mattress too firm, while someone over 16 stone may find it too soft and struggle to turn over in bed. The mattress should conform to body shape, ensuring the spine is aligned and correctly supported.
The memory foam provides generous amounts of cushioning, allowing the mattress to gently cradle the body. Its slightly firmer feel prevents excessive sinking, a common issue with softer memory foam mattresses.
Although the Emma mattress provides a medium to firmer feel, the memory foam allows the body to sink into the mattress and provides effective pressure relief from sensitive areas like the shoulders and hips. There is adequate cushioning for side sleepers, while back and stomach sleepers will also benefit from the slightly firmer comfort layers.
Pressure relief
One of the main advantages of a memory foam mattress is that it provides excellent pressure relief across various sleeping positions. It slowly moulds to the body, helping to reduce aches, pains, pressure points, and numbness. Memory foam can also improve circulation.
Partner disturbance
Emma mattresses are highly effective at absorbing movement, which means that if you share a bed with a partner, you are less likely to disturb each other when you move in bed.
While all-foam mattresses typically reduce movement better than sprung mattresses, the Emma mattress performs better than most in this area.
The Emma mattress is quiet in use and doesn’t produce the creaking sounds you often get with a sprung mattress.
Mattress edge support
Edge support is another important factor, especially if you share a bed with someone. It extends the usable sleeping area, allowing you to sleep closer to the edge of the mattress without feeling like you might fall out of bed.
The Emma mattress provides good edge support. While the mattress may slightly sag when sitting or lying close to the edge, it doesn’t make me feel like I’m about to roll or fall out of bed.
Heat retention
Some sleepers can feel warmer on memory foam due to its dense cell structure and tendency to trap heat. The Emma mattress has a cooling layer with an open-cell structure that improves air circulation. This allows the mattress to breathe so that heat can escape, resulting in a cool and comfortable sleep environment.
While sleeping on the Emma mattress, I haven’t found it hot, even on warm summer nights. However, a breathable pocket spring or latex mattress may be a better option if you tend to feel warm in bed.
Materials and construction
All Emma mattresses contain memory foam, a temperature-sensitive material that slowly softens and conforms to body shape.
The Emma original mattress is 25 cm deep and constructed with different foam layers for comfort and support.
The base layer – It has a durable base layer made from firm HRX (High Resiliency Extra) foam, which provides the underlying mattress support and keeps the spine aligned.
The support layer – The support layer contains memory foam that slowly conforms and adapts to the body, providing excellent support and pressure relief. It also absorbs movement, resulting in more restful, undisturbed sleep.
The cooling layer – The cooling layer is supportive and breathable. It helps to absorb and disperse body heat while keeping the sleeping surface cooler.
Removable cover – The Emma mattress comes with a soft, removable cover that is machine washable.
New mattress smell
When new mattresses are removed from their packaging, they may release a slight odour. This is known as off-gassing and is common with memory foam products, like the Emma mattress. Once the mattress has been well-aired, the smell should dissipate after a few days.
Emma mattress guarantee
Emma mattresses come with a 10-year guarantee against manufacturing defects and faulty workmanship. The guarantee covers issues like faulty components, premature sagging, and cover damage. However, the guarantee does not cover neglect or general wear and tear.
Trial period
Emma offers a 200-night sleep trial on certain models. This allows you to test the mattress at home with the option of returning it within the specified trial period if you’re unsatisfied.
These trial periods are fairly common with online mattress brands. However, it is important to carefully review the full terms and conditions of the sleep trial.
Like a new pair of shoes, it takes time to adjust to a new mattress. It may initially feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re used to your old mattress. Emma suggests it can take 4 to 6 weeks to fully adapt, after which the mattress should feel and perform as expected.
From my experience, I adjusted to the Emma mattress almost immediately, with no real break-in period. However, individual experiences may vary.
Bed base compatibility
Emma mattresses typically perform well on slats or solid bed bases. Emma recommends keeping the surface clean and dry, with slats no more than 7.5 cm apart. Avoid placing the mattress on an old or worn-out base as this may damage the mattress and void the warranty. It’s also advisable not to place the mattress directly on the slats. To protect the mattress, place a mattress pad, breathable blanket or duvet on top of the slats.
Care and maintenance
The Emma mattress cover is removable and machine washable at 40°C. It is easy to remove and put back on. Washing the cover regularly helps to maintain a clean and comfortable sleep environment.
However, the cover won’t prevent liquids from penetrating the mattress. Therefore, it’s advisable to use a mattress protector to provide an extra barrier against stains and spillages.
Avoid using an overly thick mattress protector, as this can create an extra layer between you and the mattress and affect comfort.
Mattress turning
Emma mattresses are single-sided and cannot be flipped, as the underside is unsuitable for sleeping on. Emma advises rotating the mattress monthly for the first 6 months of use and every 3 months after that. Turning your memory foam mattress helps prevent body impressions, which can form on the surface, particularly where most of the weight is concentrated, such as around the hips and buttocks.
Emma mattresses come with handles to help position the mattress on its base. However, these handles are for positioning only and should not be used for lifting the mattress.
Do Emma mattresses sag?
All mattresses will eventually sag. However, memory foam is a resilient material that retains its shape better than other materials. When a mattress is new, body impressions and indentations may start to form on its surface. This should not be confused with sagging, and occasionally rotating the mattress should help to even out the wear.
Durability over time
After three years of use, the Emma mattress has proven exceptionally durable. It has kept its shape with no signs of wear and tear and continues to feel comfortable and supportive.
Do you still have questions about the Emma Original Mattress?
If you have any questions about the Emma Original mattress, reach out to our team, and we’ll be happy to help.
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About the author
Tony Brown is the founder and creator of The Bed Consultant. His career in the bed industry began in 2002. After graduating from university with a degree in Business Administration, Tony joined one of the largest independent furniture retailers in the UK as a bed consultant. Tony has helped thousands of customers find the perfect mattress.
