Emma mattress review 2023: An award-winning foam mattress that's cooling, supportive, and breathable

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I've slept on a ton of mattresses from Purple, Casper, Avocado, Linenspa, and Ikea in pursuit of the best mattress. I've lost count of how many I've tested, but I haven't been able to find one that married price and quality so well until I slept on an Emma mattress. 

Emma is relatively new to the US, but it's the fastest-growing startup in Germany and Europe, and has also won multiple awards in Europe as well. It makes one mattress also called Emma — an all-foam style with different layers, or zones, of foam that address temperature control, pressure relief, motion transfer, and more.

Design and specs

The all-foam Emma mattress has three layers of foam that keeps your body cool while relieving pressure and dampening motion transfer

The bottom-most layer is 8 inches of firm, or cold, foam that supports your lower back and shoulders so you won't wake up sore or achy.

The next layer is 2 inches of memory foam that conforms to your body. It helps distribute weight and pressure more evenly, and can be compared to what makes up a Tempur-Pedic mattress. 

The top layer of the Emma is 1.5 inches of medium-firm foam that adapts to pressure and is incredibly responsive to isolating movement. It's sort of like a foam mattress topper, but it helps isolate motion so you can sleep through the night even if your partner is a turner.

Last but certainly not least, are the climate-regulating cover and breathable mattress cover.

Foam can trap and exasperate body heat so it's not great for people who sleep hot, but with the two covers, it can be much more comfortable, Terry Crall, a registered nurse and certified sleep educator, tells Insider Reviews. "For those who sleep hot, gel, air, and latex mattresses are good choices. For those who love the feel of memory foam, foams infused with gel that provide cooling properties are a good choice," she explains. 

Setup

Like many other mattresses I've tried, the Emma arrived at my home in a box. I was surprised by how compact it looked on my front porch. To give you an idea about weight, a twin is about 35 pounds while a California King is 72.

I carried our King upstairs, unwrapped the plastic wrap, and watched it quickly expand into a substantial mattress in moments. While I could have slept on it immediately, it did take around 24 hours to fully expand to its full 12-inch thickness. The mattress was also odorless, which isn't always the case with mattresses and toppers I've tried.

Comfort and motion isolation

I was literally floored by how comfortable it was after the first night.

My husband usually prefers firm mattresses, and he found the Emma to be incredibly comfortable too. It was just the right firmness that cradled and supported my back, so I didn't feel like I was sinking in. Instead, it conformed to my body. I'm one of those people who can literally wake up with a bad back after one night of sleeping on a bad mattress.  

As for motion transfer, if you're sensitive to movement like I am, then the Emma is a great option. My husband moves around at night, so it's important for us to have a mattress that dampens motion transfer. I can barely feel him moving around from the other side of the bed, making it a winner in this category.

My husband and I also both sleep hot, so having a temperature-regulating mattress is crucial. In addition to the breathable foam, Emma's climate regulating top cover have made night sweats a far off nightmare since we've been sleeping on the mattress. 

What are your Alternatives?

The Emma Original Mattress is one of the best cheap mattresses we've tested reviewed, but there are plenty of alternatives to find the best mattress for you. If you like Emma's foam layers, our best foam mattress guide provides similar options, though there are also good alternatives in our guide to the best hybrid mattres. For those with sleep issues, check out our guide to the best mattress for back pain along with our best cooling mattress guide.

The bottom line

I have to admit that I'm shocked by how reasonably priced Emma is considering the quality. On the Emma site directly, the mattress usually starts at $599 for a Twin and escalates up to $1,325 for a California King, but it runs sales often and we've seen discounts of at least 30% off. That means prices are generally lower than Amazon's starting price of $399, so we'd suggest checking out the sale on Emma itself for the best deal right now.

There are free delivery and returns, as well as a 365-night trial and 10-year guarantee. Basically, if you don't agree with me that Emma will give you one of the most comfortable sleep experiences of your life, you'll get your money back.

At this price point, Emma is a solid pick if you're looking for a just-firm-enough foam mattress that will keep you cool and undisturbed by movement.