Emma Original Mattress Review
Product Research: Our Process
The Emma Original Mattress
Construction
1. Airgocell® Foam
This foam layer is supposed to absorb sweat into the mattress so you don’t overheat during the night.
2. HALO® Memory foam
For restless sleepers and those sleeping with a partner, this memory foam layer should isolate motion and balance pressure points to support deep, uninterrupted sleep.
3. High Resiliency Xtra Foam
The base layer offers foundational support for the mattress.
Comfort & Performance
Emma is a European mattress brand that recently launched in Canada, and I found some interesting differences between the Emma Original Mattress and the Canadian ones I usually encounter that impact its comfort. Let me explain.
In my experience with mattresses, I’ve noticed most Canadians prefer a true medium-firm feel to their mattress, which is the recommended level of firmness for optimal spinal support. However this one was designed based on European preferences, which usually lean towards the softer side.
The brand has classified it as medium-firm at a five out of ten, landing it precisely in the middle of the firmness scale, and sure enough, I found it to be quite soft in comparison to most Canadian ones. For lasting comfort and support, I typically recommend a firmer mattress to properly support your neck and spine. The softer feel of this mattress will not be suitable for those who require more support. If you sleep on your stomach or your back, or if you tend to switch positions during the night, you may need a more supportive mattress.
Bounce:
The Emma Mattress has some bounciness to its surface. However, because of the softer feel and the construction being less firm than a typical Canadian-made mattress, it doesn’t offer the same amount of bounce as some of the other mattresses I’ve tried.
Motion Transfer
Generally, all-foam mattresses perform better at motion transfer elimination than spring mattresses. They absorb pressure fully where it’s applied without transferring the movement to the surrounding area. Like most all-foam mattresses, our tests found the Emma Original Mattress performed well when it came to motion isolation. Motion transfer wasn’t completely eliminated, but this mattress provides enough stability to alleviate being disturbed by movements from a partner or pet throughout the night.
Breathability
Some foam mattresses can trap body heat because of the lack of air-flow provided by the coils in a spring mattress. The Emma Original Mattress tries to mitigate this with its Airgocell® Foam layer, which absorbs and then evaporates your sweat so your sleep won’t be disturbed by overheating. Absorbing body heat and perspiration could help with temperature regulation, but having your night sweats captured by your mattress doesn’t feel sanitary, and the use of moisture wicking indicates the foam itself in the Emma Mattress isn’t very breathable. Alternatively, a better option is finding an all-foam mattress that uses open-cell, breathable foam to encourage air flow so heat doesn’t build up, and you don’t sweat to begin with!
Conclusion
Taking all these considerations into account, the Emma Original Mattress is not the top performing all-foam mattress I’ve tried. Despite being classified medium-firm by the brand, it had a softer firmness level and conforms to the body, giving a sinking feeling. A softer mattress surface doesn’t provide as much support for your neck and spine.
My other concerns are that it’s not an ideal choice for hot sleepers, as it prioritizes moisture-wicking over breathable foam, which is typically what I recommend for a cool night’s rest. While I like that its cover is removable and machine washable, the scratchy material of it felt uncomfortable and made me question its quality and durability. Finally, the off-gassing odour when it was first unboxed was a bit off-putting. So while it eliminates motion transfer well, its performance across other categories doesn’t hold up.
Please note: All prices referenced in this article reflect MSRPs and are accurate to the best of our knowledge as of August 4, 2024.
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