I reviewed the Emma NextGen Premium mattress to see how it differs from the Original, and I couldn’t be more surprised

Our Emma NextGen Premium mattress review puts the brand's mid-range hybrid mattress through its paces to see how it compares to some of the best mattresses the Ideal Home team has tested.

When it comes to buying a mattress online, Emma is perhaps one of the first names most people think of. After all, the brand's flagship Emma Original mattress was one of the first mattress-in-a-box beds on the market. And, as our Emma Original mattress review found out, the brand's all-foam mattress is a crowd-pleaser, offering cushioning comfort at a relatively low price point. 

However, as a hot sleeper I struggled with breathability when I tested out the memory foam Original mattress many years ago, and reviews of the now discontinued Emma Premium mattress – which also mention it sleeping warm – left me wary that I would overheat on an Emma sleep surface. 

But, spurred on by my colleague's Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress review and the temperature-regulated sleep it offered, I was intrigued to find out whether the new and improved Emma NextGen Premium mattress would offer me the same cooler sleep (and for less money than the Luxe Cooling). 

I tested out the Emma NextGen Premium mattress for a month to see how well it performed in terms of comfort, temperature regulation, motion transfer, and edge support. Here's what I found.

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review

Specifications

• Type: Hybrid
• Construction materials: Memory foam, foam, pocket springs
• Number of springs: Not provided
• Memory foam: Yes
• Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Superking, EU single, EU double, EU queen
• Comfort level: Medium (7 out of 10)
• Height: 25cm
• Side handles: Yes
• Flip or rotate?: Rotate
• Manufacturer sleep trial: 200 nights

How I tested

Rachael Penn

I’m Rachael, a freelance reviewer who helps the Ideal Home team put all manner of products through their paces to find the top recommendations for our readers. For this review, I tested the Emma NextGen Premium mattress in a double on a traditional slatted bed base.

As a combination sleeper, its comfort levels have been put through their paces in various different sleep positions, and, as – much to my partner's annoyance – I tend to move around a lot at night, I was able to test out the NextGen Premium's ability to isolate motion to the max.

As a hot sleeper (I refuse to believe this could be down to my age just yet), I was also able to get a good idea of just how well the NextGen Premium does when it comes to regulating temperature.

Sleep position: combination sleeper, but mainly side Tension preference: medium firm Sleep problems: hot sleeper, lower back and neck pain

Construction

The Emma NextGen Premium mattress is hybrid mattress that combines a memory foam upper layer with pocket spring support. It's around average when it comes to depth, with a 25cm profile that's constructed from five layers.

Unusually for a hybrid mattress, the foam layers take up less room than the springs which make up 18cm of the depth. The brand doesn’t disclose how many coils they use in the spring layer, but dubs these springs 'tall Infinity springs' saying their extra height helps to maximise airflow for a more breathable sleep. 

These springs also have varying coil tensions in different areas of the mattress, the aim of which is to support the natural curvature of the spine. Emma states is uses 'firmer coils for the lower back and hips to prevent sagging and ensure proper spinal alignment' and 'softer coils under the shoulders to allow for a gentler sink-in'.

On top of these springs are four layers of foam. First up, is a layer of 'Halo memory foam', designed to 'adapt to the body and mould to your curves for targeted spinal alignment and pressure relief'. The next layer is a lower density foam made of 'Point Elastic Airgocell' which the brand states 'cradles all the achy bits'. Then there's a denser layer of supportive foam.

Covering all of this is the 'Emma UltraDry' fabric, which the brand says is breathable and moisture-wicking. The cover can also be unzipped and removed for machine washing.

Delivery

The Emma NextGen Premium may have springs but that doesn’t mean that the brand has strayed away from what it knows best, and that is vacuum packing its mattresses and putting them in a box. 

As of writing, delivery from Emma is free, and it’s fast too, with this mattress turning up at my door within just a couple of days of it being ordered. The delivery came via DHL who gave me a two-hour delivery window on the morning of delivery.

The box did turn up a little battered and there’s no white glove service here, the delivery was brought to my front door and then it was up to me to manoeuvre it from the door step to its final destination. The box did have cut outs on the side that made it easier to drag inside the house – much needed considering the double mattress weighs 29.5kg.  

The lack of delivery to a designated room is worth bearing in mind if you know you will struggle to get a mattress into your bedroom without help.

The outer box actually seemed very small, to the point that I thought a mistake had been made with the mattress size, but as it turned out, it was a double mattress, just folded in half and vacuum packed so tightly that it appeared smaller.

The moment you cut into the plastic, the mattress springs to life. I found it quite difficult to cut the plastic, and as there's no safety tool provided like there is with a Simba mattress, I was worried I was going to accidently damage the mattress. If you have a small parcel knife this may be more effective at releasing it from its plastic prison than a pair of scissors.

Once free from its packaging, Emma suggests leaving it for up to six hours to fully inflate, but do state in rare occasions it may take a couple of days to reach the optimal height. However, I found this mattress was plumped up and ready to go within half an hour of being opened up. 

There was some chemical off-gassing smell once the packaging was removed, but that disappeared within 24 hours so wasn't as bad as with some mattresses I've tested.

Comfort

Now, I’ve tested enough mattresses to know that you can’t judge a mattress based on just one sleep. I was in the process of decorating and waiting for a new bed in our master bedroom, so I made the Emma NextGen Premium mattress my new sleep surface in our guest bedroom for a month. That’s usually enough time to get used to the feel of a different bed and to figure out whether it’s going to amplify any joint or back pain that I am prone to suffering from.

Emma rate this mattress as medium-firm, stating it sits at about 7 out of 10 on the firmness scale, and I found this pretty accurate. You don’t really 'sink into' this mattress, instead you sleep 'on top' of it. 

As a combination sleeper I found that when I slept on my back I felt like I was comfortably on top of the mattress and not 'in' it. Whilst when I turned on to my side, I felt the memory foam top layer contour around my body so it felt as though the mattress was hugging me, but I still didn’t feel as though I’d been sucked in to the mattress which is something that all-foam mattresses have a tendency to do. 

This can be a really hard thing to get right, I hate the feeling of sinking right into my mattress but I do like to feel cosy and as though my mattress is cradling my entire body. And, when I need to turn over in the night I like to do it quick, and this mattress felt responsive in that regard rather than my having to wait for the memory foam to 'release' me.

This mattress is designed to support the areas where you need it the most, so the 7-zoned support focuses on the head, neck, shoulders, waist, hips, thighs and feet. I found the zoned support did its job well, but it did mean that I had to lie 'properly' in my bed. Anyone (like me) who tends to move around a lot or move down the bed when they sleep will notice the difference in the cushioning, as when you move out of optimal position you can feel it. This isn’t as weird as it sounds and actually, I found that sleeping on this mattress I didn’t shift around (or down the bed) as much as I usually do.

All in all, this mattress feels closer to a traditional sprung mattress than other hybrid mattresses I've tested, which I think makes it a good choice for a range of sleeping styles, including side, back, and – thanks to its firmer sleep surface – also front sleepers. That means it could be a great choice for couples who may have different sleeping styles.

Temperature regulation

Did I mention that I sleep hot? Regardless of the season, you can always guarantee that I’ll wake up with one leg outside of the covers trying to get some air to my skin. 

This changed significantly for me when I first switched out from a not-so-breathable all-foam mattress to a hybrid mattress, and having had a sweat-inducing sleep whilst testing the all-foam Emma Original mattress in the past, I was super worried I’d wake up sweltering on the NextGen Premium and reaching for the fan. 

But I didn’t need to worry. This hot sleeper found the Emma NextGen Premium slept really cool. Whilst Emma doesn’t label this mattress specifically as a cooling mattress, leaving that title for its more expensive Emma Luxe Cooling mattress, it does say that you’ll enjoy a 'dry and sweat-free sleep' on the Emma NextGen Premium, which I can confirm is absolutely true. 

Not once during my month of testing did I wake up feeling so much as clammy. The weather has been so up and down during my testing with some both warm and cold nights and this mattress kept me warm on those cold nights and cool on the warm nights which was perfect. 

The breathability likely comes from three distinct areas on the mattress. There’s the 'cooling cover', which is super soft, not that it makes that much of a difference since it gets covered with a sheet. But the cover is made using fabric that is moisture-wicking and it’s worth noting that it can be unzipped and popped through the washing machine so you can keep it super fresh. 

There is then the 'Point Elastic Airgocell' foam layer which aside from offering support also absorbs and evaporates sweat to keep you nice and cool whilst you sleep. And then finally, the layer of 'Infinity pocket springs' which don’t just add support to this mattress but also help to improve airflow so that bodyheat doesn’t get trapped within the mattress fibres. 

Motion isolation

I have to admit, I’m a pain to sleep with. I move around a lot at night. And not only that, I have two small dogs who like to pretend my bed is their bed so often hop up during the night, until they get fed up of the human snoring and hop back down again. My husband also tends to get up for the toilet during the night and if I’m disturbed it doesn’t make for a happy wife, so a mattress that isolates motion is very important for us. 

One thing I’ve come to learn during my years of testing mattresses is that all-foam mattresses do a much better job of isolating motion than hybrid or traditional spring versions. That's because foam and memory foam absorb movement and so dampen any motion from a partner (or dogs) considerably. 

So I was super surprised at just how well this hybrid mattress did when it came to motion transfer. In fact, I’ll go as far as saying it was one of the best mattresses I’ve slept on in terms of absorbing motion. I didn’t think it was going to be as good as it was because of the size of the springs used, however, the cushioning foam did a really good job of making sure I didn’t feel anyone moving around on the bed.

Edge support

Emma doesn’t actually make any grand claims when it comes to the edge support on the Emma NextGen Premium mattress, which is perhaps down to the fact that it’s one of the only areas that I felt really let this mattress down. 

I tend to sleep close to the edge of the mattress at night, and whilst it wasn’t too bad when I was stretched out and my weight was evenly distributed, I could feel the mattress sag a little as I got closer to the perimeter.

When my full weight was applied to the edge of the mattress it dipped right down. I found this dipping worst on the lengths of the bed rather than the shorter edges, and I put this down to the lack of foam edging around the springs at each side. Instead, the springs run right to the edges of the mattress. And when I sat on the edge of the mattress to put my socks and shoes on, I did feel unstable and as though I might fall off.

This is probably not a deal breaker if your mattress is large enough that no one needs to sleep on the edge, but I didn't feel the edge support delivered the same 'premium vibes' as the rest of the mattress, which was a shame. 

In this regard, the more expensive Emma Luxe Cooling mattress does seem worth its price tag, as this mattress offered all of the plus points I enjoyed in the Emma NextGen Premium mattress, but also offers foam edges that mean you can sleep right at the edge of the bed without feeling like you might roll off in the night. 

Additional features

This is a hybrid mattress so Emma suggest rotating it at least once a month for the first three months, this is to prevent body impressions and keep it from dipping and sagging. After that first six months, it only needs to be done once every three months. 

The mattress can’t be flipped so always make sure the white side is facing up. Interestingly, Emma state that the side handles are just for adjusting the mattress and not for moving it. I’ve used them to rotate the mattress around and found that they’re pretty solid and didn’t feel like they weren’t strong enough to do that. But it seems pretty pointless to me to have four handles just for the process of wiggling it on to the mattress frame. 

As mentioned, the mattress also has a removable, washable cover. You don’t need to lift the mattress to get this off, just unzip and remove the top layer. The cover can be machine washed at 40℃. This is a great feature for a freshening up the bed, however, I did find the cover snagged quite easily. I managed to pull a few threads by catching my watch on the surface whilst changing the sheets, so I would recommend removing all jewellery and accessories before your weekly bed change if you want to keep it in tip top condition.  

As of writing, there is also a 200-night sleep trial on the Emma NextGen Premium mattress if you buy it direct from the retailer – just make sure you read the terms and conditions before you shop.

Third-party reviews

This mattress doesn’t have that many reviews from customers who have purchased it on Amazon, but the reviews that it does have on there are all 5 stars. Customers mention how they found delivery easy and straightforward, and highlight how comfortable the mattress is. They also mention that, like me, they find the mattress does a good job of helping them maintain the right temperature throughout the night. 

When it comes to Trustpilot, Emma reviews are a mixed bag. Overall, the brand's average rating is just 3 out of 5, however, 65% of reviews are 5 star but dragged down by 19% of reviewers only awarding 1 star. Good reviews again mention how fast and efficient the shipping is. There are also lot of reviews saying how supportive this particular mattress is, and how it's the perfect level of firmness.

Deals

Buying a new mattress is an investment, and although the Emma NextGen Premium mattress has a mid-range price point to begin with, a discount is always welcome. The good news is that Emma regularly runs sales throughout the year, meaning you'll likely never have to wait too long to find the Emma mattress you have your eye on reduced.

You'll tend to see deeper discounts on this mattress during key sales events, mainly Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the Boxing Day and January sales. Throughout the rest of the year, your best bet for a lower price is to keep track of our round up of the best mattress deals.

Verdict

All in all, I was really impressed by the Emma NextGen Premium mattress. 

Comfort-wise, I couldn't fault this mattress. I get sciatica attacks and sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t have the right support can cause the pain to start, as well as pain in my neck, but this mattress actually made me feel better. I didn’t wake up with any aches or pains at all, and as a predominantly side and back sleeper, it did a really good job of offering me support in the places I needed it the most. I also noticed I didn’t seem to move around as much when sleeping on this mattress, and I woke up feeling like I’d had a good nights sleep.

As I’ve already mentioned, I was intially worried about testing this mattress after flashbacks to hot and sweaty nights spent sleeping on the all-foam Emma Original mattress. But I was more than pleasantly surprised by how breathable I found the Emma NextGen Premium mattress to sleep on. I didn’t play the duvet tango once whilst sleeping on this mattress, instead waking every morning with the covers over me and feeling a comfortable temperature.

Its motion isolation was also superb. In fact, between not overheating and not getting disturbed every time there was a movement in the bed, I probably had some of my best night's sleep on this mattress. 

The only real downside for me was the edge support, or lack thereof. I found this incredibly poor and a real shame considering it could be easily remedied by a foam encasement around the springs. If you’re someone who normally sleeps close to the edge then you may find the adjustment of having to sleep a couple of inches back a bit too much. And you certainly cannot sit on the edge of the bed without feeling as though you’re going to end up on the floor.  

Overall, I thought this was a great mattress, and it was really only the lack of edge support, and the fact I had to transport it to my bedroom myself, that lost it some marks.