I sleep on a wrought iron double bed that my parents found buried in the garden of their new house in the 1990s. It's incredibly aesthetic, but my mattress has to do a lot of heavy lifting to keep me comfortable when the bed I'm sleeping on probably isn't the most well-engineered to help support my back. I've been on a long old hunt to find the perfect contender.
The latest to grace the bed frame was Emma's Origin Pro (previously named the Hybrid Thermosync) a mattress that launched on the market with the promise that it would revolutionise your temperature while you slept. It was a hybrid, incorporating foams and springs, but it used something called Thermosync technology to help both hot and cool sleepers find a happy medium. It felt like the perfect thing to upgrade my sleep, especially as it offered a supportive base, targeted edge-to-edge springs and a moulding memory foam, all of which seemed like just the thing for making my ancient iron bed work for me.
Emma Original Pro Mattress: is it worth buying?
In a word: Yes.
Hybrid mattresses combine a top layer of velvety foam with an under-layer of springs – the best of both worlds. The springs provide suspension, whilst the foam feels like a cocooning support layer which creates pressure relief on the different parts of your body. This edition is a sprung with memory foam layer mattress with 640 springs. I never knew I needed that many springs, but it turns out I did.
It was really easy to unpack, just plopping her on my bed, cutting her out of her corset and letting her sigh into position. You have to think ahead a bit here as they recommend letting it air out and fully expand for 24 hours. It does release a slight chemical smell for the first few hours, so I recommend doing this process in a well-aerated room.
Once fully fattened up, the Emma Hybrid Thermosync Mattress (f.k.a the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress, aka. the Original Pro) is almost ostentatiously tall, which feels American in a way I can't quite describe. Not only does this feel amazing, with layers of support and cosiness, it also makes my bed look full and puffy, like a hotel. It has a soft, quilted finish too, so your sheets slide nicely on and it doesn't have any obtrusive texture.
The comfort levels of the new mattress are off the chart. Whilst Emma says that it has a ‘medium firm feel’ I would say it's medium in the sense that it's both very soft and very firm. Supportive and cushioning, you sink into it, but not in a way that feels marshmallowy. I have actually (and this is true) found myself subconsciously muttering “wow that's really amazing” as I clamber into bed. Whilst it's super cosy it also acts as a ‘thermoregulated cocoon’ to help you reach your ideal body temperature thanks to their ThermoSync technology and the washable, breathable cover, so you feel fresh and unclaustrophobic even on the warmest nights.
Another huge benefit is the ‘no roll together’ function. My partner and I have different work and
sleep schedules, so this movement absorption feature ensures that neither of us are disturbed by the other's nighttime habits.
Truly the only drawback to having such an exceptional mattress is the fact that it illuminates the substandard nature of my other bedding. It's said that you put a ripe piece of fruit in the fruit bowl and it helps to ripen everything up. You have one academically excellent student in a class and the whole class improves. I'm starting to see my mattress have this effect. I've seen it turn to my saggy mattress and tell it to buck up its ideas. I've even started to iron my sheets!
I've always looked forward to getting into bed, but I'm bounding into this heavenly mound with newfound enthusiasm. One main joy is not finding myself descending down the shame-creek in the middle of the bed. Each night I'm free to cosy down into a new nook, the memory foam cocooning you, without forcing you to sleep in the same position as you (and in my case, my entire extended family) have since time immemorial.
MAY WE SUGGEST: Emma Hybrid Premium Mattress Review and Emma Hybrid Airgrid Mattress Review
Emma Original Pro Mattress: how does it compare six months later?
Half a year on and I'm still leaping into bed with delight. Flipping isn't necessary with Emma mattresses, but I have rotated it head-to-toe just to prevent uneven dipping. I was worried that the marshmallow effect of the memory foam might wear off, but it hasn't at all. It's still spongy, with enough resistance from the pocket springs to make me feel supported, and its breathable qualities mean that I avoid overheating, particularly on warmer nights. I upgraded my pillows at the same time and the overall effect has helped my neck pain, which I think came from a super-hard mattress and floppy pillows. My one gripe is that the depth - which offers me so much lovely height and substance - also means my fitted sheets are just a little too short. I would recommend getting slightly deeper fitted sheets if you opt for this mattress, or just go for a large flat sheet.
Fact file
| Fact File | Emma Pro Original Mattress |
|---|---|
| Firmness: | Medium firm |
| Trial period: | All Emma mattresses come with a 200 night sleep trial, to ensure your mattress is right |
| Guarantee: | 10 year guarantee |
| Country of manufacture: | UK - single, small double, double, king, super king; EU - single, double, queen |
| Sizes available: | Single, double, king and super king |
| Type of mattress: | Hybrid (11 layers of foam and springs) |
| Delivery: | Free (you can also spread the cost of your purchase in 3 to 12 months) |
| Country of manufacture: | Made in the UK |
How much does the Emma Original Pro cost?
The Emma Hybrid Thermosync Mattress (aka the Original Pro), starts at £499. A double is priced at £799.
Delivery
Emma offers free delivery to your doorstep, and free returns too (you can have the mattress picked up from your doorstep too). They don't help with the unpacking, but as i said this is all very straightforward as long as you give yourself a 24 hour window for unfurling.
Emma Original Pro Mattress verdict
With quick, easy delivery, and an excellent night's sleep to be gained, this mattress is definitely worth committing to. It made big claims about being incredibly temperature regulating, in fact it's entire release was centred around this, and it honestly does exactly what it promises. It's comfortable, kept us in that perfect sweetspot between not too cool and not too hot, and worked year-round, even in the middle of a London heatwave.
Summary
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Balance of firm support and soft cushioning | Quite a tall mattress, deeper sheets may be necessary |
| Looks and feels luxurious and hotel-like | Chemical ‘off-gassing’ smell when unwrapping, needs time to air out |
| Free and fast delivery | Although not the top of Emma's range, it's still pretty expensive |
| Effective motion isolation and temperature regulation | |
| Price-wise, it sits in the middle of Emma's offering |
Looking for more mattress content? Take a look at our selection of the best mattresses available to buy in the UK, our round up of the best memory foam mattresses, or our top tips for how to clean a mattress. To enhance your mattress, consider our pick of the best mattress toppers, or if you're looking to save some pennies, find out what we think is the best cheap mattress in our dedicated guide. Finally, if a buying a mattress that's mindful of the environment and your health is important to you, head over to our best organic mattress round up.
