Emma Hybrid mattress review: A delightful mattress, now discontinued

UPDATE: Since publishing our review, Expert Reviews has noticed a recent influx of negative customer reviews for Emma Sleep on Trustpilot, with many customers complaining of delays to shipping and a lack of communication over when deliveries will happen. According to Emma Sleep, these delays have been caused by factors “not under [the brand’s] control”, and a spokesperson said that the process of transitioning “order management and fulfilment platforms” has led to these issues. We’ve also been told that resolving these issues is a top priority for Emma Sleep and the company is expecting to resolve the issues in the coming weeks. We will be sure to bring you more information as we receive it.

Like rivals from Otty, Simba and Eve, the Emma Hybrid gets its name because it combines foam and springs in a “hybrid” design. What do the springs add, you might ask? This is rather difficult to articulate but, essentially, by adding another comfort layer, they deliver a slightly more subtle and luxurious feeling than foam alone. So is the Hybrid worth paying extra for compared to its stablemate, the Emma Original? I’d say yes on the proviso that you plan on using it on a solid base.

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Emma Hybrid mattress review: What you need to know

It’s worth pointing out right away that the springs in the Emma Hybrid aren’t as long as they would be in a traditional pocket sprung mattress. Indeed, its micro pocket springs are encased in a layer of foam that’s just 20mm thick.

Above the spring layer, there’s 35mm of Airgocell and below it is a 25mm layer of memory foam, as in the Emma Original. Forming the mattress’ base is a layer of HRX foam for support, although this is thinner in the Hybrid than the Original, at just 165mm versus 195mm.

The quick-witted among you will realise that this makes for a mattress that’s 240mm thick in total, which means it works well with most fitted sheets. To help with moving the mattress – which you’ll likely need as it’s around 2.5 kilos heavier than its all-foam counterpart in king size – there are two handles on both sides of its cover, which has a removable, machine-washable top layer.

Otherwise, there’s very little to separate the Hybrid from the Emma Original and indeed many of its bed-in-a-box mattress rivals when it comes to features. Because of ongoing social distancing measures, it currently comes with a 200-night trial instead of the usual 100-night money-back guarantee and, like its stablemate, it comes with a ten-year warranty against manufacturing defects.

Emma Hybrid mattress review: Price and competition

Emma has increased its pricings over time, threatening the Original and the Hybrid’s previously held positions in the bed-in-a-box market as very competitively-priced mattresses. The Hybrid has now risen to £809 for a double (previously £700, then £769) and £919 for a king (previously £750, then £879).

It’s a rather significant increase, meaning that the Emma Hybrid is beaten on price by many of its rivals, including Eve’s Lighter Hybrid (£579 for a double and £679 for a king) and the Otty Hybrid (£700 for a double and £800 for a king). That said, Emma is not the only bed-in-a-box brand that has increased its prices, and the Hybrid is still not the most expensive mattress out there. The Simba Hybrid, for instance, will cost you £829 for a double and £939 for a king. 

Of course, it’s always worth checking in to see if Emma is running any promotional discounts. These are fairly common with bed-in-a-box brands, and Emma often kindly gives us exclusive discount codes to share with you.

The best alternatives and where to buy them:

• Emma Original | Buy now from Emma
• Simba Hybrid | Buy now from Simba
• Brook and Wilde Lux | Buy now from Brook and Wilde
• Otty Hybrid | Buy now from Otty
• Eve Hybrid | Buy now from Eve

Emma Hybrid mattress review: Comfort and performance

The Emma Original mattress is one of the most comfortable bed-in-a-box mattresses I’ve tested, so I had high hopes for the Hybrid version. After unpacking the mattress and pushing down on it with my hand, it offered a similar amount of resistance to the all-foam model and this translated to a broadly similar feel when it comes to lying down on it.

Indeed, like its stablemate, the mattress strikes a nice balance of being supportive without being too hard. When lying on your back there’s plenty of lift under the hips and lumbar region but there are also ample comfort layers, which means the mattress can easily accommodate the shape of your hips when you lie on your side.

As I alluded to in the intro, the differences compared to the Original are rather subtle in nature. However, thanks to that additional comfort layer, I’d say the Hybrid offers a more sumptuous and indeed subtle feeling than the pure foam of its sibling, along with a little more bounce.

The only caveat to this is that I found that a sprung slatted bed altered the feeling of the mattress considerably. Perhaps because its support layer is thinner than on the Original, I found it flexed more when used on a yielding base, resulting in my hips dropping lower than I’d like. If you’re lighter than 75kg, that might not be a problem for you but if you’re a similar weight or heavier I’d definitely recommend using the Hybrid on a solid base.

Thankfully, though, as with the Original, I didn’t find that the foam used in the Hybrid changed in feel as it warmed up. In other words, it feels broadly similar when you get into it as it does when you wake in the morning. As with all models predominantly made from foam, the Hybrid can feel rather toasty if you don’t use appropriate bedding, but it does as good a job as any of its comparable rivals at keeping you from getting too hot and clammy.

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Emma Hybrid mattress review: Verdict

Overall, then, the Emma Hybrid and Emma Original share very similar strengths and weaknesses. They’re both very comfortable and supportive and, as with all bed-in-a-box mattresses, they can feel too warm if you’re used to a traditional mattress with natural fillings.

As long as it’s used on a solid base, however, I have no hesitation in recommending the Emma Hybrid. It’s pricier than the Emma Original, but if you don’t mind paying the extra £200 (king size), then it’s a worthwhile investment for a more subtle and sumptuous overall experience.

If you like to sleep in a range of positions and have struggled to find a mattress that’s right for both you and your partner, the Emma Hybrid is as good an option as any.