Emma Luxe Cooling mattress review 2023: a soft, sumptuous bed for those that overheat

The Emma Luxe Cooling mattress offers brilliant temperature regulation for those that overheat, alongside adaptive springs to comfort anyone that fidgets throughout the night. Its super softness might not be for everyone – and it could use better edge support – but the impressive tech under the covers speaks for itself.

Theremosync tech is the real deal

Incredibly comfortable

Removable and machine washable top cover

Great motion isolation

Edge support not great

Maybe too soft for some

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The Emma Luxe Cooling mattress is a medium-to-high-end bed-in-a-box that is found at the top of Emma’s current range, offering its new Thermosync technology to help with overheating and excessive sweating during the night. This is built into each of its six layers with temperature regulation no doubt the main selling point, able to adapt during different weather conditions.

It’s super soft and super comfortable, being a mattress that you sink into before its AeroFlex springs adapt to your preferred style of sleeping. This was great for someone like me that can’t stop fidgeting, utilising all five zones of support so it didn’t matter what position I ended up in, even if it did take a couple of weeks to really get my groove in.

I tested the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress over a five-week period, sleeping by myself for the majority with my partner doing a handful of nights too. That level of softness worked wonders for me, yet did nothing for them - instead preferring a firmer mattress. Along with the level of edge support not being the best – so those that suffer from joint pain – it might not be for everyone.

This was a double mattress, coming in at around the RRP price of £1.798, You are far likelier to come across it for under £1,000 in Emma’s various sales throughout the year, mind. This is a competitive price point for the tech you are getting under the hood, with free delivery, returns and a 200-night testing period available to see if it’s right for you. Additionally. It has a 10-year guarantee.

Can the model challenge the best mattresses on the market today? To find out more regarding all of these points and how we tested the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress, head below to find out more.

The Emma Luxe Cooling mattress is a specialist mattress and, therefore, comes with reasonably high-end pricing. It sits at the top of Emma’s current range above its Next-Gen Premium and Original mattresses, which start from £659 and £317, respectively, without discounts applied. That said, it is still cheaper than the likes of the Simba Hybrid and Tempur range.

Like most mattress retailers, Emma holds regular sales throughout the year (currently offering a 55% discount for its Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress Plus that comes with the Emma comfort cover for free). Head below to see the latest RRPs for each of the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress sizes along with the Emma Luxe Cooling Plus discounted prices displayed too:

Emma offers discounts of between 35% to 50% at various points of the year, which definitely challenges the best mattress sales on the market right now. Taking advantage of these price cuts makes the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress a much more appealing offer, considering that an extra £45 is required to remove and recycle your old mattress. If you don’t need a mattress removal then any deliveries or returns are free.

The Emma Luxe Cooling mattress has six layers, starting with a top cover that regulates temperature by using its open-pore fibres to push and pull the air away from your body as needed. The second layer features Emma’s “revolutionary” new ThermoSync technology that has been infused with graphite particles to help control any excess body heat. This is done by absorbing the heat and redistributing away from the mattress with the core aim being to make sure you are not too hot in summer and not too cold in winter, either.

Onto the third layer and this is Emma’s Halo Memory Foam, which aims to improve spinal alignment while taking pressure relief into consideration. Basically, the mattress will mould to your specific body needs before then blending with the fourth layer to relieve any unnecessary force in the hope of obtaining a deeper sleep.

12cm Aeroflex pocket springs can be found within the fifth layer, designed to increase the lifespan of the mattress. It does come with a 10-year guarantee, mind. Last but not least, the sixth layer of the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress features a base foam that will evenly align your spine in whatever awkward position you decide to sleep. It also includes HRX (High Resiliency Extra) for counterpressure support to help with faster recovery.

Overall, the quality of the product is decent with everything able to be recycled. The box and lack of plastic were also excellent, considering I’ve had ones in the past that left a lot of waste. The only downside I could find was the handles on the side of the mattress. Very handy for moving but did split the material a little when pulled into position. Shame.

Design score: 4.5/5

The Emma Luxe Cooling mattress is an interesting one with sinkage definitely noticeable and yet, during our weight testing (using an 8KG weight positioned in the centre) it only fell to around three to four inches. I found it very comfortable, though I imagine the level of softness will put off some – my partner could only endure a couple of nights for this very reason.

Emma’s own firmness chart rates this model as a medium to firm mattress and a 5.5/10 with one representing the softest and 10 representing the most firm. From my testing, sleeping over a five-week period and my partner’s own experience, I’d argue it’s a little softer than that, rating it at about a 4.5/10 on the softness scale. Someone with a heavier build than me (80kg) may struggle as a result too.

The most impressive part of this was certainly the AeroFlex springs that provide five different areas of support, so it doesn’t matter how much of a fidget you are. That said, as someone that continuously flips throughout the night – from side to back to front – this did take some getting used to. My favourite position is usually on the side, facing out the window. Again this worked best for me but having someone who prefers to lie on their straight back, the sinkage might not be to everyone’s tastes. It wasn’t until the second or third week of sleep that I felt my groove had been embedded and could really be taken advantage of.

Comfort score 4/5

All six layers of the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress have been designed with temperature regulation in mind. The top cover regulates temperature, taking into account breathability to help disperse the heat. It’s also removable and machine washable – a nice bonus. I found this, as well as the ThermoSync Foam that is found on the second layer, to work incredibly well.

My testing was done during the summer, however, this is England. We don’t experience normal summers anymore, meaning heat waves, thundering, lightning, downpours of rain and extreme gusts. Weather noise aside, the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress does exactly what it says by handling the excessive heat – that’ll be the graphite particles – meaning I never woke up once drenched in sweat. It was hot, don’t get me wrong (I needed a fan on at one point) but I definitely felt cooler in comparison to mattresses I’ve experienced in the past.

Temperature regulation score: 5/5

A motion isolation test for the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress was conducted by positioning a wine glass in the centre of the mattress and then dropping an 8KG weight at four, 10 and 25 inches away from it. This was done three times for each measurement to ensure accurate results.

At four inches, the wine glass wobbled a lot but remained upright. A similar outcome was achieved at 10 inches, although with noticeably less wobble. Remarkably, at 25 inches the wine glass barely moved an inch meaning, for the most part, anyone getting out of bed on a morning should not worry about disturbing their partner. This is a pretty great result in comparison to other mattresses on the market.

Motion isolation score: out of 4.5/5

Edge support was tested by placing an 8kg weight on the edge of the mattress in the middle of the perimeter. This was done on both the left and right side with results showing that sinkage came in at about four inches, however, mattress support was heavily lacking with the weight continuously rolling off the edge. That definitely needs improving.

I then used my own weight (80kg) to test the edge yielding similarly not great results. Naturally, as I’m 10 times heavier than the previous weight, sinkage is noticeably lower. Still, I di notice myself slipping when rising from the mattress, making me concerned about anyone with hip or joint pain. This won’t be a big deal to the average user, yet is worth noting for those that struggle to get up from a low position.

Edge support score: 2/5

Anyone ordering through the Emma website can expect free delivery within one to two weeks of making an order, with additional purchases like Emma Care Insurance for stain and damage protection, an Emma Cloud Duvet and an Emma Premium Microfibre Pillow offered at checkout. Returning the mattress to Emma also doesn’t cost a penny.

An Emma Luxe Cooling double mattress was shipped in a box (45x45x110cm) with its contents rolled and vacuum-packed in plastic. This was delivered straight to my door and frankly, very heavy. I might be in my late 20s but this still required another pair of hands to lift the box upstairs and into position. The same can be said for lifting the mattress out of the box, again a bit of a struggle.

Once done, the plastic (which there wasn’t much of) could be sliced and the mattress unfolded in minutes, A few hours were required for it to inflate completely, so anyone looking to sleep straight away needs to make note of that. There was a not-unpleasant off-gassing smell that came from the unfurling of the mattress that filled the room for a couple of days. It wasn’t overbearing at all, only adding to that new mattress feeling.

Setup score: 4/5

As the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress only recently launched, no customer reviews have yet been published on the web. This is because the product is only sold via Emma’s own website with Emma’s support team confirming that no reviews have been uploaded as of yet. It will likely take a few months. In the meantime, Emma’s Trustpilot score is currently 3.8 out of 5, dropping recently because of slow deliveries and a lack of communication with its customers. Emma has told TechRadar that it is addressing these issues.

As a brand, Emma has an impressive reputation and only adds to that with the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress. Its temperature regulation is fantastic, utilising its Thermosync technology infused with graphite particles to provide a cool night’s sleep in a heat wave while also keeping you toasty when the temperature decides to drop. That adaptability is a highlight, making it perfect for anyone that overheats easily.

On the other hand, people that suffer from joint pain or struggle to stand up will want to look elsewhere with edge support certainly needing improvements. I personally loved the softness of the mattress and how it adapted to my body type, though it’s not for everyone. If you prefer a firmer mattress then it’s definitely not for you.

Anyone that fidgets constantly throughout the night will benefit, thanks to its AeroFlex spring support that conforms to whatever sleeping position you choose, be that side, front or back. This is only enhanced by the Halo memory foam that delivers on achieving a deeper sleep. Considering that the ordering, unpacking (if not a bit heavy) and the returns process is easy and free, I’d recommend giving the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress a go, even if you're only a little curious.

Emma OriginalThe Emma Original mattress is a cheaper alternative that offers a lot of the same features as the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress. The major difference between the two is the latter’s cooling properties, so if you don’t struggle with sweating during the night, this could be the one for you. Read our Emma Original review

DreamCloud Luxury HybridSomething different to consider is the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress which comes with top-edge support and first-class motion isolation, making it ideal for anyone that suffers from joint pain or likes to wriggle on a night. It’s just a little heavy and a little hot in comparison to others out there.Read our DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid review

Simba Hybrid LuxeIf you fancy going a bit more premium, the Simba Hybrid Luxe with its 10-layer design might be of interest. Though a bigger investment than the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress, it offers excellent edge support, that same great temperature regulation as well as offering a more responsive sleeper surface, rather than one you sink into.Read our Simba Hybrid Luxe review

Matt is a full-time freelance journalist who specializes in arts, culture and tech – be that movies, TV, video games, or otherwise. He's also turned his hand to everything from mattresses to motorbikes as a journalist. Prior to this, Matt headed up the games and entertainment section at T3.com, alongside being published across TechRadar, IGN, Tom's Guide, Fandom, NME, and more. In his spare time, Matt is an avid cinema-goer, keen runner and average golfer (at best). You can follow him @MattPoskitt64.

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