Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress review 2025: Cooling comfort for side sleepers

Tom's Guide

6 days ago

Emma is a recognisable brand in the UK mattress industry, known for its affordable beds for all sleeping styles. Their most expensive model, the Elite mattress, recently underwent a name change and is now called the Emma Hybrid Airgrid.
We had previously rated the Emma Elite as the best mattress for side sleepers and were keen to test the new version to see if it is still worthy of a spot in the guide. We slept on the mattress for over a month and rated it against key performance indicators like motion isolation (the ability to dampen movement across the mattress), temperature regulation and edge support (the sturdiness of the perimeter of the mattress) with the help of a series of objective tests.
While we have the full review with detailed notes on it below, here's an abridged version if you're in need a of a quick summary.
Type: HybridMaterials: Memory foam, pocketed springs, AirGrid technology and other foamsBrand-rated firmness (1-10): 8 (medium-soft)Height: 27 cmTrial period: 200 nightsWarranty: 10 yearsSale price: from £679 at Emma
The 27cm tall Emma Hybrid Airgrid is a premium mattress which, along with a name change, has dropped its hefty price tag from £2,049 to £1,008 for a double at full price. It is crafted from soft cushioning foams, a supportive 3-zone pocket spring structure and the main highlight: the AirGrid technology layer. Made from hyper-elastic polymer, this flexible grid layer is behind the floating sensation the mattress delivers, thanks to the subtle bounce and support it provides.While we found that it delivers enough support for back sleepers, the Emma Hybrid Airgrid is best suited to side sleepers seeking a soft, cushioning sleep surface. It provides the right contouring to ease your shoulders, hips and knees while lying on your side, hugging your form to give a comfortable night's rest. However, if you're someone who struggles with back pain occasionally like our lead tester, we recommend a firmer bed offering more robust lumbar support.
Paired with the soft, breathable and moisture wicking UltraDry top cover, the AirGrid layer of the mattress effectively stayed at a neutral temperature all throughout the testing period (an unseasonably hot spring.) You can also keep your bed fresh for longer as the cover is easily removable and washable.
As per our in-house tests, the mattress proved to have excellent motion isolation which means it can be a good fit for couples too. Overall, we think the Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress offers great value for money for side sleepers seeking excellent pressure relief. Read on to get more information on price, performance and user reviews...
The Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress (previously called the Emma Elite) is the brand's top-of-the-line bed which was rebranded in January 2025. While the major specifications of the mattress remains the same, the RRP has undergone a significant change to reflect Emma's new pricing strategy.
Despite its RRP taking a significant drop, the Emma Hybrid Airgrid remains as the brand's most expensive model.
Here's how much you can expect to pay for the Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress at full price:
You can also get a free bedding bundle worth up to £337 including the Emma Premium Cloud Pillow, a mattress protector and a Cloud Duvet with every Hybrid mattress, making it a great value purchase overall.
Emma is not a brand which offers regular discounts. However, at the time of writing, there is a 20% off sale, which is usually reserved for major sales like Black Friday or Boxing Day. That discount brings the price of a double down to £806.40 from £1,008, which is a significant saving. If you aren't ready to buy right now you can also keep track of fluctuating RRPs in Emma mattress sale.
The Emma Hybrid Airgrid comes with a 200-night sleep trial, 10-year guarantee and free shipping and returns which ensures a hassle-free purchase.
While this is the standard for some brands, there are others which offer generous benefits, for instance the Nectar and DreamCloud, which come with a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty.
Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress: single from £679 now £543.20 at Emma While it is still Emma's most expensive mattress, the Emma Hybrid Airgrid has reduced in price by 50% ever since its rebranding earlier this year. Plus, a 20% sale means extra savings. Currently, a single bed is priced at £543.20 while a double is available to buy at £1,008. This includes a 200-night sleep trial, 10-year warranty, free bedding bundle and free shipping and returns.
The Emma Hybrid Airgrid is a premium mattress crafted from foams, springs, anti-slip fabric and, of course, the brand's proprietary Airgrid layer, which we'll cover in closer detail below. Starting with the easily removable and washable Emma UltraDry top cover, this cover is breathable and moisture wicking, which is great news for those prone to overheating at night.
Next, the unique AirGrid tech layer. Made from hyper-elastic polymer infused with cooling gel, the AirGrid is a flexible grid layer that adds a gentle bounce to the bed while delivering that weightless floating feeling.
The MemoryAdapt foam comes next, providing the body cradling and contouring by adapting to your shape and easing your pressure points. This is followed by the combination of a low-density foam and a SupportBase foam, both of which work together to prevent you sinking into the mattress. The layer of Infinity springs which sits under the two, enhancing the durability and sturdiness of the bed, as well as boosting its overall breathability. Finally, the bottom of the mattress cover is made of an anti-slip fabric which ensures you have extra support and stability all night long.
Emma's firmness rating scale is quite different to how other brands do it. For Emma, one signals a stiff mattress while 10 indicates a plush soft bed (most brands do it the other way around.)
Emma updated the firmness of the Hybrid Airgrid mattress from 7.5 to 8 (medium-soft) to better align with customer expectations after the rebranding and our tester thinks this is a perfect score.
At 27cm, the Emma Hybrid Airgrid is thicker than the all-foam Emma Original, crafted from different memory foams, the AirGrid technology offering a bit of responsive bounce and infinity springs. Gauging mattress firmness is of course subjective and depends on factors like your sleeping style and body weight.
Our lead tester, 5'4 1/2", found the mattress to be plush soft in all sleeping positions and especially so while side sleeping. It cradles your form and provides even support so you don't feel like you're being swallowed by the mattress (which is common in plush mattresses for side sleepers.)
That said, she did feel her hips sink ever so slightly when back sleeping. So while it's beautifully soft for side sleepers, those who require robust support (heavier bodies, stomach sleepers or those with back pain) will require something firmer.
To get an objective gage on the mattress' pressure relief, we placed a 26kg (56lbs) weight in the center of the mattress and and measured 4" of sink. This indicates a plush sleep surface.
Heavier bodies and stomach sleepers aside, we think, the Emma Hybrid Airgrid offers excellent pressure relief for side sleepers, delivering on that "floating sensation" the brand claims.
Score: 4 out of 5
As all other boxed mattresses, our double size Emma Hybrid Airgrid came rolled up and vacuum sealed to our front door. At 36.2 kg (79.8 lbs), it may not seem the heaviest of mattresses but our main tester struggled to get it upstairs to her room and finally had to seek to help from her housemate.
The setup was easy once the mattress was laid on the foundation. It's just a matter of unboxing and cutting off the plastic and you'll soon find your Emma mattress starting to expand.
One thing we noticed was the potent off-gassing as the mattress took shape. This is the smell released from the mattress after being vacuum rolled and sealed. A strong off-gassing smell occurs when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released from the materials in your mattress into the air. It took a day for it to be entirely cleared and cracking the window wide open helped quite a bit. Emma suggests leaving your mattress for a day to completely expand. Our tester found the Hybrid Airgrid to have expanded fully after over 12 hours. However, if you have the time and space to let your new mattress expand as per manufacturer's instructions, we strongly recommend you to do so.
Score: 3.5 out of 5
We slept on a UK double Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress for over a month and evaluated it against key performance areas like motion isolation, temperature regulation, edge support and build quality as per our mattress testing methodology. Here's everything you need to know:
The Emma Hybrid Airgrid is a plush mattress with a subtle bounce thanks to the flexible Airgrid layer right below the cover. Before sleeping on it, we wondered how this would have an impact on its ability to isolate movements.
As our lead tester doesn't share a bed, we ran a drop test using a 4.5 kg (10lbs) kettlebell and an empty wine glass to simulate someone else getting in and out of bed. We dropped the weight from 4" above the surface at 4", 12" and 25" away from the glass.
When we dropped the weight from both 4" and 12" inches away from the glass, it lightly swayed but never well. We repeated this twice to confirm this. This indicates that the mattress has good motion isolation and would muffle even the lightest of movements.
At 25" too, the glass barely budged, indicating that while it has a bit of a bounce, the motion transfer tech is stable enough to give you an uninterrupted night's rest if you share a bed.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
During our testing period, there were noticeable temperature changes from below 10 degrees in early spring to 22 degrees on certain days later in spring. We also used cotton-blend bed sheets and microfiber duvet throughout the time we slept on the mattress.
Our lead tester, who sleeps warm and uses a fan on hotter days, mostly slept comfortably on the Emma Hybrid Airgrid (except on days when her fan malfunctioned.) However, since it provides a neutral temperature and is not an actively cooling mattress, we'd recommend a cooling mattress protector or topper for those who are prone to overheat during the night.
Score: 4 out of 5
The support around the edge of a mattress makes it easier to get in and out of bed and logically increase the size of your sleeping surface by being able to sleep right up to the bed's edge. Good edge support means you can lie ever so close to the edge and never fear of falling over.
In our weight tests, the 26kg (56lbs) weight barely sat on the edge (measuring 3.5 inch sinkage) and once fell over during our test. This average support is also apparent when sitting on the edge of the mattress, resulting in a dipping and sliding feeling.
While we cannot entirely assess if it will stand the test of time, during the limited testing period, we found the mattress to be consistently comfortable in all sleeping positions.
This is primarily due to the fact that the Emma Hybrid Airgrid is the brand's premium offering crafted from high-quality materials. However, if at any point you feel the mattress is not meeting your expectations, you can always rely on Emma's 200-night sleep trial for easy returns.
Score: 4.5 out of 5
The Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress is given a rating of 4.9 out of 5 by customers on the official website with most of them describing how comfortable and supportive the bed is.
You can also find similar reviews for the mattress on platforms and retailers like Trustpilot and Mattress Online where the majority has given a 5-star rating. Positive comments come from people who found it to strike a good balance of plush softness and firmness.
Others who gave it a low score raised certain concerns like lack of enough lumbar support leading to back aches and poor support around the edge,
After sleeping on it for over a month and putting it through rigorous testing, we believe the Emma Hybrid Airgrid is a great value mattress for side sleepers and average weight back sleepers. The responsive Airgrid layer provides enough bounce and makes it easy to shift positions, while the pressure relieving foam beneath give it a weightless feel. However, our tester also felt a little sink around her hips, thus falling short in providing enough lumbar support to ease lower back aches and pain. We also found the support around the edge of the bed to be average, which isn't great for those who require a sturdy support for sitting before standing or sleeping right next to,
In terms of temperature, our lead tester didn't find the mattress to overheat at any point and slept comfortably, even when the days started getting warmer. However, if you're someone prone to overheat, we recommend you switch to a dedicated cooling bed like the Emma Thermosync (formerly called the Emma NextGen Cooling mattress.) Since its name change earlier this year (it was previously called the Emma Elite), the Emma Hybrid Airgrid mattress has undergone a price cut of around 50%. So even though it's still Emma's most expensive mattress, it is cheaper than it used to be (for context, a double has dropped from £2,049 to £1,008 for a double.) It comes with a 200-night sleep trial and 10-year warranty.
Overall, we think it's a premium mattress at a fair price, which can lower further in price thanks to 20% off discounts during sales.
The Nectar is the best budget mattress in our guide with an all-foam medium-firm construction. Our tester thinks it strikes a good balance of softness and sturdy support perfect for all, especially side sleepers. It earned an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 with our tester being impressed by its motion isolation and temperature regulation. The current RRP for a UK single Nectar Memory Foam mattress is £349 while a UK double costs £499 which includes a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty. You can learn more in our Nectar Mattress review.
Thanks to the combination of foams and tall pocket springs, the REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid is designed to provide the right lumbar support and soothing comfort and hence ranks as the best mattress for back pain. The current RRP for a UK single is £499.99 while a UK double is currently £649.99, plus sleep benefits like a 100 night trial and 15-year warranty. You can also grab a free bedding bundle which includes a pack of memory foam pillow, a pair of Tencel Cool Pillow Protectors and a cotton mattress protector worth up to £248. Learn more in the RemFit-500 Ortho Hybrid Mattress review.
Side sleepers will love the contouring gel memory foams and soft bounce of the pocket springs in this DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid, which deliver excellent pressure relief, temperature regulation and motion isolation according to our tester. If you want the same soft feel to your mattress like the Emma Hybrid Airgrid, but with a luxury quilted top, the DreamCloud might be your pick. Like the Nectar, this comes with a 365-night trial and lifetime warranty. A UK single mattress is now £549 while a UK double is currently priced at £699. You can learn more in the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress review.