Emma Two

Pros

Two zones: one designed for back sleepers, the other for people who sleep on their side or front
Two foam layers: designed to fit a wide variety of different body shapes
Cover is comfortable and easy to take off

Cons

Carrying handles aren’t very strong
Mattress needs to be aired out after unboxing due to a strong smell

Rating

9.2 / 10

FinalCheck verdict

An extremely comfortable mattress, especially due to the special zones for back and side sleeping.

Material

Packaging

Comfort

Miscellaneous

Packaging of mattress in room next to shelf and plant — Emma Hybrid II is the follow-up model to the 2019 test winner

Material

The Emma Two is made from two different layers of foam. The first is 4.5cm thick, and is made from a blue material called Airgocell foam—you can see the color through the mattress cover. It is designed to provide a better sleep by moulding to your body as you lie on it. It has large pores which allow for good airflow through the mattress.

The bottom foam layer is 13.5cm thick and is much firmer than the top layer, providing support for your body. It is made from polyurethane, making it both elastic and extremely durable. There are a few holes in the side of this layer on one end of the mattress. When we pressure tested this side, it was much softer. The aim of this two-layer design is to make the mattress able to adapt perfectly to all body types, no matter how tall, short, light or heavy. This aim is supported by the fact that the mattress has five zones. This means that when you lie on it, different parts of your body sink in to different depths, since the different zones have different hardnesses.

emma_two_opened_mattress — The cover is easy to take off and wash.

The cover of the Emma Two is made from polyester and polypropylene. It is extremely flexible, and has a zipper so you can easily take it off and wash it. The synthetic fibres mean that moisture can easily escape from the mattress, meaning you sleep more comfortably. The underside of the mattress is slip-proof. On top, the cover is very soft and pleasant to touch.

Caring for the cover

You should regularly wash the cover in your washing machine. This won’t need a high temperature, between 30-40 °C will do. After washing, let the cover air dry. Don’t put it in the tumble dryer, and also don’t try to iron or bleach it. As for the mattress itself, don’t use chemicals to clean it—steam cleaning is enough.

Unboxing and first impressions

We tested a single sized Emma Two (90x200cm). It came vacuum sealed and rolled up, delivered in a rectangular box. As it only weighs 12kg, it can be easily carried, unpacked, and unrolled by one person. The packaging is easy to open with the small box cutter that comes fastened to one end of the packaging. Make sure to be careful when opening plastic wrapping so you don’t cut into the mattress. Once you’ve got the wrapping off, the mattress will expand a little and can be immediately tried out.

The first thing you notice once the mattress is unwrapped is the polyester smell, typical for freshly opened products made from it. You may be reminded of that ‘new car’ smell. If this bothers you, you can air the mattress out in a well-ventilated room or on a balcony. According to Emma, this smell will be gone after a couple of days at most. The carrying handles on the side of the mattress aren’t particularly sturdy. When we tried moving the mattress, the seams attaching the handles to the mattress began to rip slightly. As such, make sure to take special care when moving this mattress. This said, as a single mattress, you don’t really need carrying handles—although once you start moving doubles and larger this could be an issue.

close-up_zipper — The carrying handles need to be treated with care

Comfort

The Emma Two isn’t extremely soft such that you completely sink into it. If you like a firmer mattress, you’ll be in for a comfortable sleep. Emma specifies the hardness as ‘H3’, or medium-hard. The foam in the middle of the mattress does have some give, but also provides a fair bit of stability. Where the mattress has holes on the side, the foam is much softer—they are placed to change how the mattress feels in certain areas as you’ll sink in more. The way the holes are placed means that different parts of your body get differing amounts of support to provide the perfect ergonomic lying position—especially if you sleep on your side or on your back. The other half is designed for people who sleep on their backs. This area is comfortable, but not noticeably different to ordinary mattresses.

emma_two_layers_close-up — The holes allow different parts of your body get differing amounts of support to provide the perfect ergonomic lying position.

The small corner with the logo on the edge of the mattress is a guide to how you should ideally lie on the Emma Two. If it hangs to the right of your head, you are lying on the back sleeper side, which has less give. If you turn the mattress 180 degrees so that the logo is now by your feet, you’ll be lying on the side sleeper side. Here, the upper body sinks in deeper due to the holes in the polyurethane foam. If you prefer to sleep on your side, this will keep your spine in a straight position. Stomach sleepers will also lie more comfortably on this side.

Note the correct side

Emma expressly recommends that you do not use the side sleeping side if you tend to sleep on your back. This is because on this side, your upper body sinks deeper into the mattress than your shoulders. In the long run, this can lead to back problems. It is also important not to turn the mattress over. When the blue foam is on top, the mattress is the right way up.

Miscellaneous

You can use the Emma Two with any kind of bed frame. The underside of the mattress has an anti-slip coating which means it will stay in place. You shouldn’t put the mattress directly on the ground—the mattress won’t get enough airflow and moisture will build up, which can lead to mould.

The Emma Two, just like its predecessor, has been tested by Oeko-Tex and has the Standard 100 seal. This means that the mattress has been tested for harmful substances and that all its components aren’t harmful. With its classification in product class 1, the Emma Two is gentle on sensitive skin and is also suitable for babies.

In addition to the single (90x200cm) size we tested, there are seven other sizes available to buy. There is something for everyone, from an even smaller single (80cm wide) to a king-size version (200×200 cm). Emma offers a ten-year guarantee on all its mattresses. You can expect the lifespan of the mattress to be similar. Emma also offers a service where you can try out one of their mattresses for up to 200 days, and if you aren’t satisfied you can send it back and get all of your money back.

emma_two_editor_lying_on_mattress — Back and side sleepers will find the mattress comfortable as well as ergonomically healthy for their posture.

Conclusion

Since this review is just based on trying the Emma Two out, and not a long-term test, the results are just based on initial impressions. Whether the mattress can have a long term effect on your sleep and your posture remains up for debate, and is also likely different from person to person.

This said, when we were trying the Emma Two out, we found it to be extremely comfortable. If you prefer harder mattresses, you’ll find the firmness perfect. The difference between the back and side sleeping zones is noticeable—you do sink in much more when sleeping on your side. Due to this, we would especially recommend the mattress if you tend to sleep on your side.

Images 1-5: © FinalCheck