Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress review: A medium design with great breathability

The main appeal of the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress is that it claims to offer plush comfort without overheating. Graphite-infused foams are paired with what Emma calls “Thermosync technology”, to wick away warmth and keep you the ideal temperature — and it works. We slept on the NextGen for four weeks and were impressed with how cool it stayed, even during our warm summer testing period. We found the medium feel provides exceptional pressure relief, while the 7-zone "InfinitySpring” base offered plenty of support for our back and side sleeping testers. We do think the edges could be more supportive, particularly at the corners, but the motion isolation is top notch. And for a cooling bed, it’s surprisingly budget friendly — as long as you catch an Emma mattress sale.

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: review in breif

• Graphite infused foam does well to regulate temperature
• Excellent at absorbing motion for limited disturbance
• Side and edge support could be better

For anyone who sleeps hot, it's a good idea to look for a mattress with cooling properties. Could the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress be the right choice for hot sleepers? We spent four weeks sleeping on it to see if the graphite-infused temperature regulation can earn it a place in our best mattress guide....

Below, we'll explore the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress in-depth, but here are our review highlights — in case you're in a rush to buy during the Black Friday mattress deals.

The NextGen is a variation of the Emma Luxe Cooling design, featuring the Emma UltraDry breathable, removable, and washable cover. The spring base is zoned to support specific parts of your body, with seven targeted support zones instead of the five you'll find in the Emma Luxe Cooling. We were pleased with just how balanced we felt when sleeping on our back and sides.

But while the support is strong across the body, it could be improved at the edges and corners, where we felt there was an issue with sinking. What's more, if you press against the side, you can feel the springs quite prominently.

What about the NextGen's biggest feature — cooling? Our testing period took place over summer — the best time to feel cooling in action — and we were impressed with just how cool the mattress stayed even when the temperatures rose outside. If the room was warm enough to sleep with the window open, the mattress remained at a reasonable temperature.

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Emily Peck)

We found the Emma NextGen Cooling on the soft side (Emma rates it as medium) and what this mattress does really well is offer exceptional pressure relief. Our side sleeping testers found the mattress nicely cushioned, while both back and side sleepers praised the balanced feel of the support. However, stomach sleepers should look for something firmer.

Emma mattresses typically have good motion isolation, and the same was true here. We were amazed at just how good the motion absorption was, which meant that our lead tester went mostly undisturbed when sharing the bed with their partner.

Cooling mattresses are often premium buys, but the Emma NextGen Cooling is a mid-range model. But only if you shop during the Emma mattress sales — at full RRP, it's a little overpriced. Still, if you want a cooler feel from a mattress that hugs you, this is a fantastic option.

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: price & deals

• An upgrade on the Emma Luxe Cooling Mattress
• Sales typically alternate between the Luxe and NextGen Cooling
• Comes with a 10-year guarantee, 200-night trial

The Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress is a cross between the Emma NextGen supportive mattress line-up and the Luxe Cooling mattress. It's the most expensive of the NextGen mattresses, but at full RRP it's more affordable than the Luxe Cooling.

The Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress is a premium priced design, with prices starting from £759 for a single and £1,139 for a double. That's at full RRP, however, you can often save on this mattress, with discounts sometimes going as high as 40% off. We expect to see the biggest savings over the major sales days — such as the Emma Black Friday mattress deals.

• UK Single: £759 (normally sells for £455.40)
• UK Small Double: (£1,049 (normally sells for £629.40)
• UK Double: £1,139 (normally sells for £683.40)
• UK King: £1,259 (normally sells for £755.40)
• UK Super King: £1,419 (normally sells for £851.40)
• EU Single: £869 (normally sells for £521.40)
• EU Double: £,189 (normally sells for £713.40)
• EU Queen: £1,379 (normally sells for £827.40

In the sales, a UK double NextGen Cooling can normally be found for around £684, which we think is a good price for a mattress of this quality. The deal typically alternates between the Luxe Cooling and the NextGen cooling (when one is one sale, the other is full price). So if the NextGen isn't reduced, you'll rarely be waiting too long for the discount.

It’s not the cheapest mattress you can find that focuses on cooling, however. By comparison, the Coolflex Hybrid ICE mattress from Mattress Next Day costs £359 for a double — although as we've not tested this mattress, we can't confirm if the cooling compares to the Emma NextGen.

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: materials

• A hybrid mattress with a 7-zone support spring base
• An UltraDry breathable cover is removable and washable
• Features ThermoSync foam infused with graphite particles

The Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress is a hybrid design worth noting for its six mindfully positioned layers. At the top of the mattress is Emma's UltraDry breathable and moisture-wicking cover. This is designed to be removable and washable, so you can keep your bed fresh and hygienic. (However, we did find removing and replacing the cover to be a two-person job).

Beneath this sits the ThermoSync graphite-infused foam, to help capture heat and regulate temperature. Then comes another foam layer, this time for cradling pressure relief, followed by a layer of adaptive and body-hugging memory foam.

A transitional support foam sits between the softer foams and the spring base. The mattress has a spring layer with 7 different zones of pocket springs inside – all targeted at specific body parts – from the head and shoulders to the lower back, hips, thighs and feet.

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: firmness and comfort

• A medium mattress with a 7.5 out of 10 rating (with 10 as soft)
• 7-zoned pocket springs base to support each part of the body
• Top layer feels soft and squishy at the joints, good for side sleeping

With its five carefully positioned internal layers, the Emma NextGen Cooling is a supportive mattress with a nice bit of cushioning. Emma rates it as a medium mattress, placing it at 7.5 on its own firmness scale (with one indicating firm and 10 soft. We agreed that it was on the softer side of medium.

But we know mattress firmness can be subjective, so we asked testers of varying heights and body types to try the Emma NextGen Cooling. We found that the lighter testers were more inclined to compliment the softer feel. Our lead tester shared the Emma NextGen Cooling with her partner for four weeks, and found this mattress much softer than her previous bed, the Simba Ultra Hybrid.

The top of the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress is cushioned and feels noticeably plush when you place your hand against it. It took at least a week for our main testers to get used to the softer tension, but after this, they were pleased with how comfortable the mattress felt. They were also very impressed with how the mattress absorbed motion (which we'll dive into later).

Our testers all agreed that the mattress made them feel evenly balanced when sleeping on their back. The tester who prefers a side sleeping position also pointed out just how cushioned and supported they felt at the hip and shoulder, and how they avoided any numbness in the arm.

The one tester that likes to sleep on their front noted how easily they could move back onto their side without feeling stuck. However, softer mattresses typically aren't ideal for stomach sleepers, who need more firmness at the hips.

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: performance

• Stays cool to touch – even on warmer summer evenings
• Impressive motion isolation technology keeps both sides happy
• Edge support isn’t as good as it should be

Our main testers slept on a king size Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress for four weeks. They tested the mattress in all areas of performance and comfort, rating it on pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, cooling, ease of set up and durability.

Set-up

The Emma mattress comes vacuum packed, rolled up, and delivered in an Emma-branded box. Delivery was swift after ordering, and getting the mattress upstairs and onto the bed frame was straightforward. Although at 72.75lbs (33kg) for a king size, we think it's a two-person job. Emma offers a 200-night trial with the mattress and if you’re not entirely satisfied with it, it can be returned free of charge.

We set up the king size mattress on a wooden bed frame. There was a fair amount of plastic to unravel, but this was easy enough to recycle. In true bed-in-a-box style, once unleashed from the package it unravelled to its full length and width within seconds. Waiting for the mattress to fully form took considerably longer, however. We waited 48 hours before sleeping on the mattress to ensure it was at its full length and height — but this isn't unusual for a boxed mattress.

Score: 5 out of 5

Off-gassing

It’s natural for there to be some mattress off-gassing when unravelling a bed that has been vacuum packed. That new plastic factory smell can take longer to disappear on some mattresses than with others. We’re pleased to report that the off-gassing of the NextGen Cooling hybrid mattress wasn’t overwhelming at all, and the scent didn’t linger for too long either.

Our lead tester has unboxed some all-foam Emma mattresses in the past that have had strong off-gassing, but we found no cause for concern here. It’s also good to know that Emma’s mattresses have fire-retardant qualities and are UKFR certified, which passes UK fire regulations.

Score: 4 out of 5

Pressure relief

The tension of the Emma mattress is rated at 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, with one being the firmest. Emma states that this is a medium mattress. We found this to be largely accurate. At Tom's Guide, we rate mattress firmness differently, with 10 indicating rock hard and one super soft. On our scale, the NextGen Cooling is closer to a six.

If you like a softer mattress, we think you won’t be disappointed by the Emma NextGen Cooling. It contours to the body satisfyingly — particularly around the hips and lumbar area — without sinking in too much. The pocket sprung base has been designed to ensure the mattress gives good support across the body and we were able to rest easy and move freely. We found it easier to sleep on our back and sides than we did on our front, however, possibly due to how squishy the overall top surface is.

To gain more insight into the pressure relief, we placed an 8kg weight in the middle of the mattress (to simulate the feel of a person’s body sinking in). We measured the sinkage at two inches, which backs up our subjective testing — lots of cushioning but not too much sink. By comparison, we measured the sinkage on the Emma Elite mattress at 1.5 inches – this is also a mattress we’d recommend for its pressure-relieving qualities.

Score: 4 out of 5

Motion transfer

If you share a bed with a partner, motion isolation is key to a good night’s sleep — the better it is, the less likely you are to be unnecessarily disturbed if a restless partner moves position in the night or gets out of bed.

We think Emma has mastered the motion isolation technology in the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress. Our lead tester felt limited movement from their partner moving at night and vice versa.

We used a wine glass and a weight to objectively test the motion absorption. We placed an empty wine glass on the bed and dropped a 3kg weight 25 inches, 10 inches and 4 inches away from the glass, to recreate the feel of someone moving around the bed. On the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress, the wine glass stood defiant — even with the weight was 4 inches way. This is among the best motion absorption we've seen from any mattress.

Score: 5 out of 5

Temperature regulation

The temperature regulation is one of the main attractions of the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress and we're pleased to report it doesn't disappoint. What sets this mattress apart from your standard hybrid is that it features graphite infused foam designed to dissipate heat fast, plus a breathable cooling cover.

We tested during the summer months when the room temperatures rose to 80 degrees F, using breathable cotton bedsheets and a 4.5 tog duvet. The top surface of the mattress never got too hot, remaining a comfortable temperature all night. It doesn't have the cool-to-touch feel of other cooling mattresses, but for even hot sleepers, we think this bed will perform.

Score: 5 out of 5

Edge support

If you’ve ever slept on a mattress with flimsy edge support you’ll know how important it is to choose a bed with a sturdy perimeter. Good edge support will not only maximises the sleeping surface, but it also makes it easier to get in and out of bed.

Using an 8kg weight, we measured the sinkage on the side of this mattress. It matched the sinkage we measured at the centre of the bed, which typically indicates good support. However, this didn't align with our subjective tests. While we could sit on the sides without slipping off, we found that the mattress corners dipped significantly when we sat on them. In addition, if you press into the sides you can feel the pocket springs inside.

Score: 4 out of 5

Durability

It’s hard to tell how long this mattress will last, but its six-layer structure has been mindfully crafted with carefully considered foam and pocket springs. As the cover is removable, you’ll be able to wash it to keep the bed fresh and hygienic through the seasons.

While its average edge support has us questioning its overall durability, Emma offers a 200-night sleep trial and a 10-year manufacturer warranty for peace of mind.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: user reviews

At the time of writing we found 40 reviews on the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress holding page. It’s unclear as to whether all these reviews are aimed at this specific mattress, although they are all very positive. Many of the users are pointing out how comfortable Emma mattresses are and that they found it a great value buy.

Should you buy the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress?

If you’re looking to buy an Emma mattress, but you’re worried about sleeping hot, we think this Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress is a great option. The graphite-infused foams and breathable Ultra Dry cover ensures you won't get too hot, as we discovered during our warm testing period. The motion isolation is another stand out feature, keeping both sides undisturbed as they sleep.

If you’re a side or back sleeper seeking ample pressure relief and a medium feel, the Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress can offer comfortable sleep. However, if you're a stomach sleeper, or you prefer a firmer feel, you might want to try the Emma Luxe Cooling instead.

Emma NextGen Cooling Mattress: Alternatives