Emma Performance 30 reviewed

The Emma Performance 30 is the deepest and plushest of Emma’s three Performance mattresses: 30 cm tall, with 4.5 cm of firmer MemoryAdapt and 6.5 cm of SupportBase foam over zoned pocket springs, from £1,069 in a UK single. Emma recommends it for side sleepers with broader shoulders and anyone who wants the most cushioning. It is also the most expensive and heaviest of the three.

How the Performance 30 is built

According to the FAQ on Emma’s Performance 30 product page, all three Performance depths use the same AirGrid Tech lattice, dual MemoryAdapt foams and zoned pocket springs. The 30 carries the thickest firmer MemoryAdapt and SupportBase layers of the three, and Emma says taller means a plusher, more enveloping feel. We therefore estimate it at 4 on our 1 to 10 firmness scale, two steps softer than the 26 cm version we tested.

What we found in testing

Our hands-on nights were on the Performance 26, which shares every layer. Its AirGrid lattice responded faster than ordinary foam, followed the body without leaving a dip and kept the surface cool. The booklet with our test mattress gives 200 kg/m³ for the AirGrid and 55 kg/m³ for the firmer memory foam. On the 30 there is simply more of that firmer memory foam and more SupportBase, which gives broad shoulders and heavier hips more depth before they reach the springs.

Emma Performance 30 sizes, weights and prices

Prices are Emma’s regular prices, checked on 28 September 2026, and weights are Emma’s figures for the four UK sizes. A super king at 59.6 kg is a two-person lift, and Emma asks you to check that the bed frame can carry it and that slats are no more than 7 cm apart.

Is plusher better?

Not automatically. A 2026 review of 47 studies in the Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology concluded that medium-firm mattresses are the most defensible general recommendation for adults with non-specific low back pain, and that the choice should also consider body build and sleeping position. That is why we steer back and front sleepers towards the Performance 26 or 28, and keep the 30 for side sleepers who need extra room at the shoulder and hip.

Temperature and care

The 30 shares the open AirGrid structure and knitted cover that made the 26 one of the coolest Emma mattresses in our test. Emma’s lab claim, a 72% higher capacity to level out temperature spikes than an all-foam mattress, was measured on the 26. That matters because heat under bedding increases wakefulness, according to a review by Okamoto-Mizuno and Mizuno (2012). The top cover washes at 40°C, the base is dry clean only, and Emma includes a 200-night trial and a 10-year guarantee.