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Harrison Spinks vs Emma Mattress Reviews

Compare Harrison Spinks and Emma mattresses side by side: owner satisfaction, support, durability and price, based on aggregated customer reviews.

Checked byBecky Reeve, Staff Writer, Mattress Expert
SourceCompiled from WantMattress review data

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Brand

Harrison Spinks

Our pick
4.6/5Owners321 reviews
Price range£455 – £2,399
Brand

Emma

4.5/5Owners1,099 reviews
Price range£193 – £849

On aggregated owner reviews, Harrison Spinks scores higher: 4.6 against 4.5 out of 5.

Becky’s take

By Becky Reeve

Checked against current models and prices in October 2026

Harrison Spinks wins, because wool and cotton over hand-built pocket springs is a better thing to lie on than memory foam over pocket springs. The firm is in Leeds, the hemp in its fillings comes off its own farm, and the mattresses are as properly made as any I know. I've never got on with Emma. Nobody in the trade advertises harder, and the mattress has always seemed an afterthought to me.

The top layer is the difference. Memory foam cradles a shoulder and soaks up a turning partner's movement, and you'll sleep warmer on it. Wool breathes and pocket springs move one at a time, so you sleep cooler and turn when you like. Harrison Spinks has more firmnesses too. The Bordley Natural comes in a Softer and a Firmer version, and the range runs from soft-medium to firm. Emma is medium almost throughout.

Buy the Emma if you share with someone who turns all night, if you can't get to a shop, or if you'd rather have the mattress far more people have already reviewed. Both are sold at Furniture Village, so lie on a Grassington before you order either.

Head to head

Harrison Spinks has sprung throughout, with pocket springs or a hybrid build in every model; Emma has 14 of its 15 mattresses sprung and 1 all memory foam. Harrison Spinks runs from soft-medium to firm, and Emma runs from soft-medium to firm. Emma is clearly the cheaper way in; Harrison Spinks's range starts well above it. At the top end Harrison Spinks goes further still. Emma's owner score rests on far more reviews (1,099 against 321), so treat Harrison Spinks's number as the less settled of the two.

How they differ

Harrison SpinksEmma
Mattresses we list1915
Price range£455 – £2,399£193 – £849
Owner rating
4.6/5Owners321 reviews
4.5/5Owners1,099 reviews

Mattresses only. Owner ratings are the review-weighted average across each brand’s mattresses on UK retailer sites. Prices read 12 November 2026.

Harrison Spinks

Harrison Spinks is a generational family business that has captured the spirit of the entire hand-made portion of the industry thanks to their traditional materials and handcrafting excellence. The range is of a much higher quality than many competing brands and as a result the price point is typically found within the higher-end but the result is a bespoke nights sleep that will ooze excellence.

Emma

Emma is an immensely popular German sleep brand that specialises in bed in a box mattresses. First clamouring to fame in 2015 but achieving real velocity from 2018 onwards, Emma is one of the last standing in the war on sleep having bested Eve, Casper and Leesa, all of whom had similar marketing objectives and business models. To date, Emma offers a short core range of mattresses commercially through their own website with store and retailer derived versions for the masses of retailers looking to piggyback the brand's success. The mattresses all feature foam as a staple with some featuring additional springs. Regardless of which version you choose, comfort is almost guaranteed with thousands of satisfied customers to date.

Recently Emma rebranded to become known as Emma Sleep and pivoted their focus toward other items in the bedding sector ranging from bed frames, pillows, duvets and protectors.

Harrison Spinks owner satisfaction

Owners are mostly very happy with this brand which is quite impressive given the price point. Typically we find that when the price of mattresses starts to lead toward the high-end, customers' expectations can sometimes be distorted which results in a less-favourable experience. Thankfully that is mostly not the case here. Owners who bring up the price more often accept it than not, "A bit pricey but the quality reflects the price" as one wrote, though a few didn't think it was worth it, one calling theirs "nothing special for the price I paid". The natural fillings are a reason several give for buying. They can smell at first. That faded within days or weeks for some, but one owner said theirs "smells like a barn". Back pain gets mentioned both ways, with more owners saying theirs has eased than saying the mattress left them aching.

Harrison Spinks supportiveness

The support materials utilised in all Harrison Spinks products is a reliable pocket spring base layer. Pocket springs continue to be the best option for support, offering measured and reliable body contouring across the entire mattress and featuring edge to edge even support and roll together prevention.

Firmness within the range varies but has a pivot toward medium and medium firm tension mattresses all of which are made from luxurious materials and hand made in the UK. Interestingly, Harrison Spinks is the partner of choice for many of the sub-brands sold throughout the popular retailer. The result of this is a Flaxby & Feather and Black sub-division of quality mattresses that will be of equal interest to those looking for a good quality and highly rewarding nights sleep.

Harrison Spinks durability

I think the most important stat when it comes to durability is around the warranty and guarantee periods. After all, if the manufacturer doesn’t believe in their product, why would you? Thankfully you get a 5 year guarantee at minimum across the majority of products on show which comes fairly close to the average replacement period of 7 years for the industry as a whole.

Durability generally doesn’t look to be a concern going by the compounds used. In the reviews, several owners are repeat buyers, one writing “Had a Harrison before and very good for years hence why bought again”, while a small number say theirs softened or dipped within weeks or months.

Harrison Spinks best offers

We've managed to find the following top deals from across the web on Harrison Spinks mattresses.

  • Up to 55% Off Sale

Emma owner satisfaction

Emma Sleep’s entire business model is focussed toward consumer satisfaction. Key parts of their marketing strategy comes from word of mouth and statistics show that people buy from people. What makes Emma stand out from the crowd is an interesting shift in consumer buying behaviour. Previously, if you bought a mattress and didn’t enjoy it, you were out of luck, not so with the rise of Emma. Now, if you don’t like your mattress you can arrange a return within Emma’s trial, which the brand advertises as up to 200 nights when you buy direct. This shift has proved extremely positive for customers and has increased satisfaction in the lineup.

To date, Emma has amassed more than 53,000 reviews on Trustpilot (checked 9 October 2026), a fantastic display given the company's fairly new tenure in the industry.

Emma supportiveness

Firmness is a very subjective thing which proves a particularly tough nut to crack when you are producing one mattress to suit all people. So much so that Emma has prototyped and tested numerous models previous to going to market in order to get that mix just right. The result? Emma’s own range runs from a medium tension to a medium firm one. Medium is a great supportive rating as it gives the user enough body contouring and support in the back and neck while giving enough softness and compression to accommodate those who sleep on their side or are of a lower BMI. It really is considered the one-size-fits-all approach and it’s one that suits many who purchase an Emma mattress, just take a look at the thousands of reviews to date.

Emma durability

With the mid-range price point of Emma products, it’s important for shoppers that the bed lasts for a number of years. Generally we find companies consistently trying to cut costs at the expense of durability. Fortunately Emma already has a unique business model as the mattresses follow the rolled and bed-in-a-box model that allows savings through logistics and delivery meaning Emma can spend more on materials while still finding profit. The result of this means you get a mattress that is affordable and of higher quality than competing brands which, as a result of the quality increase, is more durable and lasts longer as a result. It’s a win for everyone.

Emma best offers

We've managed to find the following top deals from across the web on Emma mattresses.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it and say so here. All corrections

9 October 2026
We called Emma a British manufacturer, said it sold two mattresses and offered a 100-night trial. Emma is a German brand with a wider range, and it advertises a trial of up to 200 nights.

Owner reviews of Harrison Spinks mattresses

5 Johnh

I have had this mattress for 5 weeks now. When I first unpacked it, there was a slight smell for a day, but since then it hasn't smelt at all. (It smelt of canvas which I found quite pleasant actually!) It feels nice and soft each night when you first get on it, but then can feel it supporting you. I guess this is what is meant by a medium-firm mattress. (My old mattress was over 20 yrs old; if anything it would have been rated as very firm!) I have had no problem sleeping with this mattress, no aches or pains when waking up. It is recommended to rotate the mattress once per week for 12 weeks, so I am still doing that. It is easy to do using the handles on the side of the mattress. No depressions in the mattress have appeared, and it still feels just like new. Although we have already had both hot nights and cold ones, I have never felt too hot or cold due to the mattress (obviously the duvet used is also going to make a difference). Overall I am extremely satisfied with the mattress, and with mattressonline.

4 Helen

To be perfectly honest, I'm not convinced but I think the problem is me, not the product. The mattress is clearly very good quality, but it's a lot firmer than I was hoping for and expecting from the soft/medium description. On the spare bed, which is a fully sprung base, it works reasonably well, which is why I haven't yet engaged the 60 day return option, but on the bed I ordered it for originally, which is a solid Ottoman base, it is way too hard. I'm sure that with use it will soften up, but it's still way too hard for me personally to sleep on comfortably and I doubt it will ever be that soft. Indeed, in desperation I ended up going to a shop and buying a much cheaper (and far inferior quality), softer mattress because I simply couldn't do 30 days sleeping on that mattress. I am going to contact Mattress Online today and enquire about swapping it for something softer.

4 Dave

Good Points: Quality is obvious. If we hadn't had a tempur for over ten years, I would say this is a really comfy bed and would be happy for its life time use. Albeit, only five years gauranteed! Having had a tempur though, I would probably revert back. Mainly due to spouse requiring that extra softness and a complete awareness removal from any turn/roll movement by partner. While this is a fantastic make and constructed with the Best Materials, we have been served well with the tempur and too be honest, can say, there aren't any regrets with the purchase. Improvement Points: Comparing this to our tempur, it would be difficult to separate, based on the very different structures. That said, a longer guarantee period would be an advantage. Price for price - this would be a distinct advantage.

2 John

We tried the mattress in the shop and picked it over the medium/firm version. However when the mattress was delivered it was so firm it caused my partner hip pain. We contacted mattress inline via the 60 day sleep guarantee and they swapped it next day. The service was 5* and reason we buy all our mattresses via them. The new mattress is the medium firm and is super comfy even after the first night. Makes me think the first was faulty it was that hard and nothing like the shop one we tried.

1 Nigel K

The mattress smells like a farmyard, not natural, and has made our bedding smell as well as the bedroom. This is not the natural smell the company claims, there is something wrong with the mattress. We cannot have the mattress removed from our home or changed for another month as the company wants to send somebody to check the mattress, but they cannot visit us for the next four weeks. Do not ever buy a mattress from Harrison Spinks unless you enjoy your bedroom and bed linen smelling like you are sleeping in a barn on a farm.

Owner reviews of Emma mattresses

5 Mandy

It's been 2 years now, so here is a review after 2 years of sleeping on it. I am a larger lady who has many disabilities that cause a lot of bodily pain, I have Neuropathy, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, ME, spondylitis of the neck and spine and a crumbling spine, sciatica etc. I tell you this because it's very important to find that perfect mattress when you have physical disabilities. I can not tell you the difference this mattress has made to my life. As soon as I lay down on it, it was like heaven, it was like I was weightless and 2 years on it is still the same, every time I get on it, it feels as good as the first time. My pain levels at night decreased by a lot, i used to wake constantly with hip pain, since sleeping on this Emma Mattress I have not woke with hip pain once! my sleep is deeper and longer, which has made a massive difference in my everyday life. The mattress has zero lumps, bumps, springs, coils, it's just like a smooth cloud. The mattress is that fantastic and feels so good under your body that when I put my electric blanket on top of it, and I have a very expensive thick electric blanket, I hated the feel of it and had to take my electric blanket off. You will be just fine with your electric blanket on top of the mattress, but having fibromyalgia, they used to call fibromyalgia 'The princess and the pea disease' because you can feel every stitch, lump, bump ect and every stitch, lump and bump causes so much pain, but the Emma mattress feels like a smooth cloud, you actually feel weightless. It was the best decision I ever made to get this mattress, it was more expensive than any other mattress I have purchased previously, but it is worth so much more than that just to have a pain free, long, cosy nights sleep. It's also not to hot for menopause, I don't know why that myth was put out there but it's just fine temperature wise. I also bought my son one, he has cerebral palsy and he agrees with me about how amazing they are, especially if you suffer from any aches and pains. Just buy one, do it, you will be amazed how great they are.

4 Richard

I think the mattress is great but my wife thinks it is a little hard. I have not had any back ache since we bought the matress. Our previous mattress was killing my back and had become extremly unsupportive. The delivery staff were great as they brought the new mattress in and removed the old one. I would have never been able to move the old mattress so having the gentlemen take our wornout one away was really helpful. We left the Emma mattress to vent and take shape over the stipulated time. Not sure how we could ever have returned it though as the delicery staff removed the box it came in and I would never have been able to compress it into such a small roll again. The extensive strong plastic wrap retained the compression forces which I imagine were processed at the factory so I can not think how it could be completed at home. I love the mattress and have slept well since it was delivered and the back ache has not returned.

4 Siya

We bought the Emma Hybrid AirGrid Mattress in October as a replacement for our king-sized Sloom mattress from South Africa after relocating to the UK, and we've been extremely happy with the experience so far. The mattress strikes a great balance in firmness - it's supportive without being too hard, and we've had no back pain since using it. Sleep quality has been noticeably better, and it's been comfortable from the very first night without needing a long 'breaking in' period. Delivery was smooth and right on schedule, which made the whole purchase experience stress-free. What really stood out for us was the price as it was significantly more affordable than other mattresses in the same range, yet the quality hasn't felt compromised at all. Overall, we're very pleased with our purchase and would confidently recommend the Emma Hybrid AirGrid to anyone looking for a high-quality, comfortable mattress at a great price.

2 Stuart

Having slept on an Emma memory foam mattress a few times and loved it when staying with family I was expecting great things from what I assumed would be an upgraded and better product. As well as the experience on the memory foam mattress I’d spent weeks reading reviews and was confident this mattress would deliver on the three things we most wanted - comfort, minimal motion transfer, and a cool sleep. Sad to say my wife and I are disappointed on two of those things. Comfort wise I’ve no grumbles, but I’m a fidget and mover in bed and my wife reckons it’s like sleeping on a boat, and to be honest, I don’t find it any better than the 30 yr old mattress we both got rid of. In addition we both find it quite a bit warmer than the old mattress as well. With the pocket springs covered by layers of various foams it is nothing like the memory foam mattress we’d tried at our daughters. I’m disappointed that I can easily feel the springs through the sides and bottom (just a couple of layers of fabric) - in fact it actually feels quite cheaply made to me. I guess I should have expected this from a roll up mattress, but no one mentioned this in any of the dozens of reviews I read! Maybe I’m just fussy, but I wouldn’t get another one.

2 Col

I’m a bit disappointed with this product. We previously owned an Emma Original mattress purchased in 2020, which was the best mattress we’ve ever had. Based on that experience, I expected this one to be the same or at least similar. However, despite being called “Original,” it is nothing like the one we had before. The old mattress was entirely memory foam, whereas this one has pocket springs with only a thin layer of foam on top, which makes it feel quite firm. Had I realised this, I would never have purchased it. In addition, because the underside consists of hard springs, the mattress slides on the base and needs to be pushed back into place regularly. MattressOnline have offered to exchange the mattress for a different one but as we would be unable to test the mattress, we would simply be swapping it for another unknown model that may not be any better, so we have decided to keep it. However, this will definitely be the last time we purchase an Emma mattress

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