The Emma Performance 28 Mattress is for side sleepers who want more cushion at the shoulder and hip than the 26 gives, and I wouldn't buy it for anyone else. It's the same hybrid as its siblings, a foam grid and memory foam over zoned pocket springs, with thicker comfort foam. Back and front sleepers should keep their money and buy the 26. I'm not an Emma fan, and what I can say for this one is that its extra foam sits where a side sleeper needs it.
An extra 2cm of foam is the whole upgrade
Inside 28cm you get seven layers: a cool-touch knitted cover, the AirGrid foam grid, a memory foam layer, support foam, zoned pocket springs in a foam frame, more support foam and a bottom cover. Against the 26, the firmer memory foam goes from 2cm to 3.5cm and the support foam from 5cm to 5.5cm. Nothing else changes. Emma calls the result more contouring, and that's a fair reading, because more memory foam lets your shoulder sink further before the springs push back.
That extra sink cuts both ways. It's kinder to a side sleeper's shoulder and harder work for anyone who turns over a lot, since memory foam takes a moment to let go of you. It also runs warmer, and a grid on top can only do so much against a thicker layer of foam beneath it. Price ladders in this trade are built to walk you up a rung, so take this step only if you sleep on your side, and drop back to the 26 if you don't.
Side sleepers yes, restless sleepers no
Light and average-weight side sleepers are who this is for. My rule is weight first, then position, and a side sleeper usually wants a notch softer than a back sleeper of the same weight; the 28 is that notch. The early owners mostly call it comfortable and supportive without being too firm. Listen to the one note of dissent, though: one owner found it too hard and wished they'd bought something cheaper, which is a fair reminder that one brand's medium is another brand's firm.
Avoid it if you're a combination sleeper who flips between back and front all night, because you'll be happier on something springier. Avoid it if you run hot. Measure your fitted sheets before you order, since 28cm needs a deep pocket, and rotate it every few months because it's single-sided.
What to buy instead
If you sleep on your back, buy the Performance 26, which is the same build with less foam, and keep the difference. Hot or restless side sleepers will do better on a pocket-sprung mattress topped with latex, which cushions the shoulder and bounces straight back. The 30 adds even more foam on top of this, and I'd stop at the 28.
