Emma NextGen Premium mattress: two-minute review

Announced in April 2023 and released not long after, the Emma NextGen Premium mattress is something of a departure for a sleep brand that's made its name selling memory foam and hybrid mattresses. With three thin layers of foam sitting on top of tall 18cm pocket springs, it appears to have more in common with traditional pocket sprung mattresses than with other hybrid beds that you'd find in our best mattress guide.

The advantage to having such a deep spring layer is that it facilitates airflow and helps the NextGen Premium regulate temperature, and unlike many hybrids it doesn't feature foam side supports around the springs, again helping with airflow but, I discovered, resulting in less edge support than I'd have liked.

Emma rates the NextGen Premium as a 6.5/10 medium firm; having slept on it for the past month, I'd suggest that this is understating its firmness a bit. My previous mattress was a firm pocket sprung mattress with a memory foam top layer, and the NextGen Premium feels only slightly softer than that; I'd rate it more as a 7 or even a 7.5.

Hybrid and sprung mattresses tend to be a bit more bouncy and responsive than all-foam models, which means that they often don't deliver as well when it comes to motion isolation, and while the top memory foam layer in the NextGen Premium brings with it some sink-in comfort, it's not enough to completely deaden motion transfer. While the motion isolation isn't bad in the NextGen Premium, it's not brilliant; neither I nor my partner were disturbed by each other's movements in the night, there was definitely some small awareness of them. My subsequent tests confirmed that there's a bit of motion transfer going on, but not really enough to be a deal-breaker.

The Emma NextGen Premium comes in at the lower end of the premium price bracket, with a double selling for £959 at RRP. Mattress sales are a constant thing at Emma, but the brand switches up which mattresses are included in its sales on a regular basis; when it's reduced (which it is at the time of writing), the NextGen Premium can be had in a double size for £575.40, which to me feels like a much more realistic price.

I've been sleeping on the Emma NextGen Premium mattress for the past month, along with my partner, and we've found it to be good in terms of comfort, support and motion isolation, excellent when it comes to temperature regulation, and decidedly lacking in edge support. Does this mattress really live up to its NextGen and Premium descriptors? Let's take a closer look.

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: price

• Emma's second most expensive mattress
• Double is £959 at RRP but often sells for £575.40
• No extras included

Emma's mattress range has been through a bit of a shake-up over the last few months, so I'm never entirely sure what I'm going to find when I visit its site (which, as TechRadar's Sleep Editor, is something I do on a regular basis). Right now the Emma NextGen Premium mattress sits in the middle of the Emma range in terms of price; the Emma Original is the cheapest, with RRPs starting at £311, while at the premium end of the range you'll find the Emma Luxe Cooling mattress from £1,198.

The NextGen Premium is closer in price to the Luxe Cooling mattress than to the Original; here are the RRPs for each size, along with the discounted prices that you'll often pay:

• Single: RRP £659 (often sells for £395.40)
• Small double: RRP £799 (often sells for £479.40)
• Double: RRP £959 (often sells for £575.40)
• King: RRP £1,119 (often sells for £671.40)
• Super king: RRP £1,249 (often sells for £749.40)

At the time of writing there's a 40% discount available on the Emma NextGen Premium in the Emma mattress sales, and while I feel that at RRP this mattress is overpriced, with the discount it's a much more attractive prospect. If you visit the Emma site and the NextGen Premium's selling at full price, I'd suggest you wait for a bit as it'll definitely be reduced again within a few weeks. And if you can hang on until the next big sales event (which will likely be Black Friday), you may find the NextGen Premium at a deeper discount.

Emma doesn't include any extras such as mattress protectors or bedding with your mattress, however you'll get free delivery and returns, plus a 200-night trial period and 10-year guarantee.

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: specs

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: materials and design

• 25cm deep, five-layer hybrid design
• Four layers of foam including Halo memory foam
• 18cm pocket springs arranged in seven support zones

The Emma NextGen Premium mattress features a five-layer design that seems to have been conceived to keep the amount of foam inside to the bare minimum. Most of the inside of the NextGen Premium is taken up by an 18cm layer of pocket springs of varying gauges, arranged into seven zones in order to provide the right level of support for different parts of your body: head, shoulders, chest, lower back, hips, thighs, and feet.

The deep layer of springs gives this mattress a good amount of bounce and the zoning does the job pretty well; you definitely feel that the bits of you that need extra cushioning are well looked-after.

There are three foam layers on top of the sprung layer. The top layer is Emma's Halo memory foam, designed to mould to your body shape and provide sink-in comfort and pressure relief, and to help keep your spine aligned. Beneath that is a layer of Point Elastic Airgocell foam for breathability and temperature regulation, followed by a heavier support foam that further enhances spinal alignment and reduces pressure points.

There's a final layer of HRX base foam beneath the springs, and the whole mattress is wrapped up in a breathable, moisture-wicking cover; the top cover can be unzipped and machine-washed if you so wish. The cover also features handles on the side, which are a welcome addition and make the business of rotating the mattress a lot more straightforward.

Emma's making a big deal about the reduced carbon emissions of this mattress, which is largely down to a serious reduction in the amount of foam you'll find, compared to other models. In fact, it kind of feels like an exercise in figuring out how little foam Emma can get away with. The foam layers are a little thin (the top memory foam layer is maybe just over 1cm thick), and there's no foam edging to constrain the sprung layers; those springs run right to the edge of the mattress, which I don't think helps when it comes to edge support (I'll return to that later).

Coming to the Emma NextGen Premium from a traditional tufted mattress that featured a spring layer topped with memory foam for comfort, I was surprised and just a little disappointed by how loose and slightly insubstantial the Emma feels by comparison; particularly the top cover. It's undeniably soft but the material doesn't seem all that tough to me. I'm sure many people value the ability to unzip the top cover and wash it, and I've no doubt that a heavier material would be harder to wash and a lot harder to put back in place afterwards, but personally I'd much prefer a more heavyweight and resilient non-removable cover that does a better job of holding everything together.

Design score: 4 out of 5

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: comfort

• Medium-firm feel that's suitable for all sleep styles
• Zoned support keeps everything cushioned and aligned
• Memory foam layer provides a little sink-in comfort

The Emma NextGen Premium is rated a 6.5 medium-firm feel by Emma, and both my partner I expected it to feel just a little bit softer than it turned out to be. I'm 6'3" and weigh around 10.5 stone, and while for much of my life I've preferred a firmer mattress, as I get older I find myself appreciative of a little more cushioning for my tired joints. My partner is shorter and more compact, and tends to sink a little deeper into any mattress than I do, but again she's been looking for just a little more sink-in comfort from a mattress.

Both of us have been finding our old mattress just a little too firm of late, and the Emma NextGen Premium seemed like the perfect antidote. It's definitely less firm than our previous mattress, but just a little more softness wouldn't go amiss for either of us. 

For me, when I'm lying on my back on the NextGen Premium I feel like I'm lying on top of it more than sinking in. I am, however, a total combination sleeper who switches between back, stomach and side sleeping throughout the night, and I generally end up sleeping on my side, and fortunately there's just enough sink in the NextGen Premium to cushion my undeniably skinny frame in that position. I've also found that the zoning in the spring layer means that moving slightly up or down the bed can make a big difference in how well cushioned and supported I feel.

To get a proper scientific measure of the comfort, I placed an 8kg kettlebell on the Emma NextGen Premium to see how far it sank in. In the middle of the mattress the kettlebell sank in by around 5cm, while nearer the edges it sank by about 4cm. This tallies with my estimation of the NextGen Premium's firmness, and I'd suggest that it should suit most sleeping styles.

Comfort score: 4 out of 5

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: temperature regulation

• Temperature-neutral
• Deep sprung layer provides plenty of airflow
• Didn't get hot even during a heatwave

Because of its spring-heavy construction I wasn't expecting any temperature regulation issues with this mattress. And in this respect the Emma NextGen Premium lived up to my expectations.

It's not specifically a cooling mattress, however it does feel temperature-neutral. In a month of sleeping on it in the UK summer, including a couple of hot weeks when the temperature rarely dipped below 20ºC, the only times I felt myself getting hot in the night was when the ambient temperature simply got too warm; the mattress itself maintained an admirably comfortable temperature.

This isn't especially surprising; 18cm of the Emma NextGen Premium's 25cm depth is made up of pocket springs, which means much more airflow through the mattress, and it barely gives the other 7cm of foam any chance to absorb heat. While the breathable cover and Airgocell foam certainly play their part in the NextGen Premium's temperature regulation, it's clearly the pocket springs that are doing most of the heavy lifting, and the fact that they're not encumbered by airflow-restricting side supports doubtless helps (although that's a mixed blessing).

Temperature regulation score: 4.5 out of 5

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: motion isolation

• A little motion transfer, due to the deep spring layer
• Foam deadens things slightly, so still a good choice for couples

The springs in the Emma NextGen Premium are about three times as tall as the three top foam layers combined, and consequently I wasn't expecting the greatest motion isolation from this mattress. However, even though it's quite a responsive mattress, the foam does a pretty good job of absorbing the bounce from the pocket springs.

As a result, while there's still a bit of motion transfer going on, it's not really enough to cause a disturbance; you're aware of a partner moving about while you're lying awake in bed, but it's not something that would actually wake you up.

To put numbers on it, I fetched a wine glass and stood it in the centre of the mattress, then dropped my 8kg kettlebell onto the mattress at distances of 25, 10 and 4 inches from the wine glass. At 25 inches the wine glass barely moved; at 10 inches it wobbled noticeably, and at 4 inches it pitched straight over. That's not the best motion isolation we've seen in our mattress tests, but it's far from the worst.

Motion isolation score: 4 out of 5

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: edge support

• Not the best edge support, especially on the long edges
• No real danger of rolling off in the night, though

By far the weakest element in the makeup of the Emma NextGen Premium is its edge support; indeed it was one of the first things I noticed when I got onto it for the first time. This isn't a mattress that you can perch right on the edge of; rather you need to sit a bit back from the edge in order to feel comfortably supported. The edge support isn't so bad that either my partner or I have felt in danger of rolling off the edge in the night, but it's less than we'd prefer in an ideal world.

Testing the edge support with the 8kg kettlebell resulted in the kettlebell sinking about 8cm on the long edge of the mattress and at the corners, and about 6.5 cm on the short edge. You'll also notice in the accompanying photo that I'm holding the kettlebell steady with my fingertip; that's to stop it from rolling off.

Edge support score: 3.5 out of 5

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: setup

• Mattress arrived vacuum-packed, folded and rolled in a box
• Free delivery to your door
• Slight off-gassing smell

Emma provides free delivery to your front door, and for an extra £45 it'll also collect your old mattress on the same day and take it away for recycling. If you're worried about the prospect of having to haul a heavy mattress to your bedroom, don't be. I was honestly surprised by the size of the box that was deposited on my doorstep as it seemed far too small to contain a double mattress, but that made it a lot easier to manoeuvre into my bedroom.

Having checked the measurements and confirmed that I'd been sent the right mattress, I found the business of setting the Emma NextGen Premium up to be plain sailing pretty much all of the way. The box was easy to open and featured a QR code that promised to take me to an easy setup guide; sadly it actually took me to a dead link on Emma's US site, but ultimately I really didn't need it.

It was easy to get the rolled (and, I then discovered, folded, which accounted for the box's size) mattress onto my bed and remove the outer plastic wrap. Emma doesn't provide a cutting tool to open up the vacuum packing, but it wasn't hard to find something suitably sharp, and after making one small cut in the plastic an ominous hissing told me that we were in business.

The Emma NextGen Premium decompressed to full size a lot faster than I'd anticipated; it seemed like it inflated within a few seconds (again, this is an area in which the large springs-to-foam ratio really helped). Certainly, within a few minutes it looked ready to sleep on, and while Emma states that it's good to go as soon as it's decompressed, I gave it a good few hours to settle down before putting a mattress protector and bedclothes on it. 

It might have been structurally ready to sleep on, but despite the low volume of foam there was a distinct off-gassing smell that I wanted to give time to dissipate; not overpowering but quite definitely there, and it took a good few days for it to fade completely.

Setup score: 4.5 out of 5

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: customer reviews

• New product so barely any reviews online
• Average 3.8/5 Trustpilot score based on over 36,000 reviews

It's near-impossible to find customer reviews of the Emma NextGen Premium mattress online. It's only been on sale for a couple of months, which means that any reviews at all are hard to find. There are none on Emma's own site; in fact the closest you'll find to reviews on the Emma site are some customer quotes without much in the way of context, so they're no help at all.

The NextGen Premium mattress is only sold through Emma, so there's no way of getting customer reviews from the likes of Amazon. That means we have to fall back on TrustPilot, and it's not a pretty sight. Emma's Trustpilot rating has been creeping downwards over the past few months due to an influx of 1-star reviews over slow delivery and lack of communication from customer services; I contacted Emma about this a couple of months ago and was informed that this was due to a technical error with its warehouse systems, and that it had been resolved.

However I'm still seeing a number of fresh 1- and 2-star reviews, mostly regarding slow delivery and lack of communication, and Emma's overall Trustpilot score is now 3.8 (for comparison it was 4.0 when we reviewed the Emma Premium back in January). And while none of this really says anything about customer experiences with the Emma NextGen Premium, it's something you may want to keep in mind if you're thinking about ordering.

Should you buy the Emma NextGen Premium mattress?

The Emma NextGen Premium, all told, is quite a comfortable mattress, and it's one that I've slept well on over the past month. Both my partner and I agree that we'd prefer it if it were just that little bit softer, but in general it's good for back, front and side sleeping (although lighter side sleepers than me might find it a little too firm for comfort).

I like the NextGen Premium's simplicity; this is not a complex mattress and I wouldn't really describe it as next-gen, more old-school. It's essentially a deep layer of pocket springs held in check by a foam section, and it works. Because the top cover's removable and washable it feels just a little flimsy; I think the whole mattress would feel a lot more solid if it was stitched closed.

Although the NextGen Premium has a premium RRP, it feels more mid-range to me and I'd be disappointed if I bought it at full price. Reduced by 40% in the Emma sale though, which it often is, it feels like much better value. At that price, however, there's some strong competition about, so unless you've absolutely decided that this is the mattress for you, it'd pay to shop around.

Emma NextGen Premium mattress review: Also consider

How I tested the Emma NextGen Premium

I've been sleeping on the Emma NextGen Premium, along with my partner, for over a month in mid-summer. Night-time temperatures have varied between well below and well above the seasonal average during this time, so I've been able to get a good all-round impression of the mattress's performance. I've been using the mattress with a mattress protector and Egyptian cotton sheets, and with a year-round 10.5 tog duvet.

As well as sleeping on the Emma NextGen Premium in all the popular positions, I've also subjected it to TechRadar's standard mattress tests to get a measure of its comfort, motion isolation and edge support.

Avocado Green Mattress review in brief

• 100% certified organic mattress
• Ideal for back sleepers, heavier sleepers, and co-sleepers
• May be uncomfortable for side sleepers or lightweight sleepers

The Avocado Green Mattress is among the most popular organic mattresses available today. The brand sets itself apart by prioritizing eco-friendliness and sustainability, putting in the time and effort to get many certifications to back up their claims. Avocado also takes pride in its high-quality materials and craftsmanship; each Green Mattress is needle-tufted by hand.

We tested a queen-sized Avocado Green Mattress for three weeks across all sleeping positions. We took care to test its performance in all major areas (pressure relief, motion isolation, edge support, cooling, and ease of set up), which you can learn about in more detail in the following sections.

By the end of our testing period, we believe that the Avocado Green Mattress—which clocks in at 7 out of 10 for firmness—is a quality option for organic mattresses, but specifically for back sleepers, heavier sleepers, and co-sleepers in these categories, as it will offer the support these types of sleepers require. We also appreciate that this mattress is very breathable, so sleepers who run hot will enjoy this feature. On the other hand, side sleepers and lightweight sleepers will likely want to look elsewhere; this mattress is unlikely to provide enough cushioning and support these sleepers need.

As far as the value for money goes, we believe that it’s a great mid-market organic option if you're shopping for the best mattress in a box. However, certain costs can run up quickly—namely if you add on the pillowtop option (for a firmness level of 6 out 10), factor in standard shipping (starting at $99), and/or if you opt for white glove delivery (for $249). Yet even with these extra costs, it’s still a good value for money when reviewed against its biggest organic and luxury competitors.

Be sure to read the TechRadar best mattress buying guide before you purchase this mattress, or any other. 

Avocado Green Mattress review: materials and design

• Hybrid mattress with three layers of support
• 100% organic cotton and wool

The Avocado Green Mattress is organic and hybrid. It comprises three layers: a cover, a comfort layer, and a base/support layer. The cover is soft and breathable, and boasts 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and wool. It doesn’t trap heat on account of its moisture-wicking properties, which is a terrific benefit for sleepers who run hot at night. In addition, the wool used is antimicrobial and won’t retain dust mites, so sleepers with allergies and/or those who worry about buildup can rest easier. The wool also acts as a natural fire barrier. (If you’re hoping to buy an organic hybrid mattress that avoids animal products entirely, consider buying the Avocado Vegan Mattress, which is PETA-certified. It boasts the same qualities and features as the Green Mattress, but skips the wool in favor of cotton only.)

Two inches of Dunlop latex are used in the comfort layer of the mattress, and one inch of it is used in the base/support layer. The latex is GOLS-certified organic and is used to fend off wear and tear over the years. The base/support layer also has 1,414 coils across five ergonomic zones, as well as a perimeter of steel. This construction helps to limit motion transfer and provide edge support.

After a few weeks of testing, the only signs of wear we noticed were some superficial wrinkles concentrated around the area of the bed where our hips rested. While we didn’t find this to be a major point of concern, some reviewers note that dips get more pronounced and permanent within a few years of use, and have led to discomfort.

If you’re considering different types of mattresses aside from organic and hybrid varieties, consult the TechRadar best memory foam mattress guide. 

Avocado Green Mattress review: comfort

• 7 out of 10 for firmness
• Offers wonderful support for back sleepers
• Latex foam layer offers only a slight amount of give

Since we had recently switched from testing mattresses and toppers that were closer to a 6 out of 10 for firmness, it took a few nights to adjust to a firmer option—even though it was only one point up on the firmness scale. Moreover, our relatively lightweight reviewer is a combination sleeper most prone to side sleeping. They found that this position wasn’t ideal for this mattress since it didn’t comfortably contour the shoulders and hips. (Note: If you’re a side sleeper set on purchasing an Avocado Mattress, you may want to opt for the pillowtop upgrade. It brings the firmness level down to a 6 out of 10. However, we didn’t test this add-on for this specific review.)

However, our reviewer had been interested in making the switch to back sleeping for personal reasons. Once they did so, the Avocado Green Mattress proved to be much more comfortable within a few nights’ time. (They had previously tested out back sleeping on softer but still medium-firm mattresses, which sank too much around the hips.) We also tested stomach sleeping on this mattress, which was more comfortable than side sleeping.

All things considered, we believe that the Avocado Green Mattress offers the most comfort for back sleepers in particular.

Avocado Green Mattress review: support and pressure relief

• Great neck and back support
• Comfortable enough for stomach sleeping
• Pressure will likely build up while side sleeping

Again, the Avocado Green Mattress is a 7 out of 10 for firmness. This places it on the firmer end of the medium-firm scale. To test its support and pressure relief for ourselves, we put a 55-pound kettlebell in the middle of the mattress. This allowed us to simulate the weight of the densest part of a sleeper’s body (i.e., hips) to see how much it would sink. We measured the amount of sinkage to be two inches, which is relatively small and adequately reflected the brand’s 7 out of 10 firmness rating.

The only time that we felt pressure build up was while side sleeping; our shoulders and hips got tense, as it didn’t offer contouring. However, back sleeping was a different story. We found that the mattress provides a perfect amount of support at the hips especially, and we didn’t struggle with any pressure around our neck and shoulders either. Stomach sleeping also proved to be comfortable as the mattress was firm enough for this position.

Want more options? We had recently reviewed the Helix Midnight, which offered great pressure relief for side sleeping. We recommend checking out the review if you’re a side sleeper open to non-organic hybrid mattresses. Otherwise, an organic competitor known for its benefits specific to pressure relief is the Nolah Natural 11 Mattress, which t uses Talalay latex. According to Nolah, this type of latex boasts 33% more pressure relief than other varieties, including Dunlop (which Avocado uses) and synthetics. 

Avocado Green Mattress review: temperature regulation

• Breathable cotton and wool
• Moisture-wicking properties promote a cool, dry night’s rest

It’s important to consider temperature regulation when buying a new mattress. Breathability should be a key factor in your final choice, especially if you run hot at night and tend to sweat in your sleep.

Our reviewer sleeps hot every so often, and was pleased to find that the Avocado Green Mattress performed very well in terms of temperature regulation and breathability. It didn’t trap body heat and we didn’t feel as though we overheated or woke up sweating at any point during the testing period. Moreover, the mattress feels cool to the touch. (We were impressed by Avocado’s prowess in this section, especially when compared to other bed-in-a-box options we’ve tested in the past.)

The use of breathable organic cotton and wool allow the Avocado Green Mattress to have these beneficial properties; they promote airflow and wick away moisture should it build up. It’s also worth noting that we used linen sheets throughout the testing period. Linen one of the more breathable fabrics available for bedding, so note that use of less airy materials can impact how hot you will run while sleeping.

Avocado Green Mattress review: motion transfer and edge support

• Minimal motion transfer is great for co-sleepers
• Terrific edge support

We performed a motion transfer test to gauge how much movement can be felt in different areas of the bed; this simulates how much a co-sleeper may be impacted if you change sleeping positions or they make any movements in bed. A mattress with minimal motion transfer is key, especially for co-sleepers who are fidgety and/or wake easily.

To assess motion transfer, we dropped a 10-pound kettlebell at different measurements away from a wine glass that stood upright at the center of the bed. This test helps to assess how much disruption a co-sleeper may experience when their sleeping partner moves at various distances away from them.

The wine glass shook a few times, but didn’t fall over, when we dropped the 10-pound weight four inches away from it. The glass shook even less when we dropped the weight 10 inches away from it. Finally, the glass didn’t budge on the first bounce when we dropped the weight 25 inches away from it, though it shook on the next few bounces from the kettlebell. From this test, we concluded that the Avocado Green Mattress performs well in terms of motion transfer. Co-sleepers will appreciate this feature.

We then performed a different test to gauge edge support. Edge support indicates how firm and sturdy the mattress will be to support your weight when you sit on the side of the bed, move around the perimeter of your bed, and get out of bed. Strong edge support also reduces the risk of sagging.

In order to measure the edge support for the Avocado Green Mattress, we placed a 55-pound kettlebell on the side and bottom perimeters of the bed. The weight sank only two inches, which was equal to the measure of sink at the bed’s center. We also sat on the edge of the bed to tie our shoes, as well as rolled around on the mattress (all the way to the edges) to check if we felt in danger of rolling off. It performed well in these regards, too.

We weren’t surprised at the positive results from this test, as the Avocado Green Mattress boasts a layer of pocketed coils strategically spread out across ergonomic zones and a reinforced steel perimeter along its edges.

Avocado Green Mattress review: price and deals

• Avocado Green is the brand’s mid-range mattress option
• Sits in the middle price-wise in the wider organic mattress market
• Best to wait for deals to save 10% or more

In terms of cost, the Avocado Green Mattress sits squarely in the middle of the company's range. It’s nearly twice the cost of its “super affordable” Eco Organic Mattress, but still around half the cost of its Luxury Organic Mattress. Note: Prices will increase by $400 to $600 if you opt for the pillowtop upgrade.

In the wider organic mattress market, it’s also approximately in the middle from a price standpoint, but trends a bit upwards of that compared to hybrid mattresses that use synthetic materials.

A queen-sized Avocado Green Mattress currently costs $1,999 without any sales or promotions. However, the brand offers discounts from time to time—usually at around 10%—which can mark down the price by a few hundred dollars. During our testing period (shortly after Black Friday mattress deals and Cyber Monday promos were live), Avocado featured slightly lower RRPs combined with a 10% off sitewide sale. During that time, a queen Avocado Green Mattress retailed for $1,900, then dropped to $1,710 after the discount.

Here are the prices for all sizes of the Avocado Green Mattress:

• Twin size RRP – $1,399
• Twin XL size RRP – $1,499
• Full size RRP – $1,699
• Queen size RRP – $1,999
• King size RRP – $2,599
• California king size RRP – $2,599

Similar to Avocado, many of its competitors also offer deals throughout the year. Ultimately, any savings you’ll get from one brand to the next will depend on when you buy it; the upcoming Presidents' Day mattress sales are likely to be your next opportunity for a solid discount, but be sure to consult the TechRadar mattress sales guide to keep tabs on deals.

If price is no object, you’re a fan of the Avocado brand, and you prefer medium mattresses, you may want to upgrade to their Luxury Organic Mattress (starting at $2,799 for a twin and $3,899 for a queen). It’s 5 out of 10 for firmness and comprises 17 premium layers of organic and natural latex, wool, silk, hemp, and cotton. It also has 3,136 individually pocketed coils for superior comfort. If you’re on a budget yet want an organic hybrid mattress, check out the Awara Natural Hybrid Mattress. Whether or not it’s on sale, it will still be at least a few hundred dollars less than the Avocado Green (starting at $799, up to $2,198 during promotional periods). 

Avocado Green Mattress review: setup

• Ideal to unbox with two people
• Minimal odor upon unboxing, but low off-gassing risk

Standard shipping for boxed mattresses up to 150 pounds starts at $99. The brand calls this doorstep delivery, meaning they’ll place it at the doorstep of your house or at the bottom of the stairs if you live in a unit on an upper floor. (We tested the queen mattress, which is 114 pounds though the shipping label listed the package weight at 130 pounds.)

The Avocado Green Mattress product page notes that the mattress will be ready to ship within three to five business days. Once it’s ready, you can select your preferred date and time window for shipping.

For review purposes, we were given the option of white glove delivery (aka in-home delivery, per Avocado), which we proceeded with. Customers can choose this option—with which deliverers will unbox the mattress, place it on your bed frame, and dispose of your old mattress and the shipping materials—for $249.

(Some mattress brands will offer free shipping, whether standard or white glove. For instance,  purchase of the luxury organic Saatva Zenhaven comes with complimentary white glove delivery, but the mattress is sold at a significantly higher price point.)

The delivery arrived within our pre-selected time frame on the date of our choice. The packaging included the recyclable outer box (made of 50% post-consumer content), a tight layer of opaque plastic, and one additional layer of thick plastic. The packaging was minimal, as was expected from an eco-friendly, Certified B Corporation brand. The two delivery people could push the box into our apartment unit with ease. However, the first layer of plastic was wrapped more tightly (and seemed to be stickier) than other bed-in-a-box wrappings we had recently reviewed.

Once they cut open the second/thick layer of plastic, the mattress fully expanded (and was ready to rest on) within a minute—making a loud hissing sound in the process. We could also perceive an odor from up to 2.5 feet away for about an hour after the mattress expanded. (We left our bedside window closed in order to fully notice and smells.) 

Since Avocado uses natural and organic materials, toxicity and off-gassing aren’t major concerns, especially compared to other mattresses that use synthetic materials. The smell dissipated fully by nighttime, which was less time compared to other mattresses we’ve reviewed.

Avocado Green Mattress review: customer reviews

• Some customers love its medium-firm to firm support, while it’s too firm for others
• Some customers complain that it loses durability within a few years

The Avocado Green Mattress boasts a 4.7 out of 5 star rating from over 16,000 reviews (at the time of writing). Avocado is the only online retailer for its mattresses, so we couldn’t pull user reviews from other sites.

Common points from positive reviews include that the Avocado Green Mattress offers a great level of firm support, provides pressure relief, and absorbs weight well (especially for heavier sleepers). Customers also like its temperature-regulating quality, and most of them were happy to upgrade to this mattress from their old ones. Others also believed that the mattress was a good value for the cost, and some prized the brand’s values and quality too.

Customers who left negative reviews often noted that the mattress was too firm for what they wanted or expected. (Remember, softness and firmness are subjective, must be considered based on your own body weight and sleeping position, and will ultimately vary from one person to the next.) Some experienced shipping issues and getting their needs met through customer service, even if they ended up liking the mattress. Perhaps the biggest concern worth noting is that some customers wrote that the mattress sags over time, which contributes to body aches and poor sleep quality.

Should you buy the Avocado Green Mattress?

Given major points of consideration—ranging from firmness and comfort to price and the competition—we recommend buying the Avocado Green Mattress under certain conditions. It gets our seal of approval for back sleepers, heavier sleepers, sleepers who run hot, and co-sleepers in these categories above all. We also believe that it’s a good value for the cost of the mattress, especially given its organic and high-quality materials and when compared to competitors in the organic and hybrid spaces (even with shipping costs).

However, side sleepers and lightweight sleepers will be better served by looking for another organic/hybrid mattress. Yet if they’re set on purchasing an Avocado, they will likely benefit from paying $400 to $600 extra for a pillowtop add-on (additional cost varies by mattress size) to cradle their shoulders, hips, and knees. Anyone seeking a soft or medium-soft mattress should also look elsewhere.

As a reminder, another option similar to the Avocado Green Mattress is the Nolah Natural 11 Mattress noted above. It offers 6 out of 10 firmness (making it suitable for back and side sleepers alike), may provide greater pressure relief, and potentially save you a few hundred dollars, depending on whether you buy it during a promotional sales period.