Simba Mattress Review – & which is better: Emma or Simba?

Mattresses are one of the most important purchases in our lives. No wonder they are such big businesses, and why marketing is so competitive. 

Recently, I needed a revamp of an old mattress, and I decided to do a little online browsing. Just consider for a second that we research products on You-Well, but this was one of the most challenging searches I’ve done in a long while. 

Ultimately, I landed on Simba. Did I make the right choice? Is it really the best mattress in the UK? Do I regret my decision? 

Pre-Purchase

I found Simba online, mentioned in many publications, which put the company at the top in the UK for mattresses. In my decision making, I was looking between Simba, Otty, Origin, Emma or something different from John Lewis. We’d ruled out Bensons for Beds and SCS from previous experience. I’d also tried, used and reviewed other hybrid beds before, but never Simba. 

You certainly can purchase Simba items on Amazon, but I chose to order directly through their website. 

I found that the website was very easy to use, gave me detailed breakdowns of the merits of each mattress (which can be quite overwhelming at first). We wanted to ask a few questions before purchasing and contacted the quick chat. This is the part of Simba’s service that I found the most annoying –  you need to schedule a call with an advisor, rather than being able to contact them directly. I’d like not to have to schedule an appointment, but I suppose that’s the way it is.

The advisor was very nice and friendly, but the call lasted all of 10 minutes. So the wait for the appointment was a waste of everybody’s time.

Thankfully, the advisor was brilliant, helped us order the items and threw in some free stuff with it. Otherwise, all great. 

Delivery

Our delivery was with AO, which was as easy as it gets. AO are by far the best delivery company out there, and called well ahead of time to give us their availability and made sure we were in. Could not fault it. 

I did ask the driver what he thought of Simba, and he said most people seem to be happy. He did mention that they pick up as many mattresses as they drop off, but he clarified that this was mostly driven by the warranty Simba offers, which means that rather than buying a new mattress, customers just claim it on the warranty. 

Interesting to note. 

I asked him what he thought of the beds and he said generally the feedback they hear is mostly positive. He did mention that lots of people complain about the mattress sinking, but he also mentioned that more often than not, those people are on the heavier side. 

He said it very politely, and considering im a big person, I think he was just being factual. 

The Mattress Review – Hybrid Pro

Our mattress of choice was the hybrid pro. Usually priced at £799, this is middle of the road for the Simba range. There was the temptation to dive into one of the more specialised or eco-friendly options, but our budget wasn’t quite up to it. 

So what makes the pro unique? 

Some technical details:

The Simba Hybrid® Pro is engineered with – what the company claims are – advanced materials and thoughtful design to deliver industry-leading comfort, support, and breathability. On the top surface, a naturally breathable wool top layer helps regulate temperature by efficiently managing moisture and maintaining airflow. This is important for the men, who tend to overheat. 

Beneath the wool sits a dual-layer spring system made up of 4,800 Aerocoil® springs. These micro springs are made from titanium alloy, a lightweight yet highly durable material. Each spring compresses individually to contour to your body, providing zoned support for spinal alignment. Their conical shape ensures that movement on one side of the bed doesn’t transfer across to the other, while also promoting airflow throughout the mattress. All very clever stuff. 

Then a layer of Simbatex® foam sits beneath the springs, designed with a more open structure than traditional memory foam. This allows for improved elasticity and cushioning. It’s also produced with graphite (specifically for its heat-dissipating properties) to further help draw heat away from your body.

The base of the Hybrid Pro is Simba’s SupportCore® system. 1,000 individually pocketed barrel springs. This provides reliable edge-to-edge support, reducing the risk of roll-off and improving stability. Not needed for younger people, but for older people. 

What’s more, Simba is designed in the UK and is also recyclable through Simba’s dedicated collection service.

My experience. 

Let’s get right to the part where we opened up the mattress and put it on our new bed (which was also purchased from Simba). If you’re older or not very physical, you’re going to need some help. The mattress is extremely heavy and difficult to carry with two people. 

You need to wait 24 hours before getting onto it, which is a little bit of an annoyance, but the nature of hybrid mattresses. 

At first, the mattress was soft, yet strangely firm. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it took a few nights to get used to. 

Simba Vs Emma

The two brands that are always compared are Simba and Emma – Emma is also on Amazon– but both also have their own websites. Both provide very similar services, products and market their brands in a similar way. There are a few key differences on the surface, but given that I have slept on both, I can provide a comparison that few other publications can. 

On the surface, Emma is slightly less expensive, while seemingly offering a similar mattress design. The Airgrid Mattress is maybe the most comparable to the Simba Hybrid Pro. The price of the Emma Airgrid is £679. 

The Emma mattress also has a breathable, moisture-wicking UltraDry™ cover that’s removable and washable. Inside, it also combines multiple layers: AirGrid technology for a light, floating feel; MemoryAdapt foam for pressure relief; and softer foam to gently cushion areas where your body applies the most pressure. A durable SupportBase foam for firmness, and Infinity springs to support spinal alignment again, also giving the mattress longevity.

Both the Emma mattress and the Simba Hybrid Pro do a similar job. Emma combines innovative foams and spring layers to create a lighter, softer, more cushioned feel. The Simba Hybrid Pro seems to focus more heavily on airflow and temperature control. Simba is much firmer and has better base for edge-to-edge stability. 

For the price difference of over £100, I personally think that Simba would just take the top spot. The materials feel slightly higher quality, it’s more supportive and the company generally throw in freebys. Emma is a great choice if you like to sink deeply into the bed, while Simba is more suitable for most people. 

Final Thoughts

So – would I reccommend the Simba Hybrid pro? Yes. I certainly would. 

After sleeping on the bed for a few weeks I find I am sleeping sounder, I don’t wake up sweaty and my back is well supported. The two things I think are worth consideration is the customer service can be quite cluncky and not very convenient, and I also think the mattress takes some time to reak in and come into it’s own.