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Emma Original vs Emma Hybrid

Emma Original Vs. Emma Hybrid Mattress Comparison - UK (2023)

Last updated: 31.10.2023 Reading time: 6 Min.

Emma is one of the best mattress brands available in the UK.

So what do you do if you’re torn between two of their world-class mattresses?

And which is the best Emma mattress?

Don’t worry - we’re here to help. 🥳

In this Emma Original vs Emma Hybrid mattress comparison, we’ll highlight similarities and key differences to help you choose your perfect match.

Let’s get straight to it. 👇

Emma Original vs Emma Hybrid

How we test products

Our mission is to take the guesswork out of finding the perfect sleep products.

We've dedicated hundreds of hours to testing mattresses and sleep accessories, and rely on a team of testers of differing weights, temperature preferences, and sleeping positions to evaluate each product. 

Tested products are granted the Sleep Hero tested stamp of approval, a mark of our review's reliability.

To learn more about our testing process, check out our methodology page.

If we haven't personally tested a product, please be assured that we invest significant time and energy into scouring the UK market and researching the best recommendations, and we work with a team of sleep experts who review our articles, ensuring that the insights we provide are not only relatable but also reliable.

Emma Original vs Emma Hybrid mattress comparison

The Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid are both mattresses by the award-winning Emma mattress brand.

But, these are two remarkably different mattresses.

If you’d like to read our in-depth analyses of the Emma Original and Emma Hybrid mattresses, we’d suggest you turn to our mattress reviews:

Below, you’ll find a side-by-side comparison of these two mattresses. 👇

Emma Original Emma Hybrid
Type of mattress Foam mattress Hybrid pocket sprung foam mattress
Mattress height 25 cm (10 inches) 25 cm (10 inches)
Mattress layers

3 foam layers:

Airgocell foam

Viscoelastic memory foam

Cold foam

4 layers:

Airgocell foam

Supportive mini pocket springs

Viscoelastic memory foam

Cold foam

Firmness Medium-soft Medium-firm
Stability & support An orthopaedic choice that offers good stability, support, and pressure relief, especially for side sleepers Good support and comfortable feel
Suitable for

Light- and average-weight sleepers.

People who like a soft mattress.

Side sleepers.

Those needing orthopaedic support.

Light- and average-weight sleepers.

People who like a medium-firm mattress.

All sleeping positions.

Couples and restless sleepers.

Hot sleepers.

Temperature Very good temperature regulation Excellent temperature regulation
Motion isolation Very low motion transfer Very low motion transfer
Mattress cover Hypoallergenic cover that’s removable & machine-washable at 60℃ with 4 side carrying handles. Hypoallergenic cover that’s removable & machine-washable at 60℃ with 4 side carrying handles.
Purchase 20% OFF EMMA ORIGINAL PLUS + 5% OFF W/ "SLEEPHEROUK5" 5% OFF EMMA HYBRID W/ "SLEEPHEROUK5"

As the table overview may have shown, these two mattresses may be similar in name, but they couldn’t be more different in terms of composition.

This also makes them suitable for very different types of people. 🤔

We’ll go through each mattress's specific composition and features in more detail in the next section.

Emma Original vs Emma Hybrid: Which mattress is best suited to you?

The Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid mattresses are both very comfortable, high-quality mattresses.

But, with unique compositions, they’re better suited to very different types of people.

No matter your choice, though, you can rest assured that these are environmentally-friendly mattresses that are perfectly safe to sleep on. 🌱

Both the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid are 100% vegan and guaranteed to be free from toxins, chemicals, and harmful substances.

They’re also both fire-retardant & adhere to UK fire regulation BS7177. 🔥

And, of course, they’re both manufactured in the UK.

Emma Original: Soft body-hugging comfort

The Emma Original is one of the best softer memory foam mattresses on the market.

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We’ve rated it at 4 out of 10 on the Sleep Hero firmness scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest.

Emma Original mattress firmness

This makes it an excellent choice for people who enjoy the soft and cuddly feel of sleeping in their mattress rather than on top of their mattress.

Memory foam adapts to your body perfectly, offering good relief of pressure points and allowing your muscles to relax fully.

This is why memory foam mattresses like the Emma Original are often recommended for orthopaedic purposes. 🤗

Emma Original mattress side sleeper
The Emma Original is perfect for side sleepers.

The Emma Original is also an excellent choice for lighter- and average-weight sleepers, particularly if they enjoy sleeping on their side.

If you're looking for a slightly firmer memory foam mattress, you could try the Nectar mattress as an alternative.

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Side sleepers will often benefit from a slightly softer mattress as hips and shoulders need to sink in a little more deeply.

However: there should still be enough support to keep the lighter parts of the body lifted and allow the spine to remain straight. 📏

The Emma Original does this perfectly.

Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of the Emma Original’s soft contouring is that it can make moving around on the mattress a little more challenging. 🕺

This is why we wouldn’t recommend the mattress to very restless sleepers.

Temperature regulation scale

The foam also tends to absorb more heat. 🥵

While the Emma mattress regulates temperature well, and you shouldn’t feel too hot or clammy, it won’t be a good choice for very heavy sweaters.

Choose the Emma Original if you:

  • Prefer soft mattresses.
  • Want an orthopaedic mattress with body-contouring support.
  • Are of lighter or medium build.
  • Sleep on your side.
  • Want a no-fuss mattress with a removable & machine-washable cover.

The Emma Original will be less suitable if you need more support (i.e. if you’re of a larger build and a stomach or back sleeper) or if you’re a heavier sweater or very restless sleeper.

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Emma original mattress carrier handles
The Emma Original has side handles for easy transportation.

Emma Hybrid: Breathable support

The Emma Hybrid is slightly firmer than the Emma Original.

This makes the Emma Hybrid much more suitable for those who prefer a medium-firm feel - but still with the same comfort of memory foam and support of pocket springs!

We've placed it at a 6.5 out of 10 on the Sleep Hero firmness scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest.

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Emma hybrid firmness

In contrast to the Original, the Emma Hybrid is far more comfortable to turn around on and has better edge support.⛰

It's also more suitable for restless sleepers.

It is still best suited to people of lighter or average builds with any sleeping position preference.

People of larger builds who need more overall support or pure back/front sleepers may prefer choosing a pocket sprung mattress.

The Emma Hybrid also has a machine-washable top cover.

The Emma Hybrid does fare well in terms of temperature regulation, and it’s better suited to people who feel hot more easily.

This is because the spaces between the pocket springs in the mattress’s core allow for greater airflow and breathability, wicking away heat and moisture. ❄️

Very heavy sweaters may still find it too warm, though.

Choose the Emma Hybrid if you:

  • Enjoy a medium-firm sleeping surface.
  • Are of lighter or medium build.
  • Any sleep position preferences.
  • Toss and turn regularly.
  • Share your bed with a partner.
  • Easily feel hot at night.

The mattress is less suitable for very heavy back and stomach sleepers.

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The Emma Hybrid is comfortable but firmer.

Emma Hybrid vs Original mattress composition

The Emma Original mattress and the Emma Hybrid mattress are two very different mattresses in terms of composition.

Emma Original mattress composition

The Emma mattress is a memory foam mattress composed of 3 different foam layers.

These 3 foam layers are:

  • A top layer of pressure-relieving Airgocell foam (3 cm / 1.1 inches)
  • A core of viscoelastic memory foam (3 cm / 1.1 inches)
  • A base layer of HRX polyfoam (19 cm / 7.4 inches)

The Emma Original has a total height of 25 cm (10 inches), which is on par with most bed-in-a-box mattresses.

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Emma Original mattress foams
The Emma Original has three foam layers.

Emma Hybrid mattress composition

The Emma Hybrid is a memory foam hybrid mattress composed of 4 different layers.

These 4 mattress layers are:

  • A top comfort layer of pressure-relieving Airgocell foam (4 cm / 1.5 inches)
  • Up to 2000 individually wrapped conical pocket springs (2 cm / 0.7 inches)
  • Viscoelastic memory foam layer (3 cm / 1.1 inches)
  • A base layer of supportive HRX foam (16 cm / 6.3 inches)

Like the Emma Original, the Emma Hybrid has a total height of 25 cm (10 inches).

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Emma Hybrid vs Emma Original price & size comparison

Hybrids are generally more expensive than all-foam mattresses.

This is also the case with the Emma Hybrid and the Emma Original.

Emma Original (prices for different sizes) Emma Hybrid (prices for different sizes)
Single (90 x 190 cm): £499 £589
EU single (90 x 200 cm): £599 /
Small double (120 x 190 cm): £699 £789
Double (135 x 190 cm): £759 £809
EU double (140 x 200 cm): £799 /
King-size (150 x 200 cm): £849 £919
EU queen (160 x 200 cm): £969 /
Super-king (180 x 200 cm): £999 £1029

Emma UK has very competitive pricing but also offers some of the best discounts and promotions.

You’re very likely to find an Emma mattress discount code. 🥳

UK mattress sizes

The prices above are the standard prices, without discounts.

If there are any discounts currently running, they’ll be included throughout this article.

We also collect a whole range of mattress discounts on our discounts page.

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Emma mattress delivery conditions & trial periods

The Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid are bed-in-a-box mattresses delivered rolled-up and vacuum-packed straight to your front door. 🏠

Since these are both Emma mattresses, the delivery conditions and trial periods are similar.

Emma Original Emma Hybrid
Delivery: Bed-in-a-box principle Bed-in-a-box principle
Delivery time: 1 - 3 working days 10 - 15 working days
Delivery cost: Free delivery within mainland UK Free delivery within mainland UK
Trial period: 200-night trial period 200-night trial period
Returns: Free returns Free returns
Warranty: 10-year guarantee 10-year guarantee

Free delivery

Both Emma mattresses are delivered straight to your home, rolled up and vacuum-sealed in a compact box. 📦

These boxes have been designed to be handled by one person and can easily fit through any narrow passageway.

Delivery is free within mainland UK. 🇬🇧

No-contact delivery is available.

Emma delivery is usually quite fast, and you can expect your Original mattress within a few days.

Emma mattress rolled up
Emma mattresses are delivered rolled up in a compact box.

Since the Emma Hybrid is no longer one of the company's featured products, however, delivery of this one will take a little longer.

You can also ask Emma to remove your old mattress by selecting this option upon checkout.

Once the vacuum seal has been broken, both the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid mattresses will expand to their full size.

This can happen within a few minutes but could also take 4 - 6 hours. ⏰

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unfolding emma mattress
The mattresses will expand once the vacuum seal has been broken.

Risk-free trial periods & free returns

Both mattresses also come with a 200-night risk-free trial period.

This gives you the chance to try out the mattress in the comfort of your own home.

If you’re not completely comfortable, you can return the mattresses free of charge for a full refund. 💷

Emma mattress trial period

We’d recommend trying a new mattress for at least 3 weeks before making up your mind.

10-year guarantee

Both the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid are made of high-density foams, promising good durability.

They both come with a 10-year warranty, which will cover you in case of manufacturing defects or premature sagging.

Terms and conditions apply.

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What else does Emma Sleep offer?

You may need more than just a new mattress.

Luckily, Emma UK offers a few amazing sleep accessories to brighten up your sleeping experience.

These include:

  • Quality pillows
  • Duvets, mattress toppers, and mattress protectors
  • Bed frames

We’ve included a few of our favourites below. 👇

Our favourite Emma sleep accessories:

Advantages and disadvantages of the two mattresses

To sum up, here is a table overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid mattresses.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Emma Original:

Emma Original
Advantages:

Soft & comfortable to give you that “sleeping-on-a-cloud” feeling.

Offers excellent adaptability & high point elasticity for orthopaedic support.

Exceptionally low motion transfer, making it a brilliant choice for couples.

Good temperature regulation.

Very well-suited to side sleepers.

Machine-washable top cover.

Free shipping & free returns.

200-day risk-free trial period.

10-year guarantee.

Disadvantages:

It may be too soft for heavier-weight people, larger builds, or back sleepers.

The side carrying handles are a little weak, especially for the larger mattress sizes.

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Advantages and disadvantages of the Emma Hybrid:

Emma Hybrid
Advantages:

Great temperature regulation.

Low motion transfer makes it great for couples.

Quiet - no squeaky spring sounds when you move around.

Low-weight mattress with side handles & easy to carry.

Fully removable & machine-washable cover.

Free shipping & free returns.

Risk-free 200-night trial.

100% vegan.

Disadvantages:

You may notice off-gassing when you first unpack the mattress.

It may be too soft for heavier-weight people & not offer enough support.

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Emma Original vs Emma Premium - how does the latest Emma mattress compare?

Emma UK has also introduced a third mattress, the Emma Premium.

The company best describes this as a mattress with a composition most similar to the Emma Hybrid but the firmness of the Emma Original.

Ironically, it was originally called the Emma Original Hybrid.

Like the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid, this mattress features upper comfort layers of Airgocell foam and memory foam, resulting in the same sleeping-on-a-cloud feeling. ⛅️

But, the Emma Premium also features full-size pocket springs in a foam wall encasing and additional cold foam layers.

This results in:

  • Exceptional point elasticity
  • Edge-to-edge support
  • Enhanced stability
  • Greater breathability

The Emma Premium offers more stability and breathability than the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid.

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Emma premium mattress
The Emma Premium is a luxurious mattress.

This makes it more suitable for heavier-weight sleepers, people of larger builds, and heavier sweaters.

The Emma Premium also contains full-size pocket springs, not only mini pocket springs like the Emma Hybrid.

We go into full details on this in our Emma Original vs Emma Premium mattress comparison.

Which Emma mattress is best, the Emma Original or the Emma Hybrid?

The Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid are both best buy mattress options, and one isn’t necessarily better than the other.

But, they are catered to different individuals.

The Emma Original is best suited to:

  • People of lighter or medium build.
  • Side sleepers.
  • People who prefer soft mattresses.
  • People who require an orthopaedic mattress that will offer body-hugging comfort and good pressure relief.

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The Emma Hybrid is best suited to:

  • People of light or average build.
  • Stomach, back, or front sleepers.
  • People who prefer medium-firm mattresses.
  • Restless sleepers.
  • People who sweat more heavily.
  • Couples.

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Regardless of your choice, you’ll get to enjoy a risk-free trial period, giving you the chance to try the mattress in the comfort of your own home.

After all, it’s only by sleeping on a mattress for a few nights that you’ll know if it’s really right for you or not.

Contact Emma UK

Customer service: To contact Emma UK directly for complaints, support, or queries, please e-mail them at support@emma-mattress.co.uk, visit their live online chat, or complete their online contact form.

Registered office: Emma Matratzen GmbH, Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. 78, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Frequently asked questions

  • Can you tell me more about Emma Sleep?


    Emma is a start-up company first established in Germany in 2015 with the idea of making the mattress market as transparent and consumer-oriented as the market in the United States.

    Today, Emma is one of the most popular bed-in-a-box brands, selling all over the UK, USA, Europe, Australia, and India

  • Where are Emma mattresses made?


    All Emma mattresses sold in the UK are also manufactured in the UK. 🇬🇧

  • Do the Emma One mattress and Emma Essential mattress still exist?


    The Emma One was a premium mattress with the same composition as the Emma Original, only much firmer.

    Unfortunately, this mattress is no longer available in the UK.

    The Emma Essential mattress is a low-height budget mattress that only consists of two layers of foam.

    It is still available via some retailers and is a good buy option if you need a cheap mattress.

    But, the Emma Essential is now longer sold by Emma directly anymore.

  • Can I buy the Emma Original and Emma Hybrid mattresses on Amazon?


    Yes, Emma mattresses are available on Amazon in the UK and via other Emma mattress stockists, including DFS, Carpetright, and John Lewis.

    The 10-year guarantee and 200-night trial period are valid if you purchase from an approved seller, though details and delivery conditions are subject to change.

    You can also purchase refurbished Emma mattresses through Wowcher, GoGroopier, or eBay. 

    These only come with a 14-day trial and a 6-month guarantee.

  • What's the best Emma mattress?


    That's impossible to answer - it'll depend on your preferences and requirements.

    But here's a quick overview:

    • The Emma Original is a medium-soft memory foam mattress perfect for side sleepers.
    • The Emma Hybrid is a medium-firm mini pocket sprung memory foam mattress perfect for a wide variety of sleepers.
    • The Emma Premium is a medium-firm full pocket spring memory foam mattress perfect for better stability and hotter sleepers.

    Don't forget to read our in-depth reviews for the best information and advice!

  • References

Nicky

Nicky

Content Director & Partner Relations

My mum calls me "bear" because I like to sleep so much. I never thought that, one day, I'd be a certified sleep coach and apply my skills more widely. Can you tell that I've found my calling? 

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