Emma Original Vs. Emma Premium

Emma Original Vs. Emma Premium Mattress Comparison - UK (2024)

Last updated: 01.11.2023 Reading time: 9 Min.

THE EMMA PREMIUM HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE EMMA NEXTGEN PREMIUM.

THE EMMA ORIGINAL HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE EMMA ORIGINAL HYBRID MATTRESS.

Deciding on a mattress brand is difficult enough. 🤯

But what do you do if your favourite mattress brand has multiple best-selling products?

That’s exactly the problem you may face when comparing the different types of Emma mattresses available in the UK.

The Emma Original and the Emma Premium are top-notch products, but which is right for you? 🏆

We’ll deep-dive into this discussion in our Emma Original vs Emma Premium mattress comparison.

Let’s get started. 🥳

Emma original vs Emma premium mattress comparison
  • Emma Original Mattress
    Emma Original Mattress
    Emma
    Original Hybrid
    Price from   £ 339
    The Emma Original Hybrid has replaced the flagship Emma Original, bringing a new hybrid design for advanced comfort, support, and temperature regulation.
    "Get 5% off with our exclusive 'SLEEPHEROUK5' discount code."
    The Emma Original Hybrid has replaced the flagship Emma Original, bringing a new hybrid design for advanced comfort, support, and temperature regulation.
    "Get 5% off with our exclusive 'SLEEPHEROUK5' discount code."
  • Emma NextGen Premium mattress
    Emma NextGen Premium mattress
    Emma
    NextGen Premium Mattress
    Price from   £ 314.30 £ (449 )
    The Emma NextGen Premium Mattress offers excellent 7-zone support.
    "Get 5% off with our exclusive 'SLEEPHEROUK5' discount code."
    The Emma NextGen Premium Mattress offers excellent 7-zone support.
    "Get 5% off with our exclusive 'SLEEPHEROUK5' discount code."

Emma Original vs Emma Premium mattress comparison

The Emma Original and the Emma Premium are both featured Emma Sleep products.

Despite sharing the Emma UK name, these are two very different mattresses.

If you’d like very detailed information on both, we’d suggest you turn to our in-depth mattress reviews:

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

Emma Original Emma Premium
Type of mattress: Foam mattress Pocket sprung foam mattress
Mattress height: 25 cm (10 inches) 25 cm (10 inches)
Mattress layers:

3 mattress layers:

Airgocell foam

Viscoelastic memory foam

Cold foam

5 mattress layers:

Halo memory foam

Airgocell foam

Airgocell memory foam

12.5 cm (4.9 inches) pocket springs

HRX base 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.

Average-weight sleepers.

All sleep positions.

Hot sleepers.

Couples.

Temperature: Very good temperature regulation Excellent temperature regulation
Motion isolation: Very low motion transfer Average 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 with 5 side carrying handles.

While these are both excellent quality mattresses with some similarities, they are still quite different.

This also makes them suitable for different types of people. 🙍‍♂️🙍‍♀️

In the next few sections, we’ll go through the compositional and suitability aspects in more detail.

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

The Emma Original and the Emma Premium are both high-quality and durable mattresses that are safe to use.

Both are environmentally friendly, free from harmful chemicals and toxins, and fully fire-retardant, adhering to UK fire regulation BS7177 [1]. 🔥

But, they are actually suited to very different types of sleepers.

Emma Original: Body-hugging comfort

The Emma Original is a soft memory foam mattress - and one of the UK's bestsellers. 🧸

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 firmness

The soft feel combined with body-hugging memory foam makes the Original an excellent choice for people who like to sleep in their mattress instead of on top of their mattress - like sleeping on a cloud. ☁️

Sleepers can expect perfect body-hugging comfort, good relief of pressure points, and orthopaedic support to relieve back pain.

EXTRA 5% OFF WITH
SLEEPHEROUK5Click to copy code

BUY EMMA ORIGINAL HYBRID£ 339

The soft feel of the Emma Original makes the mattress a great option for side sleepers.

This is because the foams allow the hips and shoulders to sink in more deeply while still providing enough support for the lighter body parts, creating optimal spinal alignment. 📏

Spinal alignment is important for all sleeping positions, but more difficult to achieve for side sleepers.

This is why the right mattress is so important!

If you prefer a firmer feel memory foam mattress, you could try the Nectar mattress instead.

One of the drawbacks of the Emma's soft contouring is that it makes moving around on the mattress more challenging. 💃

We wouldn't recommend it to very restless sleepers.

Temperature regulation scale
Memory foam retains more heat than other mattress materials.

Memory foam also tends to store more heat. 🥵

Even though the Emma Original regulates temperature well, we wouldn't recommend it to very hot sleepers or heavy sweaters.

Choose the Emma Original if you:

  • Want a soft mattress.
  • Need an orthopaedic mattress with body-hugging support.
  • Are of light or medium build.
  • Sleep on your side.
  • Want an easy-to-care-for mattress with a machine-washable cover.

The Emma Original won't be the best choice if you're of a heavier build, a stomach or back sleeper, a heavier sweater, or a restless sleeper.

EXTRA 5% OFF WITH
SLEEPHEROUK5Click to copy code

BUY EMMA ORIGINAL HYBRID£ 339

Emma Premium: A perfectly cool sleep

The Emma Premium - originally called the Emma Original Hybrid - aims to combine the top features of the Emma Original and the Emma Hybrid mattresses.

While still rated as a medium-firm mattress, we’d say it’s slightly firmer than the Emma Original.

We've placed it at 7 out of 10 on the Sleep Hero firmness scale, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest.

emma premium firmness scale

This mattress still feels comfortable to sleep on and offers that full body-hugging contouring you'll experience with the Emma Original.

But, at its core, this mattress offers slightly firmer support with more bounce and high point elasticity. 🧱

This makes it better suited to a wider variety of sleeping positions and body types, as well as restless sleepers.

Circulation in pocket spring mattress
Pocket sprung mattresses allow for better air circulation.

Since the mattress's core consists of full-length pocket springs, the Emma Premium also offers enhanced breathability. 🌀

This is because the space between the springs allows for better air circulation.

This airflow carries away excess heat and moisture, keeping you cooler and more comfortable all night long.

This makes the Emma Premium a better choice for hot sleepers.

However, we found other hybrid options, such as the Simba Hybrid, significantly cooler when compared with the Emma Premium.

Choose the Emma Premium if you:

  • Are an average-weight combination sleeper.
  • Want a medium-firm mattress.
  • Need body-hugging comfort but also enjoy more support and stability.
  • Are a restless sleeper.
  • Share your bed with a partner but enjoy a bit more bounce.

The Emma Premium is more expensive than the Emma Original, though, so this isn't a good budget mattress.

Emma Premium vs Emma Original mattress composition

While the top memory foam layers of these two mattresses are very similar, they are still two very different mattresses in terms of composition.

Let’s take a closer look at this. 🧐

Emma Original mattress composition

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

These 3 foam layers are:

  • A comfort layer of Airgocell foam
  • A core of viscoelastic memory foam
  • A base support layer of HRX polyfoam

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

EXTRA 5% OFF WITH
SLEEPHEROUK5Click to copy code

BUY EMMA ORIGINAL HYBRID£ 339

Emma Premium mattress composition

The Emma Premium is a pocket sprung memory foam mattress with 5 layers.

These 5 layers are:

  • A top layer of Halo memory foam
  • A layer of Airgocell foam
  • A layer of Airgocell memory foam
  • A core of 12.5 cm (4.9 inches) pocket springs
  • Sturdy HRX base layer

The Emma Premium also has a height of 25 cm (10 inches).

emma premium mattress layers
The Emma Premium has 5 layers and a top cover.

Emma mattress delivery conditions & trial periods

Since the Emma Original and the Emma Premium are both Emma Sleep UK products, delivery conditions and trial periods are identical. 🚛💨

Here’s a quick overview of delivery conditions:

Emma Original Emma Premium
Delivery: Bed-in-a-box principle Bed-in-a-box principle
Delivery time: 1 - 3 working days 1 - 3 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 within the UK

Both Emma mattresses are delivered straight to your front door, rolled up and vacuum-packed in a compact box.

Delivery is free within the UK. 🇬🇧

Emma delivery is usually quite fast, and your product will be dispatched within 1 - 3 working days.

Emma Sleep UK also offers an old mattress removal service to save you the hassle of having to dispose of your old mattress.

EXTRA 5% OFF WITH
SLEEPHEROUK5Click to copy code

BUY EMMA ORIGINAL HYBRID£ 339

Bed-in-a-box convenience

While Emma UK will deliver the mattress to your home, you’ll still have to unpack it yourself. 🏡

Bed-in-a-box mattresses make this very easy.

Emma mattress delivered rolled up in a box.
Emma mattresses are delivered rolled up and vacuum-packed in a box.

Place the box on your bed frame, roll the mattress out, remove the plastic covering, and unfold your mattress. 🔬

Your mattress will begin to expand as soon as the vacuum seal has been broken.

Full expansion can take up to 4 - 6 hours. ⏰

A risk-free trial period

Conveniently, Emma mattresses come with a 200-night risk-free trial period.

This means that you have 200 days to try the mattress in the comfort of your own home to see if you’re happy with it.

If not, you can send it back (free of charge) and receive a full refund. 💷

Risk-free trial period
All Emma mattresses come with a 200-day trial.

We’d recommend trying a new mattress for at least 30 days [2] before making a final decision.

This gives your body the chance to get used to any new sensations.

10-year guarantee

Emma UK is confident in the quality of their mattresses, which is why they offer their customers a 10-year guarantee. 🗓

The manufacturer’s warranty will cover you in case of any defects or premature sagging, but terms and conditions do apply.

What else does Emma Sleep offer?

Sleeping isn’t much fun without the right sleep accessories.

Luckily, Emma UK offers a few great accessories to kit out your bedroom. 🛌

These include:

Emma also offers a variety of Emma bed frames, under-bed storage containers, other pillows, and a weighted blanket.

We’ve included links to a few of our favourite Emma sleep accessories 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 Premium mattresses.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Emma Original:

Emma Original
Advantages:

Soft & comfortable.

Body-contouring, adaptive foams for orthopaedic support.

Fantastic motion isolation, making it an excellent choice for couples.

Good temperature regulation.

Great choice for side sleepers.

Removable and machine-washable top cover.

Free shipping & free returns.

200-day risk-free trial period.

10-year guarantee.

Disadvantages:

The mattress is probably too soft for larger builds, front sleepers, and back sleepers.

The side carrying handles can tear easily for the larger mattress sizes.

EXTRA 5% OFF WITH
SLEEPHEROUK5Click to copy code

BUY EMMA ORIGINAL HYBRID£ 339

Advantages and disadvantages of the Emma Premium:

Emma Premium
Advantages:

Very supportive and a great choice for aside variety of sleepers.

Excellent temperature regulation.

Low motion transfer.

Removable and machine-washable top cover.

Free shipping & free returns.

Risk-free 200-night trial.

10-year guarantee.

Disadvantages:

More expensive than the Emma Original.

May still be too soft for large builds.

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

The Emma Original and the Emma Premium are both excellent mattresses.

One isn’t better than the other, but one will be better suited to you. 👌

The Emma Original is best suited to:

  • People who like softer mattresses.
  • Those needing orthopaedic support.
  • People of light, average, or medium build.
  • Side sleepers.

The Emma Premium is best suited to:

  • Those who like medium-firm mattresses.
  • People who need orthopaedic comfort but more support and stability.
  • Average-weight sleepers of all sleep preferences.
  • Heavier sweaters or restless sleepers.
  • Couples.

If you’re not sure, you can still enjoy a risk-free purchase by using Emma Sleep UK’s 200-day trial period.

After all, it’s only by trying a mattress that you’ll know if it’d be 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 [3].

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

Read our interview with Emma Sleep.

Frequently asked questions

  • Can you tell me more about Emma Sleep?


    Emma Sleep was first established in Germany in 2015, with the prime focus of trying to make the mattress market more consumer-oriented.

    The company has since expanded, and Emma products are available in Europe, the UK, the USA, Australia, and India.

    Emma Sleep is also an award-winning company in the UK, and the Emma Original has consistently been rated as one of the country’s bestsellers. 

  • Where are Emma mattresses made?


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

  • What are the different types of Emma mattresses?


    Emma Sleep UK offers a range of different mattresses.

    The most common ones include the following:

    • The Emma Essential is a soft budget mattress.
    • The Emma Original is a medium-soft memory foam mattress.
    • The Emma Hybrid is a medium-firm mini pocket sprung memory foam mattress.
    • The Emma Premium is a medium-firm full pocket spring memory foam mattress.

    The UK portfolio also included the Emma One and the Emma cot mattress, but these are no longer available. 

    More recently, Emma Sleep also launched the Emma Premium Cooling mattress, which is available online.

    The brand also has three in-store mattresses that fall under the Emma Select range.

    These include:

    • Emma Smart
    • Emma Helix
    • Emma Diamond

    The Emma Select range is exclusively available at Furniture Village, Glasswells, Hoggs, Aldiss, Thomas Hearn, Carters Bed City, QLM, Arighi Bianchi, Cartergate Bed Centre, Bennetts, Barrow Clark, Keens, Reynolds, Arthur Llewellyn Jenkins, Hatfields, Woods Furniture, Southons of Salsbury, Ponsford, E&M, Roomes, Fosters for Furniture, Land of Beds, and Fishpools. 

  • Can I read more Emma mattress comparisons?


    Take a look at the following Emma mattress comparisons:

    These may help you find what you're looking for.

  • References

Nicky

Nicky

Editor & Certified Sleep Therapist

Nicky is an experienced writer and editor with numerous qualifications. As a certified sleep coach, her interests lie in understanding how sleep problems arise from hormonal and environmental issues, particularly as part of stress and anxiety management.

Was this article helpful?
Please fill out
Yes
No

Great! Do you have any questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.

What would have made it better?

You may also be interested in:

    Yes, please!
    No, thank you. Take me to the UK site.

    We have an affiliate relationship with some manufacturers, where we receive a commission on sales if you click over from our site. This does not affect the purchasing price. In contrast: By using our discount codes, you'll get the best deal possible.