Eve Original vs Emma Original: which memory foam mattress is right for you?

The Eve Original and Emma Original are two of the best memory foam mattresses you can buy today. They're both recipients of Which? Best Buy awards, and the Emma Original has won T3's Best Mattress award in both 2019 and 2020. But which one should you buy? 

On the surface, there's not a lot to choose between the two. They're both bed-in-a-box memory foam mattresses that come rolled up and vacuum-packed, and need to be left to expand for at least a day before you can use them. Both come at the cheaper end of the mattress price range, and they both offer three layers of foam to provide a great combination of comfort and support.

So, which one should you choose? If you want to go deep into the details in order to make your decision, take a look at our Eve mattress review or Emma mattress review for all the specs. And if you're not sure you want memory foam, head to our spring vs memory foam mattress explainer, and our full best mattress ranking. Alternatively, read on as we weigh them up against each other in our Eve Original vs Emma Original showdown.

Note: As of October 2022, Eve Sleep has gone into administration, so mattresses and other sleep products from Eve will no longer be available in the near future. However, third party retailers like Amazon may still have Eve mattresses for sale, so it's best to look there for any Eve mattress deals.

Eve vs Emma mattress: background & overview

UK-based brand, Eve has been in the mattress business since 2014, and makes both foam-based mattress and hybrid options combining foam and springs. The Eve Original is its best-known mattress, but it also makes a cheaper option in the form of the Eve Lighter mattress. Its high-end option is the Eve Premium, and it makes hybrid versions of all three mattresses. All of its mattresses except for the premium (which is designed in the UK and made in Belgium) are made in the UK.

Emma is a German company that's been around since 2015. It keeps things simple with three mattress options: the all-foam Emma Original which we'll be discussing here, the Emma Hybrid which combines foam with premium springs, and the Emma Premium, an impressive hybrid with an added layer of extra tall springs. Emma also sells the Emma Bed to complement its mattresses, as well as the Emma Pillow and Emma Mattress Protector. All its mattresses are made and sold in the UK.

Eve vs Emma mattress: construction

Eve Original

The Eve Original is a vacuum-packed bed-in-a-box mattress that's 24cm in depth. It's comprised of three foam layers: on top is a 3cm comfort layer of springy foam that's about 30 times more breathable than memory foam. Beneath that is 3cm of memory foam, providing softness and support, and for the rest of the way down there's a dense base layer with seven contour zones cut into it for additional support. There's also a washable, moisture-wicking top cover and an anti-slip base to help keep your mattress in place.

Emma Original

The Emma Original is a 25cm-deep bed-in-a-box mattress. It features a washable, moisture-wicking top cover and positioning base material to keep your mattress in place, and inside that are three foam layers. On top is a comfort layer made of Emma's own Airgocell foam, which encourages air flow. Beneath that is the memory foam layer that contours to your body and distributes pressure evenly, and at the bottom is a thick base layer of HRX cold foam that helps prevent motion transfer and has grooves cut into it to help distribute your weight evenly.

Verdict: Draw

Construction-wise, there's barely anything to differentiate these mattresses. They both feature a comfort layer, memory foam layer and heavier base layer, and while the Eve Original has a slightly deeper memory foam layer, there's really not very much in it.

Eve vs Emma mattress: comfort & firmness

On paper, you'd expect both these mattresses to proved the same level of comfort and firmness. Both the Eve Original and Emma Original are rated as medium-firm and will support up to 40 stone (260kg); however firmness is a very subjective thing, and how well you get on with them will depend on how soft you like your mattress to be.

In our experience the Emma is the softer of the two, while the Eve is a much more firm option. This matters more with a foam mattress than a traditional sprung model, because it's more likely to absorb heat as you sink into it.

Verdict: Eve wins

Honestly, this is a very close call. However thanks to its extra firmness the Eve is likely to give you a better, cooler night's sleep; in fairness though, we should note that if you find the Emma Original too soft, Emma will send you a firm comfort layer for free.

Eve vs Emma mattress: the small print

Eve Original

Eve promises that it'll always try to offer free no-contact delivery, but notes that there are some areas where this isn't possible, so check when you order. It'll also take away and recycle your old mattress for a £40 fee. With Eve you get a 100-night trial to make absolutely sure that you get on with your new mattress, and free returns if it turns out that it's not suitable for you. Finally there's a 10-year warranty with every mattress.

Emma Original

Emma also provides free no-contact delivery across the UK, with the exception of some parts of Northern Island; you should also note that it doesn't ship to the Channel Islands. To help you get properly acquainted with your new mattress, Emma offers a 200-night trial and free, no-hassle returns, and its mattresses come with a 10-year guarantee.

Verdict: Emma wins

Once more there's not much to choose between the two companies; it's Emma's more generous 200-night trial that tips the balance in its favour.

Eve vs Emma mattress: what other people think

Eve Original

The Eve Original isn't available on Amazon so there's no rating to be had from customers there. On Trustpilot, though, the company is rated as Excellent, with over 7,500 reviews and 4.5 out of 5 stars.

In our own Eve mattress review we rated the Eve Original highly, finding it incredibly comfortable, affordable and cooler than traditional memory foam mattresses. However we noted that some may find it too firm and that it's very heavy, and we also found that it smelled quite strongly (of M&Ms, of all things), for the first couple of weeks after we unpacked it.

Emma Original

You can buy the Emma Original on Amazon, where it's clocked up over 2,000 reviews and has an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5, with 72% 5-star ratings and 14% 4-star ratings, and only 14% of reviews giving it three stars and under. On Trustpilot Emma has over 18,000 reviews and is rated Excellent with 4.6 out of 5 stars.

In our Emma mattress review we described it as the best mattress you can buy right now, and found it exceptionally comfortable and supportive with minimal motion transfer, however we noted that some may find it a little warm.

Verdict: Emma wins

Again, there's barely anything in it. Both mattresses have reviewed really well with the general public and sleep experts, but the figures show Emma ever so slightly ahead.

Eve vs Emma mattress: price

The Eve Original mattress costs £429 for a single, £629 for a small double, £699 for a double, £799 for a King, and £899 for a Super King. 

The Emma Original mattress costs £429 for a single, £599 for a small double, £649 for a double, £729 for a King, and £829 for a Super King.

Verdict: Emma wins

Although there's nothing in it if all you want is a single, across the range the Emma Original comes in cheaper. Bear in mind, though, that you'd have to be exceptionally unlucky to pay these prices. Both Eve and Emma run regular discounts; at the time of writing you can get 30% off the Eve Original and 35% off the Emma. To ensure you're getting the best price, be sure to check our guides to Emma discount codes and deals and Eve mattress discount codes and deals.

Eve vs Emma mattress: which should I buy?

If you skim the results you'll have come to the conclusion that the Emma Original is the winner here, but we should point out that it's honestly not by very much at all. Both the Eve Original and Emma Original are fine mattresses that offer plenty of comfort and support at very reasonable prices, and both companies provide great customer service.

With so little to differentiate between the two, we feel that your decision on which to buy should come down to one key metric: firmness. The Eve Original is towards the firmer end of the medium-firm spectrum, while the Emma Original is more at the medium end.

So, if you prefer a firmer mattress, go for the Eve Original. And if you're much happier with something softer that you can sink into nicely, the Emma Original will be more up your street. And don't forget that whichever you choose, you'll get plenty of time to decide whether you've picked the right one, and return it if you decide you're not happy.