Emma vs Casper: which mattress should you buy?

In this Emma vs Casper face-off, we compare the Emma Original mattress with The Casper mattress to help you decide which one to buy. They’re two of the highest-rated entries in our best mattress guide and share many similarities, so which is better: Emma or Casper?

Both memory foam mattresses provide stellar comfort, through a construction of foam layers including body-contouring memory foam. Both, too, are bed-in-a-box mattresses – which means they’re delivered to your door, rolled up in a conveniently sized box. And they’ve both earned rave reviews from customers and critics. 

However, despite the similarities between these mattresses, there are some differences. Here, we’ll explore these in detail, looking at the design, feel, price, what other users say and the small print to help you decide which one to buy. Read on to find out which mattress wins in the battle of Emma vs Casper…

• Prefer a spring layer? See our Emma Hybrid review

Emma vs Casper: design

The best way to understand the difference between two foam mattresses like The Casper and Emma Original is to compare the layers of foam they're made of.

The Emma Original

The Emma mattress is 25cm deep and made up of three foam layers. At the top, a 3cm layer of “Airgocell” foam provides breathability, and prevents motion transfer across the surface of the mattress. At the core of the mattress, a layer of viscoelastic memory foam contours to the sleeper’s body. Beneath that, a thick layer of support foam provides a comfortable base.

The Casper  

There are four layers of foam in The Casper mattress – which is also 25cm deep – with each playing a specific role in providing a comfortable night’s sleep. The top layer is 3cm of open-cell foam, which provides breathability to stop the mattress getting too hot through the night. Below that, 3cm of memory foam provides contouring to you body shape. The next layer is 3cm of polyurethane foam, designed to help with weight distribution. At the base of the mattress, 12cm of support foam contributes to the mattress’ comfortable feel. 

Winner: draw 

It's difficult to judge which of these mattresses is the better-designed. Both are great at contouring to your body, while preventing the bed from becoming uncomfortably warm. The fact that the Emma achieves this with three layers, rather than four, arguably makes it the more elegantly designed of the two mattresses – but really, we’re splitting hairs here. Whether you choose the Emma or the Casper shouldn’t come down to design alone: you'll need to factor comfort and price into your decision.

Emma vs Casper: Price

Thanks to a big price drop in June 2020, the Emma Original is £100 or more cheaper than the Casper across all sizes (originally, the two were very similarly priced). Take a look at the price breakdown below:

• Emma Original RRP: single - £299, double - £499, king - £579, super king - £649
• The Casper RRP: single - £400, double - £600, king - £700, super king - £800

However, bear in mind that both brands run cheap mattress deals all year round. These can lower costs significantly, but because the offers change regularly it’s difficult to directly compare prices over a long period of time. 

Winner: Emma Original 

Deals aside, Emma beats Casper when it comes to price. However, if you otherwise prefer the Casper, bear in mind that both brands regularly cut the price of their mattresses – you might well find a Casper deal that takes it down to a lower price point than the Emma if you look on the right day. 

• The best Emma mattress discounts
• Cheap Casper mattress deals

Emma vs Casper: Comfort and firmness

In this section, we compare the results of our testing. However, bear in mind that mattresses are subjective, which makes comparing them on a comfort level tricky. Your weight can influence how firm you find a mattress, for example. Different sleeping styles, too, can result in different experiences; as can back or joint pain, or a tendency to overheat at night. 

In the next section, we'll show you what other users thought, too, to help build a more rounded picture of what the Emma and Casper mattresses are like to sleep on.

Emma Original

We found the Emma to be perhaps marginally softer than the Casper, though there isn’t a great deal of difference between the two mattresses in this respect. In our testing, we found that it provides a beautifully comfortable sleep – whether you’re on your side, back or front – pushing you up to the top of the mattress, where you're cushioned and supported. 

The “point-elastic” foam at the top of the mattress also does a great job of preventing motion transfer through the mattress – which is great news if you sleep next to a restless partner. 

It's worth pointing out that one of our reviewers found the Emma to be a little warmer than other mattresses they'd tested, but still rated it as exceptionally comfortable.    

The Casper  

We found The Casper to be a little firmer than the Emma Original, with a medium-to-moderately-high level of firmness that really suits side sleepers. The uppermost layer of the mattress, which is made of open-cell foam, kept our reviewers nice and cool throughout the night. That’s impressive, considering our testing took place in the summer months. 

Winner: Emma Original 

Both the Casper and the Emma are fabulous mattresses. We're happy to confirm that we found both to be fantastically comfortable and very supportive – better than most other memory foam mattresses-in-a-box we've encountered. In our opinion, the Emma is the more comfortable of the two, but if you like a slightly firmer feel, you may prefer The Casper. 

Emma vs Casper: What other people think

Here, we researched the opinion of thousands of customers to help build a stronger sense of what both mattresses are like to sleep on.

Emma Original 

The Emma Original is one of the best-rated mattresses we’ve come across. Last time we checked (June 2020), consumer review website Trust Pilot gave the Emma brand an average of 4.3 stars out of 5, over more than 9,000 user reviews. On Amazon, meanwhile, over 400 customers had awarded the Emma Original mattress an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars (with 75% giving it a five-star rating). 

Many users have commented on how comfortable and supportive the mattress is. The limited negative feedback appears to be largely delivery-related, rather than concerning the mattress. That said, a few customers found the mattress too warm; and for a very small amount of people the initial off-gassing smell lingered for a number of weeks (this seems to vary from mattress to mattress – our Emma Original mattress didn't smell at all).

The Casper 

The Casper has also received excellent feedback from customers, with an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars from 225 reviewers on Amazon. 69% gave the Casper a five-star rating, while 11% gave a one-star rating. Trust Pilot also averages the Casper brand at 4.4 out of 5 stars, across around 6,000 reviews. 

Like the Emma Original, the majority of user feedback for The Casper is very positive, with people enjoying how comfortable and supportive it is, and the reduced motion transfer. Any limited negative feedback is, again, largely related to delivery issues, although a few users have commented that The Casper was a little firm for them. 

Winner: Emma 

On the strength of user reviews, the Emma Original mattress just edges it over The Casper. Both mattresses were in the same high-performing ballpark, but the Emma Original’s significantly larger review pool also stands in the mattress’s favour. 

Emma vs Casper: the small print 

Delivery information, returns, warranties and other logistical details like these are important factors that can help elevate one mattress brand over another. Once again, though, the Emma and Casper mattresses match each other well.

Emma Original

When you buy an Emma mattress, you get a 100-day free trial period, and can have the mattress collected free-of-charge within that period, if you decide you don’t want it. It comes with a 10-year guarantee.

The Casper 

The Casper mattress comes with precisely the same benefits, which are an industry standard among mattress-in-a-box brands. There’s a 10-year guarantee, a 100-day free trial period, and free returns for unsatisfied customers.

Winner: draw

When it comes to the small print, there's nothing to distinguish the two mattresses.

Emma vs Casper: which one should you buy? 

Overall, we think the Emma Original is the best mattress you can buy right now. The main difference between the two is that The Casper is a little firmer than the Emma Original – but both fall within the medium-firm bracket. Otherwise, as our testing shows, the mattresses achieve similarly excellent results: they're well made, durable, and users rate both highly. 

However, the Emma mattress scores slightly higher in the user reviews overall, across a much larger pool of customers, and is a fair amount cheaper at full RRP. And we’ve reached a similar conclusion: The Casper is an excellent mattress. The Emma is exceptional. 

Either way, the 100-night trial takes the pain out of choosing. If you're not happy with one, it's easy to send it back and try the other.